Tiremax, Custom Wheels, Truck & Car Rims | Tiremax of North America

Maintenence
The most important aspect of tire maintenance is proper inflation of your tires. 75% of drivers wash their cars monthly while only 1 out of 7 (14%) correctly checks tire pressure. The air pressure should be checked on all tires, including the spare, at least once a month. To help you remember, sign up for free monthly email reminders from TireSafety.com.

Regular rotation of your tires will also help prevent irregular and premature wear. 40% of drivers have not rotated their tires within the recommended interval of at least 8,000 miles. A healthy habit many people follow is to rotate their tires with every oil change. This section contains explanations of various rotation methods.

Repair is the final area of maintenance covered in this area. There are occasions where tires can be repaired and others where they should not be. When in doubt about reparability consult your tire professional.

Tire Rotation
Tire rotation is vital to achieving even tread wear and long tread life. Rotation is necessary because of the uneven wear characteristics of each wheel position on the vehicle. Rotate tires at the vehicle manufacturers's recommended intervals or at 5,000 - 7,000 miles if not specified.

A good example is Front Wheel Drive vehicles which places braking, steering and driving forces on the front axle tires. Rear axle tires only receive braking forces resulting in a much faster wear rate for the front axle tires. Tire rotation for these vehicles therefore becomes very important for optimum tire life.

Modified Cross Rotation
The "Modified Cross Pattern" provides the best results and can be performed on any Front or Rear Wheel Drive vehicle equipped with 4 non-directional tires. (directional tires must be rotated front to rear only.)

NOTE:
Free rolling axle tires are crossed and installed to the drive axle, while the drive axle tires are brought straight to the free rolling axle (without crossing).
Make sure you maintain vehicle manufacturers inflation recommendations after rotating tires.
Directional treads are designed to perform in the direction denoted on the tire sidewall only. They must always be rotated front to rear - despite the type of vehicle they are installed on - so the direction of the revolution does not change.

4-Wheel Drive
Vehicles equipped with permanent 4-Wheel Drive and those with "on Command" 4-Wheel Drive and driven mainly in 4-Wheel mode, are best suited to a four tire cross rotation. With this pattern, tires from both axles are crossed and installed on the opposing axle.

Straight Rotation
Straight Rotation was developed in the early years of radial tires. This rotation method simply replaces the front to rear and rear to front and is used for directional tread patterns.

5 Tire Rotation
If the vehicle owner has a regular tire as a spare tire and wishes to include it in the tire rotation process, the proper procedure is to use the appropriate rotation pattern shown for 4 Tire Rotation, BUT insert the spare in the right rear position. Place the tire which would have gone to the right rear in the trunk as the new spare.

Note: Never include a temporary spare tire in the rotation.
Note: directional tread patterns must be rotated front-to-rear only so the direction of the revolution does not change.

Inflation Pressure
Proper inflation pressure is essential for achieving maximum performance and mileage. Improper tire inflation pressure can cause severe internal tire damage, which can lead to sudden tire failure and resulting in serious personal injury or death.Improper inflation pressure may result in rapid or irregular wear. Pressures should always be checked when the tires are cold and at least monthly. Under normal tire operation, approximately 1psi of tire pressure will escape every month. Also, for every 10 degrees F change in ambient temperature, tire pressure will change by approximately 1psi.

Vehicle manufacturers list recommended tire pressures for original vehicle tires in the owner's manual or on a placard on the end of the driver's side door or in the glove box.

For continuous high speed driving, tire pressures should be increased by 3 to 5psi above the normal cold inflation recommended.

However, for passenger tires, never exceed the maximum inflation pressure molded on the sidewall. The inflation pressure for light truck tires may exceed that molded on the tire by 10psi. Any recommended front to rear pressure differential should be maintained.

Recommended Inflation Pressure
Many people ask "what air pressures do you (meaning tire companies) recommend for cars under normal conditions?" The answer is "we recommend what the vehicle manufacturer recommends."

What criteria do the car manufacturers use to determine inflation recommendations
Ride
Load capacity
Traction, wear
Fuel economy/Rolling resistance

.....are all correct. But, consider another question: "Why did Ford recommend 30 in the front and 34 in the rear on a 1997 Crown Victoria?"

The additional air stiffens the sidewall and makes it more stable. In order to achieve the handling, tracking, and other driving characteristics, one of the things the manufacturer can do is balance front to rear handling by adjusting the tire pressures. In adding the same air pressure in the front as the rear you will change the handling characteristics from what the manufacturer intended. Quite a few station wagons and light trucks have different pressures for the front and rear. But, it's not just station wagons and light trucks; it's also Porsches, Nissans, Corvettes, Hondas, and BMW's to name just a few.

Tiremax has worked with Michael Garfield, The High Tech Texan, to put together a tire safety video to show you the highlights of keep you safe while on the road. Click on the button below to see the Tiremax Tire Safety Video.

Click here to watch the tire safety video


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