Let’s face up to it: your car’s tires take plenty of abuse. Particularly if you spend a lot of time traveling around St. Louis, Bridgton, Chesterfield, and Oakville, Missouri, you’ll want to take care of your wheels’ rubbery companions. To do that, you ought to know of the many issues that can go wrong with your tires. This is why Car Craft Auto Body has this list of common tire problems assembled for you. Keep in mind, these tips could keep you from being marooned on the side of the road, or worse yet, in an auto body shop.
Sharp items are all over the roads in the St. Louis area. If you drive for enough time, you’re guaranteed to have a chuck of metal or wood, a nail, a screw, or something else such as that puncturing a tire. I recall a time several years ago when a guy I knew got the business end of a bungee cord rammed into one of his tires. That wasn’t a pleasant experience. Either way, many tire punctures can be fixed with a plug or patch. Then again, ones that are larger than a quarter inch will probably be unable to have that done safely. If you do get something stuck in your tire, gauge the situation to find out if you are able to make it to a car body repair shop before the tire deflates to a risky level. If so, get to a shop as quick as possible and don’t take out the obstruction yourself. If the tire will be deflated or already is deflated, go on and put on the spare tire.
On the subject of deflated tires, don’t let overinflated or underinflated tires put you in need of St. Louis, Missouri towing assistance. Clearly, underinflated tires bring about issues with rolling resistance that will put additional wear on the vehicle and decrease your gas mileage. However, overinflated tires may be just as bad or worse. Overinflated tires wear a lot quicker and are at an elevated risk of being punctured. If you don’t want your tires to be overinflated or underinflated, there are several things you can do. Purchase a tire pressure gauge and count on that rather than eyeballing it. Find your car’s optimum tire pressure by looking at the sticker around the combing of your driver’s side door. Look at your tire pressure very often, at least once per month.
As was mentioned before, you don’t want your tires to wear unevenly. That always indicates that there’s some sort of problem that needs to be addressed. If it is really not the inflation of the tires, there’s a distinct chance that it could be a problem with the belt or suspension system. One other common perpetrator in this regard is poor wheel alignment. If you take a bump in the road too hard, you might also create a bulge or bubble in the tire. Whatever the case, don’t let uneven tire wear take its toll on your automobile.
On the subject of tire tread, it’s worth mentioning that even the most well-cared for tires will wear down eventually. That means it’s on you to check out the tread regularly to make certain that your automobile can retain the traction it needs to stop quickly and prevent a car crash. Fortunately, there is a super easy test that anybody can perform to determine the adequacy of their tire tread. It doesn’t take any fancy equipment or tools, you just need a penny. Just stick the penny in a groove of your tire with Lincoln’s head facing the middle of the tire. If Lincoln’s head does not touch the tread, you need to get some new tires.
Clearly, these important rubber components of your vehicle won’t always bounce back if they’re not cared for properly. However, a careful eye and a little bit of regular care can keep your vehicle rolling for lots of miles to come. If you’ve got any questions on this important subject of vehicle repair and maintenance, St. Louis, MO can depend on Car Craft Auto Body to have the answers.