Preventative Maintenance for Your Tires and When It’s Time for a Replacement

As a Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, driver, you rely on numerous car parts while traveling around the area. Though all of these components are crucial in their own right, few play a more prominent role than your tires. A good set of wheels can make the difference between a smooth, safe ride and a much less comfortable or reliable driving experience.

As you may expect, tires can quickly run into problems if they’re neglected for long enough. Read on to learn all about the preventative maintenance services that can extend your tires’ lifespan — and what to do when your wheels have reached the end of their service life.

Keep Up With These Tire Maintenance Services:

No matter how expensive and high-quality your tires are, they’ll need preventative maintenance to stay in good shape for the long haul. Some of the most critical forms of tire repair and maintenance include:

Tire Balancing

Tires need to be as similar as possible to function effectively, which means each of the tires on your vehicle should be identical in terms of weight. That shouldn’t be a problem with a new set of four tires, but everyday wear and tear can gradually affect the weight of your wheels. Making matters worse, unbalanced tires will wear abnormally, which could cause further problems.

You’ll need to set up a tire balancing service to deal with this issue. Our Dallas-Fort Worth mechanics will remove your car’s tires, analyze their weight distribution, and install tiny weights on underweight tires to bring all your wheels into balance.

Tire Alignment

If the angles at which your tires meet the road are off by just a degree or two, it could spell serious trouble for your wheels’ well-being. Alignment issues can lead to uneven tire wear, steering trouble, and reduced fuel efficiency.

Professional tire alignment service is the best way to prevent or resolve these problems. Though the name of this service may suggest otherwise, it does not involve direct adjustments to your wheels — instead, mechanics mainly focus on making adjustments to your suspension. Be sure to set up alignment work whenever you notice the issues listed above.

Tire Rotation

Along with the factors previously described, a tire’s position on your vehicle can impact how it wears down. That’s because driven wheels work harder than non-driven wheels, but regular rotation can make this a nonissue.

While tire rotation may seem more straightforward than the other two services discussed, it should be handled by qualified automotive mechanics. Successful rotation involves choosing and following one of the multiple patterns based on your car’s drivetrain and several other factors. Getting this wrong could severely impact your tire wear, so it’s best to visit a trustworthy tire shop in Dallas-Fort Worth when it’s time for rotation work.

Is It Time for New Tires?

By taking care of the tire maintenance services listed above and getting tire repair when your wheels encounter more serious trouble, you can significantly extend the lifespan of your tires. However, these components won’t last forever — on average, a set of tires remains usable for three to five years. If you think you may be overdue for one or more new tires, you should:

Inspect Your Tire Treads

Excess tread wear is one of the main reasons why tires need to be replaced. If your tread has worn down to about 2/32 of an inch (or 0.16 cm), it’s no longer considered road-legal, making this an obvious sign that you need new wheels.

Are you wondering if your treads have reached this point? Most tires have a tread bar to make determining this as simple as possible. Check how the surface of your tire compares to its tread bar. If the indicator is flush with the surface, your treads are dangerously low. (As an alternative, you could try the “penny test.” For this method, find a standard penny, and stick it head-down into your tire’s grooves. If you can see the top of the head, replace your tires.) 

Look for Signs of Damage

While even the best tires will wear out over time, the type of wear your tires face matters, too. Based on a tire’s location on your car, it can wear down at a different rate or in a different pattern than you may expect. Improper tire rotation is just one factor behind abnormal tire wear — trouble with your tire pressure, weight, and alignment can contribute to this, too. To prevent these issues, prioritize the services listed above, and keep a close eye on your car’s tire pressure monitoring system.

Abnormal tire wear isn’t the only type of damage tires can sustain. If you notice bubbles and bulges on the sidewalls of your tires, know that this isn’t something you can afford to ignore. These types of damage can leave your tires at risk of a blowout, so it’s best to get such tires replaced ASAP.

Pay Attention to Your Steering Wheel

In addition to the previously mentioned symptoms of abnormal tire wear, this situation can cause vibrations in your steering wheel. The same may be true if you need a tire alignment, rotation, and balancing work.

What to Look For in a Tire Repair Shop

If you’ve noticed any of these red flags, there’s no time to waste —  start looking for a Dallas/Fort Worth-area tire shop right away. Since some auto shops in this region are more qualified than others, ensuring the right business for this work is crucial. Make sure your tire shop of choice can deliver:

• Qualified mechanics. The only people you should trust with your tires are ASE-certified mechanics. As the most qualified workers the industry has to offer, these technicians have access to the knowledge, skills, and equipment they need to ensure your tires can continue to keep you safe on the road.
• Opportunities to save. While tires are far from the cheapest car component, investing in high-quality tires is better than dealing with the risks of buying less expensive, off-brand wheels. That’s not to say that a new set of tires should break the bank. If you do your research before committing to a tire shop, you can choose a business that offers online coupons for tire-related products and services.
• Convenient locations. While you shouldn’t just pick whatever tire store happens to be closest to you, there’s no reason to go out of your way for tire service. Be sure to choose a business that can provide the services you’re looking for no matter where you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
• An excellent tire selection. The fact is, name-brand tires are almost always more reliable than their lesser-known counterparts. While exploring your Texas tire shop options, prioritize stores that stock tires from leading brands such as Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin, and Firestone.

To get all these benefits and more, give Driver’s Edge Complete Tire & Auto Service a try! We’re the Dallas/Fort Worth area’s most trusted tire store, and we offer a wide range of tire services and replacement tires.