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3 THINGSYOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TIRESAND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

ROUND. BLACK. RUBBER. REALLY?!

I’M SOOO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

Think your tires are just round, black and rubber? That’s so three-dimensional! They’re much more than that. Your tires have a big job carting you and your friends around. Still, they do their rotational thing day after day with no love. Until there’s a problem. All of the sudden, you can’t get to that lucrative pizza delivery job. Or water ballet tryouts. Or Espanol with Señora Marta. Your tires take care of you, so take care of them. Just follow these three simple steps once a month and before longer trips. Soon, you and your tires will be besties for life.

WHY? Having the right tire pressure helps your tires perform like they should, giving you better control of your car and helping your tires wear longer and more evenly. Having the proper tire pressure saves you bucks at the fuel pump because when your car rolls right, it eats less gas.

HOW? First, check your tire pressure when your tires are cool … no sooner than three hours after you last drove your car.

Find out what your tire pressure should be. Hint: it’s not on the tire itself … that’s the max level, which you should never exceed and use only when carrying a super-heavy load. Instead, look for the tire pressure listed on that sticker inside your car door, glove box or fuel door, or in the car’s manual.

Next, remove your tire’s valve cap.

Then, take the tire gauge … it usually looks like a large pen with a round end…and firmly press the round end onto your valve stem.

If you do it right, a number will pop up on your tire gauge. This is the PSI number, which stands for pounds per square inch. That’s how tire pressure is measured. If this number matches your recommended tire pressure, you’re good to go. If the number is lower than the recommended tire pressure, your tire is underinflated. You need to put more air in and check again until you reach the right number.

If the reading on the gauge is higher than the pressure recommended for your car, you’re overinflated. You need to release some air because tires that are too full produce a harsh ride, wear out faster, and are more susceptible to be cut, punctured or damaged if you hit something in the road. The knob on the back of the tire gauge can be used to release air or you can use your fingernail or the tip of a pen. Once you release air, check your pressure again until you reach the proper PSI.

Oh, don’t forget to put the valve cap back on tightly … those little guys have a job to do. They keep moisture and dirt out, so make sure you have them on all four of your tires.

One more thing … you might think that you don’t need to do any of this because your car flashes a lighted symbol from the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) if your tire pressure is out of whack. Well, you’re not off the hook. For several reasons, a TPMS should not be solely relied on for inflation pressure. You must check it yourself once a month and before each long trip.

____________SURPRISING FACT: Driving your car with even one tire that is underinflated by just 8 PSI can reduce the life of the tire by 9,000 miles and increase your fuel consumption by 4%. Keep your cash—make sure your tires are properly inflated. ____________

1 Check the amount of air in your tires, better known as tire pressure or inflation pressure.

____________SURPRISING FACT: Running a tire underinflated is like running your engine without enough oil or coolant. Things might seem fine for a while, but serious, permanent damage can occur. And, just like adding oil or coolant cannot repair engine damage that has already happened, adding air too late won’t fix tire damage. Your tire can still fail, even after you correct the inflation pressure. So, keep inflation right all the time!____________

I DO MYBEST WORK

UNDER PRESSURE.

WHY? Tire tread gives you the traction to stop and hold the road on curves. Tire tread also funnels water out from under your tires, which helps reduce hydroplaning … that scary slide your car can do on a thin sheet of water. Your tire tread should be no less than 2/32nds of an inch deep on any part of your tire.

2 Check your tread depth. __________SURPRISING FACT: Many teens and young adults do not consider tires when shopping for used vehicles. Often, these buyers focus on the style, color and mileage on a used car, but skip over the condition of the tires. Think about it … if the car needs new tires, that’s gonna cost you. Be a savvy negotiator. Point out the bad tires to the seller and ask for bucks off the purchase price. Then, use the money you saved to buy new tires. Otherwise, walk away … it’s not worth it no matter how sweet the ride or how amazing the deal.__________

HOW? Most tires have built in tread wear indicators, more commonly called “wear bars.” These are narrow bars of smooth rubber that run across the tread in multiple places on the tire. When your tread gets even with these bars, or is lower than these bars, the tire is too worn and must be replaced.

Another way to measure tread depth is with a common U.S. penny! Insert the edge of the penny into the most worn groove of your tire tread with Lincoln’s head down and facing you.

While you’re looking at tread depth, also look for uneven tread wear. This can include more wear on one tread edge than the other, a rippled pattern of high and low wear or even exposed steel wire within the tire. Uneven wear can be caused by underinflation, vehicle misalignment or improper balancing and it’s serious.

If the top of Honest Abe’s head is covered by tread, meaning you cannot see the top of his head, you’re good! If the top of his head is visible, it’s time to replace the tire.

Finally, if you like cool gadgets, you can measure with a tire tread depth indicator.

BALD MIGHT LOOK GOOD ONKOBE OR AMBER ROSE...

BUT BALD’S NOT A GOODLOOK ON YOUR TIRES!

WHY? Damaged tires are dangerous and can cause tire failure. Damaged tires can also shorten the life of the tire and result in a loss of air. Anytime you see damage to your tire, don’t drive on it. Use your spare if you must go somewhere or call a friend, parent or someone to get you where you need to go. You need to pull over while you wait to be helped. Steer your car to a safe, flat place on the side of the road. Turn on your hazard lights. Turn off your engine and put on your parking break.

HOW? Look at your tires. Check

for any cuts, cracks, punctures and

bulges. If you spot any of these, get

your tires checked by a professional

shop before driving on them any

farther. Also look for any foreign

objects in your tire tread. Things like

small stones, pieces of glass, bits of

metal or other objects stuck in your tires

should be carefully removed. They can

cause major damage.

3 Check the overall condition of your tires. Do a visual.

___________SURPRISING FACT: Rotate your tires every 5,000 to 8,000 miles if you have all-season tires or a front-wheel drive vehicle. If your tires are new or new(er), and you see early signs of irregular or uneven tire wear, see a professional tire dealer to determine what’s going on before you keep driving on the tires. __________

Rotating your tires –

switching their position

to avoid uneven wear –

is important. You should

follow the rotational

pattern or process that’s

detailed in your car’s

warranty or owner’s manual.

There are various patterns

for rotating tires. A common one

for front-wheel drive vehicles involves

moving the tires in a crisscross fashion,

with the left front tire trading places with

the right rear, and right front trading with

the left rear.

Don’t forget to register your tires when you

buy new ones. It’s an online process that’s

super easy.

Just like your car, your tires are a big investment and they need to be taken care of and properly maintained. When you treat your tires the right way, you’ll be safer, you’ll save money, and you won’t miss out on date night, the big game or need to call the boss because you’ll be late for work. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, your tires take care of you. Make sure you take care of them.

ARE YOU MAD AT ME?

THEN WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME?

REV. 7-29-16b

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