As you all know, we travel a lot. My family lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and I live in Oak Lawn, IL (suburb of Chicago). At best, it is a 3.5 hour drive. At worst, it has taken us over 6 hours to get there (granted, it was a snow storm). We also own a camper that we tow, and we drive when we go on vacation. You may remember my posts about Myrtle Beach this summer. Besides all our family travel, I have a husband who travels a minimum of 60 miles a day for his job.
One of the most important things on your car is your tires. However, most people don't ever think about them until they have a flat tire! I will even admit to being guilty of that. That is why we need to talk about tires!
First, did you know there is a difference between tire types and that there is a grading system?
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) is printed on the sidewall. A tire’s UTQG consists of three factors and is assigned by the tire manufacturer. UTQG is listed as follows: Treadwear XXX Traction X Temperature X. These ratings can be compared within the same brand but not across brands. The tread wear grade (the numeric portion of the UTQG) is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test track. Tread wear grades are not a guarantee of actual tire mileage as factors such as driving habits, climate and road characteristics impact tire longevity. Traction grades range from AA – C, with AA being the highest. Temperature grades range from A – C with A being the comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test track.
Now, before you have a blowout, there are a few warning signs you will see. Things you should look for when inspecting your tires include:
- Uneven wear and cracking
- Tire tread is below 2/32 if an inch in depth
- There are grooves, tracks or cuts in the sidewall
- Bulges or blisters that extend outward from the rest of the surface
It is very important that you do proper tire maintenance. This holds especially true here in Illinois where the constant temperature fluctuations can totally mess with your tires. Not everyone here uses winter tires.
Also make sure you maintain proper tire pressure. When I got to visit Sears, I could totally tell these tires were low. If I can tell, that tells you how bad they were! Under- and over-inflation of tires creates excessive heat and stress, which can lead to tire failure. Vehicle manufacturers specify the correct tire pressure for tires. You find it on the inside of the driver’s side door or in the vehicle owner’s manual. SAC experts recommend checking tire pressure once a month and before big trips. We check this a lot more ourselves when it starts getting really cold out. Your visual inspection will catch low air pressure or if you have a leak. You should check your tires routinely for any objects which may have penetrated the exterior. Your sidewalls may show bulges, gouges, cuts or irregularities. Next, check your tread to make sure there are no unusual tread wear patterns which could indicate larger issues like misalignment. The worst thing is when you drive on a flat (don't ask me how I know that!). You should also rotate your tires regularly. Tire rotation can prevent irregular tread wear. While there’s no universal recommendation for rotating your tires, the vehicle owner’s manual contains mileage recommendations for rotation. SAC recommends rotation every 5,000 to 8,000 miles if no recommendation is listed. Having your alignment checked is also very important.
Improper alignment can cause premature tread wear. I've learned this one from experience! You should have your alignment regularly checked by experts to help lengthen the life of your tires and prevent premature or irregular tread wear. Tires with worn tread have reduced traction and are more likely to hydroplane or fail. Lastly, use a penny to check your tires’ tread depth. Never done the penny test? When holding a penny upside down, if the top of Abe Lincoln’s head doesn’t disappear within the tread, your tires are unsafe and need to be replaced.
You should also monitor your tires age. Tires usually last between three and five years, depending on climate and driving patterns. Bill goes thru tires faster than I do just because he drives so much more than me.
Here's a great video for some more Tire Maintenance tips:
Not sure if your tires are okay — make sure youSchedule an Appointment at Sears Auto and they can let you know! They will hook you up to this really cool machine that will let you know where you and your car stand.
How often do you inspect your tires? Did you learn anything from my visit to Sears Auto Center?
My husband used to work in a tire and lube. So, thankfully, he keeps a check on my tires. 🙂
My husband takes care of all the car stuff in our house. I assume mine are safe….?
I hate to admit this, but I don’t really know a lot about my tires! I can tell when the tread is getting low or if I have a flat tire (duh), but aside from that…yeah, pretty clueless! I attended an event last year with race car drivers and they really stressed the importance of checking tire pressure and things like that, so I have been trying to be better about it! Thanks for all of these tips!
It’s not a bad idea at all to at least get my tires checked. I’ll definitely do that in the next month!
I never knew there was so much to tyres before I had to get a new set and get my car tracked. They’re so important for safety on the road.
This is right on par, i was told my wife needed new front tires the other day and all i could hear us blah blah blah.. lol thanks!
Tires do make a difference and my husband always checks ours and make sure we have good ones on the car. He has given me some tips so I know how to check them and make sure they are safe to drive on.
I just got new tires last month, it really makes ALL the difference. Bring it on, Albertan winters, bring it on!
My husband is obsessed with our cars’ tires. It makes sense. They get a lot of wear and tear going down the road every day.
Just stopping by to wave at my fellow Road Warrior. I was amazed at how much I learned about tires on my visit to SAC too. Safe driving!
Thanks for the great information. I will have to remind my husband to check the tires on both cars.
We have to check our tires all the time because of my vehicle. My husband however, does not because he takes care of his tires. Guess I need to take my van into the Sears Auto Center.
What an interesting post! I had no idea tires had grading system. In fact, I thought tires were just tires.
Great info, I learnt something new today! I don’t know much cars and tyres!
Ahhhhh this reminds me how thankful I am my hubby takes care of anything car!!! I will have to pass this fabulous info on to him 🙂
My husband is actually at the tire store getting new tires right now! It’s o important to have good tires when winter hits.
Wow love these pictures and the review! Awesome post overall! Very intuitive!
When it comes to tires I give it to my husband. So much to know – what great information you provided here!
Oh my goodness we need to get our tired checked. I think it is time for an alignment. We only use Sears for our automotive needs.
Luckily I have my father to do these things for me. He loves working on cars so this is just shooting the breeze for him. But I will keep these information in mind, better safe than sorry.
Oh man, so much to learn about tires! Good thing I live in Arizona and don’t have to plan for winter tires 🙂
Yes, it’s important to invest in a good tire. It’s also important to check the condition of the tire frequently and have it aligned from time to time.
I never knew there was so much to know about tires! Really informative post.
Cheers,
Eileen
My husband always reminds me to check my tires. Then he does it for me 🙂
I know nothing about tires. I usually let my husband deal with this kinda stuff. 😉 I’ll pass this article onto him. 🙂
My husband is the one who does everything with my car. He went to school for a mechanic so he deals with all of this. I wouldn’t know the first thing about my tires sadly. I know he checks them often though.
I can honestly say that I never thought I’d know this much about tires. It was a really interesting read. Thanks!
Ever since being in a roll-over accident due to a tire blowing I’ve been super careful about tires. It is so important.
What fabulous information to share. Tires are so important. I had no clue how important tire pressure was. I just had a flat last week 🙁
Tires are thing that alway seem to catch us off guard. We always try and stay up on the maintenace.
My husband is a huge car nut, and I’m not sure if he even knows everything you covered about tires. Thanks for the interesting read.
Tire maintenance is so important especially with winter around the corner. I need to go get my winter tires on asap.
It’s really important to make sure your tires are always up to snuff. My husband checks them all the time. The last thing you want is to have a blowout.
This is great information! I always feel like the tire store is tricking me into to buying new tires, they should explain it better in the stores!
All of this is great information! We have ours checked regularly too
Thanks for this post. I had no idea so much went into making sure tires were in proper working order. You learn something new every day, I guess.
My husband is the one that deals with our tires and tire pressure. He takes the cars to be inspected on a regular basis. I think that this post is incredibly useful for those (like me) who have no clue about car maintenance. I feel like I learned something useful on taking care of my car.
Who wants worn-out tires? Certainly not me.
I always have my car maintenance. Appreciate this.
My car always lets me know if my tires are in need of some love! Thank you for sharing!
We love Sears automotive. My husband actually worked there part time when my kids were little. We buy our tires there too.
I’ll have to pass this along to my husband. He handles our car maintenance. It’s about time we get some new tires.
The place i take my car for oil changes checks the condition of my tires for me . I just had my winter tires put on.
Oh my goodness, my tire pressure light has been on for MONTHS!! I guess I should get the hubby to take the car in? Thanks!
60 miles a day is a lot so I can totally see why it’s important to make sure your tires are working well. I love Sears for that very reason!
My tires are off balance right now, and boy does my car shake. I honestly get so stressed out with tire issues.
I know nothing about tires, my dad owns a tire repair place so he takes care of our tires.
Thanks for sharing this info – great to know!
What an informative post on tires. Yes I learned a lot. My car has a sensor light so that is a good reminder to check the tires on a regular basis.
Great info. this could save someones life!
I love Sears! We go there for oil changes, new tires and clothes shopping 🙂