Are your tires bald or are you experiencing the dreaded and an inconvenient flat tire? Should you repair your tires, use a solution to temporarily fill it, or cave and buy a whole new one?
Well here are six ways to help repair tires, as well as better, understand and care for your tires.
Sidewall Damage
If you are unfortunate enough to experience a sidewall puncture your only safe option is to replace the tire. There is no guarantee that a sidewall patch will not fail.
Repairing damage to the sidewall puts you at risk of a blowout that could endanger your life and others around you.
Repair Tires
Neither of these are permanent solutions. They offer a temporary fix. Plugs run the risk of working themselves loose while patches don’t always cover the entire hole.
Using one of these two solutions could result in having to refix the same problem down the road. These are cheaper solutions for those that do not have the money to purchase a new tire.
Penny Trick
The penny is the easier and most convenient way to check the tread life on your tires.
Simply turn the penny with Lincoln’s head upside down and place it between treads. If you can see his whole head then you have less than 2/32″ of tread left and it’s time to replace your tires.
Knowing how much tread you have left on your tires could mean the difference in repairing your tires or replacing them.
Quarter Trick
The quarter trick is very similar to the penny trick.
Simply turn the quarter with Washington’s head upside down and place it between treads.
If the top of the tread touches his head you have at least 4/32″ left which is good. You still have some time before your tires need to be replaced.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
If you are looking to avoid replacing your tires for as long as possible then you need to commit to inspecting your tires as often as possible. This will make you aware of the condition of your tires and any damage such as cuts and holes.
Tire rotation is another key to extending your tread life. Tires should be rotated every six months or 5,000 to 8,000 miles
Tire Alignment
This should be done every two to three years. If your tires are wider then you will need realignment more often.
Unaligned tires can cause irregular wear and tear on your treads and cause damage.
Proper tire maintenance is key to how long your tires will last.
Repair vs. Replace
Many factors play into whether you should save money and simply repair tires or go ahead and replace the tire completely.
Sometimes you have a choice depending on where the damage is located while others will automatically require a replacement. The same can be said for the amount of tread you have left.
However, what are you willing to risk when it comes to your safety and others?
Check out our site we have plenty of other information for you about a wide range of tires and what else you can do to make sure your tires last longer.
