How often should I change my tires?

Due to normal wear, you need to change your vehicle’s tires every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. 

One of the easiest ways to determine if you need new tires is the “penny test.”  Take a penny and stick it into the tread groove on your tire.  If you can see the top of Abe’s head, you should replace your tires.

Some tires are equipped with tread depth indicators. Each tread groove has four to five spots that are slightly higher (2/32 of an inch usually) than the rest of the groove. When these indicator spots wear down, it creates visible and noticeable gaps in the tire groove which indicate a need for new tires.

What can go wrong with my tires?
According to study by the National Transportation and Safety Administration, available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/, more than 25% of all passenger cars and more than 33% of all light trucks have under inflated tires. What does this mean to you?

• Lower gas mileage – For each pound of under inflation, your gas mileage can drop up to one percent.
• Tire failure – Under inflation is the leading cause of tire failure.
• Faster tread wear – Lower tire pressure also causes the tread to wear out faster, forcing premature tire replacement.
• Poor handling – The point where the tire meets the road is a crucial element in determining the ride control of your vehicle.  Under inflation prevents your ride control system from functioning properly.

What is the proper tire pressure for your vehicle?
There is much information about proper tire pressure in the market, but the best way to determine the proper tire pressure for your vehicle is to refer to your owner’s manual. Each vehicle is designed by the manufacturer with a specific tire and tire pressure in mind. Some things to keep in mind:

• The proper tire pressure is available to you in a number of locations in the owner’s manual or on the door jam or doorpost. Many vehicles now also have a sticker on the interior of the gas cap.
• The pressure listed on the exterior of the tire is the maximum pressure that the tire should be inflated to, not necessarily the ideal pressure.
• Always take the tire’s pressure when the tires are cold, meaning they’ve been driven less than one mile.
• Tires will lose about one pound per square inch (PSI) for every 10-degree drop in the temperature.
• Tires will also lose pressure over time, about one PSI per month.
• To improve the life of your tires, rotate them on a regular basis – every 5,000 to 8,000 miles, or about every other oil change is a good rule of thumb.

How can Tuffy fix my tires?
Stop by any time and ask your Tuffy Automotive Repair Specialist to inspect your tires’ pressure, tread depth and wear patterns at no charge. Every time you have you oil changed, have us take a look.If you need to replace your tires, Tuffy sells all major brands of tires and can help you find the right size and type for your vehicle. Many Tuffy stores also offer Nitrogen tire inflation. Commonly used in racecars and airplanes, inflating tires with Nitrogen gas keeps the tire pressure constant due to a lack of moisture that comes with traditional tire inflation. 

Nitrogen in tires is becoming a very popular replacement for air, and for good reason. With proper inflation procedures and adequate purity nitrogen can provide amazing benefits. Converting to nitrogen in tires can improve your fuel economy by up to 10% and increase your tire life by 30% or more while dramatically increasing the safety of your vehicle.