Some of the most basic things drivers should know pertain to tires. Tires are one of the most replaced parts, one of the most damaged parts and one of the worst maintained parts. Knowing these tips will benefit you, no doubt.

Keep Your Tire Pressure at the Recommended PSI

“psi” stands for “pounds per square inch.” Tires are often treated like blowup pool toys; overinflated or underinflated most of the time. However, you should check your owner’s manual and make sure your tire pressure is always close to your vehicle’s recommended psi. This is for two reasons:

• It’s safer. The NHTSA says that 11,000 deaths occur each year due to tire-related problems.
• It’s more efficient. Underinflated tires cause decreased fuel efficiency.

Do not fill your tires with more pressure than your owner’s manual recommends. Keep a pressure gauge in your vehicle and pay attention to the pressure indications on your dashboard.

Rotate Your Tires Every 4,000 to 6,000 Miles

Rotating helps ensure even tread on all four tires, which is the safest way to go. It also allows your technician to assess the alignment of your car by looking for wear patterns. Although, you should have your vehicle aligned every 12,000 miles or so anyway. If you have a warranty, its conditions may even require you to rotate your tires every few thousand miles. Keep that in mind.

Replace All of Your Tires at Once

If you can, you should replace four tires at one time. This ensures even tread at all four corners of the car. If your tread is uneven, you may experience strange handling occurences. Also, if you change two or one tire at a time, you’re less likely to know exactly how much tread is on each tire at any given time. That makes you more likely to end up with no tread at all.

Know How to Replace a Tire with a Spare

This is especially important if you live in an area with poor cell phone reception, where you may not be able to call for help. It’s fairly simple, although it takes some muscle. Keep a can of lubricant in your car if you think you’ll have trouble removing your lug nuts. To learn the process, check out this video.

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