Having quality tires in good condition can help with your vehicle’s overall safety, improve fuel economy, and influence how well your vehicle drives. But, quality tires can often be expensive, so you want your investment to last as long as possible. Did you know that certain driving habits can actually shorten your tire’s life? Keep reading to find out what some of those bad habits are.
Kyle MacDonald, Director of Operations, Force by Mojio.
Hitting Curbs
One of the main habits that will damage your tires progressively over time is hitting curbs. If you intentionally hit the curb when street-parking to ensure that you are close enough, or if you graze it frequently without meaning to, that’s not good for your tires.
Doing this consistently will start to form scuff marks on your tires in the same spots, which will eventually wear them down and weaken them.
Late Braking
One of the most common causes of worn tires is late braking. Constantly braking too late can add up on your tires and bald them very quickly. Instead, try very light braking every time you need to. Brake earlier and softer, and you will see the benefits next time you need to change your tires.
Jessica Lauren Vine is the CEO and Founder of RVidiots.com.
Daniel G. Leone, Personal Injury Lawyer at NJ Law Results.
Driving Too Fast And Driving Over Harsh Terrain
Some of the worst driving habits that can seriously shorten the life of a tire are driving too fast and driving over harsh terrain. The faster your drive, the more friction you expose the tires to, and the faster they get worn. And the same goes with harsh terrain, as they place more stress on the tires, shortening their lifespan.
Carrying too much weight in your car. Apparently, this also adds a lot of pressure onto the tires, wearing them out faster.
Six Bad Habits That Can Shorten Your Tire’s Life
Many drivers have habits that make their tires wear out faster than they should. Here are some bad driving habits that can shorten your tire’s life:
1. Over-inflating or under-inflating: Too much or too little air pressure can cause excessive tire wear, so check your owner’s manual to see what the right pressure should be for your tires.
2. Improper alignment: If your car tends to pull left or right, that means your wheels are out of alignment. That leads to uneven tread wear and can be dangerous on slippery roads. Getting your wheels realigned is cheap insurance against tire failure.
3. Hard braking: Slamming on the brakes puts extra stress on the tires, causing premature wear and possibly even cracking. Be patient and give yourself plenty of room to stop, especially when driving in wet conditions.
4. Sudden acceleration and deceleration: Speeding up too quickly — especially when turning a corner can cause your tires to slide on the road and wear out faster than normal.
5. Not rotating your tires: The front tires on most vehicles do more work than their rear counterparts, so they tend to wear out more quickly. If you don’t rotate them regularly, they’ll wear unevenly.
6. Overloading: If you carry items on top of your vehicle or pull a trailer, make sure that the combined weight of the items plus your vehicle does not exceed the maximum weight capacity for your tires. Overloaded tires can overheat and wear out much faster than normal.
Markim Thomas, Owner of originalautorepair.com.
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