Regular maintenance is important to extend the overall performance of your vehicle and promote longer-lasting life. One component of every vehicle that requires routine care and maintenance is tires. By keeping your tires in good shape, you increase your gas mileage and improve handling on the road. To keep your tires in optimal shape, you should routinely rotate and balance your tires at least once every year.
Tire rotation and balancing are among the easiest, but most important and valuable maintenance tasks that can be performed on your car. Rotating your tires involves rotating each tire to a new spot on a vehicle, generally in a diagonal swap, so they wear evenly as we drive. Failure to rotate will cause uneven wear, as many vehicles have single-axle drive (such as rear wheel drive or front wheel drive). Front tires also tend to wear out faster than back tires, regardless of which tires are the drive tires, because of bearing the weight of the heavy engine components.
The Basics Of Balancing Tires
The balance of tires is different from alignment. Because tires wear in different spots as we drive, the tires become imbalanced – meaning that weight is being unevenly placed in different spots on different tires. The imbalance causes faster wear and tear on the tires. To rebalance a tire, an automotive technician will adjust small metal weights that are attached to the rim of the wheel. They’ll adjust the weights until the tire spins evenly and smoothly.
Tire Maintenance Schedule
While your owner’s manual will give the most accurate recommendations for your specific vehicle, common practice is to have your vehicle’s tires serviced every time you get your oil changed – or at least once every six months to 5,000 miles. Although every 5,000 miles is often the standard recommendation, if you drive on rough or unpaved roads a lot, you might need to bring your car in for a tire change and balancing more frequently.
Tire balancing and rotation is not for the inexperienced. It’s very important that you outsource a professional automotive technician for proper vehicle maintenance and repair. Tire care, especially rotating and balancing, requires extensive automotive knowledge and experience, as well as various tools and complex equipment. Be sure your mechanic is licensed, experienced, and can provide a wide range of automotive services.
If your car needs a tire balance or rotation, look no further! Clark Automotive in Blaine has everything you need. Stop by our shop or call us at (763) 784-7944 to let our ASE-Certified mechanics help you maximize the life of your tires.
