Tire maintenance is one of the most overlooked aspects of vehicle care. Your tires are the only thing separating your vehicle from the road and if something should go wrong the results can be disastrous. Many people will purchase a set of tires and never think twice about them until one goes flat. This is entirely the wrong way to handle tire maintenance.
The most important aspect of tire maintenance is ensuring that you have the proper tires to begin with. There's a placard on the inside of the door of every vehicle that displays the proper tire size, speed rating, and tire pressure for that vehicle. If you are changing rim or tire size, you should consult a tire store to make sure you get the proper fit for your car.
Whenever you have new tires installed, always have the alignment checked. Nothing will ruin a new tire quicker than a vehicle that is out of alignment. A vehicle that is out of alignment will cause the tires to wear more on one shoulder of the tire than the other. Check the wear patterns of your front tires often throughout the course of the tire life and have the alignment rechecked if necessary.
It's also extremely important to check the tire pressure at least once a month. Make sure the tire is inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's specifications that are listed on the placard inside the driver's side door. An underinflated tire will wear quicker, reduces fuel mileage and can cause decreased stability leading to potential rollovers in SUVs. Tire pressure should always be checked with the tire cold. Tires will heat up during use resulting in increased tire pressure.
Rotating your tires is another critical aspect of proper tire maintenance. Tires should be rotated every 5000-6000 miles. Typically, the front tires are moved to the back and vice versa, but this can vary between different car models. Sometimes tires are swapped from one side to the other, so they'll rotate in the opposite direction. This is called cross-rotating and can help prevent a car from developing flat spots. If the front tires of a car are smaller than the rear tires, they cannot be rotated. Also, tires that have directional tread should not be cross-rotated, since the tread pattern is designed to only roll in one direction.
Tire balance is also a minor part of tire maintenance. This involves placing the wheel and tire assembly onto a machine that will tell the installer where to place weight on the wheel to insure a smooth ride. While this is more a ride comfort issue than a safety or tire wear issue, it's still an important part of maintenance and can help identify problems such as a broken belt or separated tread that may not be visible with the wheel sitting still.
Tires are expensive. Neglecting simple maintenance on your tires is more than just fiscally irresponsible, it can affect the ride quality of your vehicle as well as be a hazard to you or others around you if the tire fails at a high speed. These simple steps will save you money, give your car superior ride quality, and help protect you and your fellow drivers.