Tips To Maximize And Extend Tire Life

Check your tire pressure every 3,000 mi./4,500 km to keep your vehicle driving smoothly and evenly, and therefore use gas more efficiently.

NOTE: Tires should be inflated when cool to the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations printed on the vehicle door placard or in your vehicle's owner's manual, NOT the maximum limit stamped on a tire sidewall.

• Rotate your tires every 6,000—8,000 mi./10,000—13,000 km to help equalize treadwear.

• Get your Wheel Alignment checked as specified in your vehicle's owner's manual, or as soon as you feel the wheel "pull."

• Visually check your tires for irregularities in tread wear as these could indicate problems with alignment or inflation.

• For more information, visit read our articles under Tire Care & Maintenance.

¹ "Be Tire Smart," The Rubber Manufacturers Association

What Important Points Could Help Me Better Understand and Care for My Tires?

• Temperature changes affect inflation pressure. Inflation pressure in a tire goes up in warm weather and down in cold weather.

• The driving habits that cause the greatest tire wear are cornering, aggressive starting, and hard braking. Riding the brake and swerving back and forth will also expedite wear.

Tire Damage: How to Avoid It

• Driving with an underinflated or overloaded tire causes the tire to develop excessive heat. This causes the tire's sidewall to flex excessively, resulting in higher operating temperatures and possible internal structural damage. All this could cause tire failure, leading to vehicle damage and/or personal injury.¹

• To avoid this, check your inflation regularly, and maintain the proper air pressure as listed on your driver's side door placard, or in your vehicle's owner's manual.

• The minimum basic warranty on radial auto and light truck tires provides free replacement, mounting, and balancing for tires that develop workmanship and material-related defects that may occur within the first 25% of usable treadwear, or for 12 months from the date of purchase, whichever comes first. So, it's important to remember this is available should it be necessary.²

• Always get tires balanced when installed, as an unbalanced tire can cause early wear.²

Don't Spin Your Tires Excessively

Avoid excessive tire spinning when your vehicle is stuck in snow, ice, mud or sand. The centrifugal forces generated by a free-spinning tire/wheel assembly may cause sudden tire explosion, resulting in vehicle damage and/or serious personal injury to you or a bystander. Never exceed 35 mph/55 kph, as indicated on your speedometer. Use a gentle backward and forward rocking motion to free your vehicle for continued driving. Never stand near or behind a tire spinning at high speeds, for example, while attempting to push a vehicle that is stuck or when an on-the-car spin balance machine is in use.