Tires are one of the most essential parts of your automobile. Without the four tires, your vehicle will be of no use. Hence, it is recommended that you assess the status of your tires regularly to check that they still have enough tread for driving on wet, snowy, or ice-covered roads. If you want to know more about buying and maintaining tires for your vehicle, here are some FAQs answered.
How Do Tires Age?
If you drive a lot, you’ll likely get new tires before you have to worry about age affecting tread wear. There are some exceptions, however, that you should know about.
– Full-sized spare tires: Some vehicles include full-sized spare tires that are identical to the tires on the car.
– Ultra-low mileage vehicles: Some vehicles are only driven occasionally and for short distances, like classic cars, sports cars, and other seasonal vehicles.
For these vehicles/tires, it’s important to consider the age of the tires and not the tread wear.
How to Find out When a Tire Was Made?
Each tire sold in the United States has a unique set of letters and numbers, called the Tire Identification Number, or TIN, on its sidewall. The TIN includes the letters “DOT.” Each number indicates the week and year your tire was manufactured – the first two numbers represent which week (from 01 through 52 or 53) your tire was made, and the last two numbers tell you what year your tire was produced.
What Impacts Tire Performance?
Tires are made up of many different components that have to work together to make it possible for you to go safely wherever you want to go. All these parts are important, but the most reliable way to make sure they work as they should is by taking care of them as recommended in your manual and keeping your tires properly inflated, and rotating them at the correct intervals based on how you use them with your car.
When Should I Visit a Professional?
If you see a problem during your monthly tire check, visit a tire shop right away. A regular professional tire care program can also help you spot small problems. Ask your tire professional to inspect your tires for you on a regular basis so they can find issues before they get worse.
