Don’t forget about your tire and wheel maintenance. This maintenance is crucial to help you maintain control of your automobile. Neglected tires can blow out and put you in dangerous situations that cause automobile accidents. Wheels that are out of balance or not aligned can make it extremely difficult to control your car, truck, utility vehicle, or van. Mark’s Auto Service answers the questions as to when you need to get your tires rotated and your wheels balanced below. We’ll also talk about wheel alignment.
Tire Rotation
Generally speaking, your tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles. It’s important to look at the tire manufacturer’s recommendations for the specific tires you buy. It’s also important to look at your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations for tire rotations, which you can find in your owner’s manual. Rotating the tires prevents the tread from wearing down unevenly. This not only helps you maintain control of your automobile but also extends the life of the tires.
Wheel Balance
Your wheels should be balanced every time you get your tires rotated. The reason why is simple: the tires and wheels do not weigh the same. When the tires are rotated the wheels need to be balanced to distribute the weight evenly across the vehicle’s axles. This not only helps you maintain control of your automobile, but it also prevents the tires from wobbling. A sign that your wheels need to be balanced is just that. Your vehicle will start to wobble as you pick up speed.
Wheel Alignment
Wheel alignment doesn’t have to be done as frequently as tire rotations and wheel balances. It’s important to have the wheels aligned when you purchase a new set of tires and have them installed on your automobile. After this, most drivers can usually wait two years before they need the wheels aligned again, provided they do not knock them out of alignment. Ways that you can knock your wheels out of alignment include
- Driving over bumps too fast
- Hitting curbs when you go around them
- Hitting cement parking markers
- Driving over speed bumps too fast
- Flying through potholes
- Driving through road construction areas too fast
Signs that you have knocked your wheels out of alignment include your vehicle pulling to the right or the left, your steering wheel being off-center, and your wheels squealing when you turn around corners.
Mark’s Auto Service in Loves Park or Loves Park, Belvidere, Roscoe, and Rockford, IL, can help you with your tire and wheel maintenance. Give the shop closest to you a call today to schedule an appointment.
