Tires, Car Maintenance and You - What All Edmonton Drivers Should Know

Posted May 20th 2014

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Car maintenance is a complex topic that covers a wide range of areas. However, one that many drivers over look is that of maintaining their tires. While it’s important that you maintain your engine, transmission and drivetrain, it’s equally important that you maintain your tires. Car maintenance includes a wide range of things that need to be done to ensure that your tires last as long as possible and don’t actually put you in danger on the road.

Car Maintenance Starts with the Right Tires

While tire maintenance is more concerned with maintaining the tires you already have, it helps if you start with the right tires in the first place. Edmonton drivers have two choices – all-season tires and winter tires. Obviously, winter tires shouldn’t be used during the warmer months, but all-season tires really shouldn’t be used during the winter months. Invest in a set for the winter and another set for the rest of the year. While it is an investment, you’ll find that you enjoy far better handling and performance (as well as better safety). If you’re not sure which tires you need, speak with Edmonton tire shops to get guidance.

Rotation, Balance and Alignment

Once you have the right tires for all seasons, you need to make sure that you take care of them. That means treating them right and servicing them regularly. Rotating and balancing your tires regularly is the most frequent maintenance service you’ll need, but you should also make sure that you’re having your car aligned on a regular basis. You should align your car once per year or so, but speak with Edmonton tire shops to get their expert recommendations, as alignment needs vary a great deal depending on your driving habits and the roads you use most.

PSI Ratings

While chances are good that you won’t rotate or balance your own tires, there are a few things you need to do outside of the Edmonton tire shop. Making sure that you have the right PSI in each tire is one of those things. There are few things that affect tire life more than air pressure (barring objects in the road, of course). Set your tire pressure by the rating stated by the manufacturer in the driver side door placard, rather than going by the PSI rating on the sidewall of the tire.