How to Tell When You Need New Tires 

Your car needs new tires every six years on average, but you could need new ones a little sooner depending on your driving habits, whether you keep up on maintenance, and several other factors. Once you need a new set, visit your Ford dealership to get your tires replaced.

Check Your Tread Depth

Your tread needs to be at least 1/16 of an inch deep for your tires to be safe to drive on. Having at least double this is ideal. You can tell that your tread has worn down too much in three ways. First, look for tread wear indicator bars, which run perpendicular to the direction of your tread. Seeing two or more of these tells you it’s time to replace your tires. The second way is to measure your tread using a tread depth gauge.

Lastly, you can measure your tread using Abraham Lincoln’s head. Grab a penny, turn it upside down, put it into the tread, and take a look at Abraham Lincoln. If you can see his whole head, then you don’t have enough tread.

Inspect Your Tires for Damage

Damage to the sidewalls of your tires tells you it’s time for a new set of tires. The two main types of damage you’ll notice are cracks and bulges. Cracks that are visible to the naked eye can make your tire leak or blow out. Bulges that look like blisters on the tire can burst, leading to a tire blowout.

Tips to Increase Your Tires’ Lifespan

Park Very Carefully

Be wary of how close you are to the curb while parallel parking. If your tires scrape along the curb, then it can do damage to the tires and shorten their lifespan.

Avoid Potholes

Avoid potholes if at all possible. If you can’t avoid them, then slow down as you go over them. The faster you go over a pothole, the more damage it does to your tires.

Get Tire Maintenance

Visit the dealer for a wheel alignment as frequently as you need it. Stop by for tire rotations every 3,000 to 5,000 miles in AWD vehicles and every 5,000 to 7,500 miles in 2WD vehicles. Get your wheels balanced every 5,000 to 6,000 miles.

Are your tires on their last legs? Come get them replaced at Village Ford in Dearborn, MI.

Tags: auto service, Dearborn, new tires, Village Ford
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