Preventive Maintenance - Wheel Alignments

To have a properly aligned vehicle, all your tires should point in the same direction. Your vehicle's alignment can fall out of place over time just by regular driving and hitting small bumps in the road, or hitting those big New Jersey potholes that we are all too familiar with.  Hitting a big pothole or curb can throw your wheel alignment out of whack and your vehicle should be checked right after to ensure safety.

Not having your vehicle properly aligned can mean replacing your tires sooner than anticipated, which can be costly.  When your vehicle is out of alignment, it causes the tires to wear unevenly and faster than they would normally wear. 

Key factors to tell if you need a wheel alignment is if your car is pulling to one side or the other, and if you can see the outer or inner edges of your tires being worn down quicker than the rest of the tire. 

Maintaining your wheel alignment can help you get the most out of your tires, and also ensure that all steering and suspension components are safe.  These can also play a role in your alignment.  At Jerry Noonan's Auto Center, we suggest having an alignment performed once a year or every 15,000 miles.

When Should You Replace Your Tires?

When it comes to figuring out when to replace your vehicle's tires, there are some factors to consider such as tread depth and the age of your tires. 

Tread Depth

To measure the tread of your tires, first do the penny test.  Take a penny and with Lincoln's head facing town, place it into the middle grooves of your tire.  If you see Lincoln's complete head, it means your tread is very low and you need tires as soon as possible.

The Age of Your Tires

You also want to consider how long you have had the same tires on the vehicle, especially if you do not drive many miles.  The tires may look alright, and they may have a good amount of tread after performing the penny test, but depending on their age, they can be unsafe. 

Most manufacturers suggest replacing tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread.  Old tires can become dry rotted and unsafe.  These tires can start to deteriorate, and eventually cause the steel belts in the tread to separate from the rest of the tire.  When this happens, it can result loss of control of your vehicle and can lead to an accident.

Tire Tread Separation

To find out the age of your tires, look for the DOT number.  You will see four digits which is the production date of your tires; the first two are the week made, and the last two are the year made.  If the production date is older than five years, have your tires checked out for dry rot, and start thinking of getting replacements.

Proper maintenance of your tires, such as rotations, balancing, and wheel alignments, will also help with keeping your tires in the best shape, and allowing them to be used for longer periods of time.  Make sure to always have your tires inflated to the proper amount that your car requires.  Over inflation as well as under inflation can drastically affect how your tires wear during use, and can lead to having to replace tires sooner.

Not sure if you need new tires?  Not sure if you are due for routine maintenance for your tires?  Contact us today, and we will be more than happy to assist with any of your tire needs!

Need Tires? We've Got You Covered.

Let's talk tires.  Jerry Noonan's Auto Center is a "One Stop Auto Center", which includes being a tire shop as well.  We provide all tire services such as mounting, balancing, rotations, flat repairs, and wheel alignments, and are able to supply virtually any kind of tire your vehicle needs.

We all know how big of a role tires play for making your vehicle go, so our staff at Jerry Noonan's Auto Center take tires and tire maintenance seriously.  Any time a vehicle comes in for any service or repair we check the overall condition of each tire, inspecting the tread depth, look for any uneven wear patterns that could shorten the life of the tires, and ensure that the tires are inflated to the proper PSI for best performance.  We help maintain our customers' tires by recommending routine rotations every 6,000 miles and routine alignments every 15,000 miles to keep your vehicle and tires performing the best they can for as long as possible.

Have any tire questions or concerns?  Reach out to us today!