4 Signs You Need To Get New Tires
The tires allow your vehicle to contact the road and enable you to control your vehicle. It is essential to know when your tires are worn out and ready to be replaced. Having solid tires under you is crucial to staying safe on the road.
Sign #1: Sidewall Damage
The sidewall is the outer wall of the tire that faces outwards toward you. It is one of the most visible parts of your tires. The sidewall should look strong and solid. If you notice cracks or gouges on the sidewall, that means that you need to get your tires replaced right away. Once they start breaking down on the sides, the time you have to drive on them safely is very short. A damaged sidewall can lead to a blowout, so you will want to avoid driving with damaged sidewalls.
Wear to the sidewall is natural over time. However, poor alignment can also accelerate the wearing down of the sidewall.
Sign #2: Wear-Bar Visible
Most modern tires make it easy for you to see when the tire tread has worn down with the inclusion of a wear bar. The wear bar is located in the tire tread and is designed to run perpendicular to the tread. It is hard to see the wear bar when the tire is new.
As you put more miles on it and the tread starts to wear off, the wear-bar will become more and more visible. If you allow the tread to wear down enough, it can eventually become even with the wear bar. If that has happened, it is absolutely time for new tires.
Sign #3: Uneven Wear
If everything is working correctly with your vehicle, your tires should wear evenly. That means that the wear pattern from one tire to the next should be almost the same, and wear should be focused on the middle of the tire.
With an uneven wear pattern, the wear pattern will be different from one tire to the next. The pattern will also not be smooth and consistent; instead, it may be bumpy or more focused on the sides of your tread rather than the center of the tread.
Sign #4: Spare Tire
If you had a damaged tire and had to put a spare tire in place, you will want to get your tires replaced sooner rather than later. Spare tires are not as strong as regular tires, which is why you are going to want to replace the spare as soon as possible. Additionally, when you have one smaller spare tire in place, the other tires will wear unevenly, so you will want to change out the tires as soon as possible.
If your tires have sidewall damage, the wear bar is showing, the wear pattern across the tires is uneven, or you have been driving around with a spare tire, it is time to get new tires put on your vehicle.
Contact a tire dealer for more information.