An important safety measure to take in your daily travels is tire maintenance. In this post, AMSOIL: Cerberus  Systems, Inc. in Chambersburg brings you all the information you need to know to keep your tires in excellent condition for longer. 

Check if Your Tires Match

The first step in tire maintenance is ensuring the tires on your car match. Often, people overlook this and drive around with mismatched tires. This can make them wear unevenly as their different thickness, air pressure, and tread patterns affect how they balance the car's weight. Remember that your car’s spare tire should only be used for 70 miles and can be dangerous if used for longer. Help your vehicle perform better with matching tires.

The one thing that can have a high impact on your vehicle performance is tire maintenance. Regular maintenance routines can help you catch issues before they become harder to fix. Call Cerberus Systems, Inc. at (717) 658-1256 today for expert information on the best products for your vehicle. Once you’re ready, place an order at AMSOIL's online shop 24/7.

Regular Tire Check

Making your tires last longer depends mainly on keeping an eye on them and ensuring they’re in good condition. Here are two things you can do regularly:

Inspect Your Tires

Wear to tires is expected as they are in constant contact with the road, potholes, and things that could damage them. The best way to extend their lifecycle is to inspect them regularly as a part of your tire maintenance routine. Examining them can help you catch bulges, cracks, and foreign objects before they become harder to fix or they do more damage to your tires. When checking your tires for damage, it’s also a good idea to check their treads. While this doesn’t have to be a daily check, it’s good to have it in mind and inspect them from time to time to ensure they’re still deep enough to grip the ground. One thing you can do to check your treads is to perform the penny test. The penny test consists of placing a penny upside down inside the grooves of your tire. If you can see President Lincoln’s entire head, it’s time to change your tires.

Measure Your Tire Pressure

Another essential tire maintenance step is to check your tire pressure regularly. Keeping your car’s tires at the correct pressure helps reduce overall wear and premature weakening. Tire pressure is also linked to vehicle performance and fuel consumption, so keeping it at the suggested level is essential. To keep an eye on your tire pressure, keep a digital tire gauge in your glove compartment or vehicle’s toolbox and check it every two to four weeks to ensure your tires are always at the proper levels. If you’re unsure what the correct tire pressure is, check the inside of your car’s door or your owner’s manual for guidance.

Vehicle maintenance includes everything from your engine to your tires and is an excellent way to keep your vehicle in good condition. Products like AMSOIL’s Signature Series 10W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil can help you keep your engine running at its best performance. Call Cerberus Systems, Inc. at (717) 658-1256 for information on the best products for your engine.

Rotating, Aligning, and Balancing Your Tires

Other than checking your tires regularly, rotating, aligning, and balancing your tires is essential for a longer lifecycle. Experts suggest you perform tire rotation, wheel alignment, and balancing every 7,000 miles or six months, whichever comes first. Tires are meant to last, with the proper care, around six years, and maintenance is the best way of getting them there. Tire tip: To remember when your car is due for some tire maintenance, it’s a good idea to schedule it at the same time as your oil change.

How to Rotate Your Tires

While aligning and balancing your tires should be handled at your trusted mechanic’s garage, balancing can be done at home with the right tools. Here’s what you’ll need and how to perform a successful tire rotation.

Tools You’ll Need

• A car jack
• Jack stands
• A lug wrench

Directions

1. Do you have directional or non-directional tires? This will let you know if you need to rotate them from back to front or in a criss-cross pattern. Directional tires can only be rotated from front to back, while non-directional tires can be rotated all around the vehicle. Determine this before you start rotating them.
2. Park your car somewhere leveled and engage the security brake.
3. Losen the lugnuts but don’t take them off yet.
4. Using the car jack, lift the front of your vehicle over the height of the jack stands.
5. Place the jack stands on the recommended lift points.
6. Once the front stands are securely positioned, lift the back of your vehicle and place the jack stands.
7. Once you’ve placed all the jack stands, lower the car and lock them into place.
8. Now it’s time to remove the tires. Do so following the pattern you decided on in step 1.
9. Replace the tires and tighten the lug nuts with your fingers.
10. Raise the car once more to remove the jack stands, and once removed, lower the car slowly to the ground.
11. Using the lug wrench, tighten the lug nuts in a criss-cross pattern to ensure they’re tightened evenly.

For excellent products designed to keep your car running smoothly, call  Cerberus Systems, Inc. at (717) 658-1256 or visit AMSOIL's online shop to place your order today!