Proper tire inflation, balance, rotations and wheel alignments are some of the most overlooked basic vehicle maintenance. Your tires can help fuel economy, ride comfort, vehicle handling, braking and your overall safety.
Tires on most passenger vehicles should be inflated to 32-35 psi, but you should check your owner's manual or door sticker to confirm the correct tire inflation for your vehicle.
Wheels are balanced each time tires are mounted on a rim and then checked with every tire rotation. Since tires are mass produced, each tire can have a slightly different weight that can affect the overall balance of the tire. Wheel weights are used to ensure a smooth balanced ride.
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles with every other oil change to ensure proper tire wear. Those of you who use synthetic oil and therefore get oil changes every 5,000 miles, should have your tires roatated every 5,000 miles.
Improper wheel alignment is probably the largest contributor to premature tire wear. Your wheels must be properly aligned with each other and according to your vehicle's specifications for proper steering and tire wear to occur. You should have an alignment every 24,000 miles for maintenance purposes and EVERY time you have new tires installed. Also, if you believe that you have done damage, like hitting a pothole or a curb, you should have your alignment checked. This will make sure that there will be no excessive tire wear occuring.
At Framerite Auto Repair, we inspect tire pressure and wear every time we perform any service. We want you to be safe on the road.