When You Need to Get New Tires and Other Vehicle Maintenance and Repairs

Posted March 25th 2014

---

Maintaining your vehicle is vital – without proper maintenance, you can’t expect it to keep you on the road. Being left in the lurch by a broken down car or truck is no fun at all, and it usually happens at the worst possible moment, like the first serious snowstorm of the season. One of the things that Edmonton drivers struggle with most is understanding when to get new tires, but there are other vehicle maintenance scheduling questions that you might need to answer as well.

Tire Replacement – Vehicle Maintenance for Thinning Rubber

Your tires are vital – they provide grip on the road, and they’re really all that’s standing between you and the asphalt below. Tires wear over time. That’s natural. Regular rotations and balancing will ensure that they last as long as possible, but they will eventually wear out even with the most religious vehicle maintenance schedule. Knowing when to replace them will help keep you safe and on the go.

Tire tread depth is the gauge professionals use to determine when to replace a tire. Generally, if you only have 2/32s of tread left, it’s past time to replace your tires. The best option is to ensure that your vehicle maintenance is being handled by a professional who can keep an eye on your tire wear and alert you when it’s getting time to replace your rubber.

Signs You Need A Tire Replacement Now

If you haven’t been working with a vehicle maintenance professional, or have forgotten what they told you at your last service appointment, there are a few things you can do. Having your own tread gauge is the best option – you can pick one up at any auto parts store. However, you can also keep an eye on your tire tread. If you notice that the tread is getting close to even with the bottom of the troughs in the tread design, you know a tire replacement is around the corner.

You should also keep an eye on the edge wear of the tire. If you notice edge wear (worn rubber on the left and/or right shoulder of the tire, beyond the edge of the tread), you need to take care. This can be a sign of both alignment problems and low tire pressure. Eventually, that wear will eat into the tires and you’ll see wires – replace your tires before that happens, and have your vehicle aligned.