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Taking care of
your tires not only makes them last longer, but also ensures
the safety of you and your passengers. Do your PART: Pressure,
Alignment, Rotate and Tread
Pressure– A
tire can lose up to half of its tire pressure and not appear
to be flat. This can result in tire stress, irregular wear,
and loss of control.
How to check pressure – First check vehicle owner's
manual for proper inflation. Check air pressure when tires are
cool. Never bleed or reduce air pressure when tire is hot. Remove
the cap from the valve, firmly press gauges onto the valve and
note the reading. Add air to achieve recommended air pressure.
If you overfill the tire release air by pushing on the metal
stem in the center of the valve. Then recheck pressure. Replace
valve cap. Check each tire. NOTE: Some spare tires require
higher inflation pressure. |
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Alignment
– Hitting a curb or a pot hole can throw your front
end out of alignment. This will cause your tires to wear
unevenly and may cause handling problems. Front-wheel
drive vehicles, and those with independent rear suspension,
require alignment of all four wheels. Have Matthews Tire
& Auto check your alignment periodically as specified
by your owners manual, or if you are having handling problems
such as vibration or pulling. |
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Rotation
– Each tire on your car supports a different amount
of weight. This unequal weight distribution can cause
tires to wear at different rates. Sometimes front and
rear tires use different pressures. Consult owners manual.
After rotation adjust to air pressure recommendations.
Rotating your tires will help you achieve more uniform
wear. The guidelines for rotation of tires is approximately
6,000 miles. |
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Tread
– Unusual and advanced tire wear can reduce the
treads ability to grip the road in adverse conditions.
You should check your tires visually for uneven wear,
unusual smooth areas as well as low and high areas.
Check your tires for visual signs of damage. When our
tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch, it is time to
replace your tires.
How
to check your tires tread – Take a penny and
insert Abe's head into the groove of the tire. If part
of the head on the penny is covered the tires are legal.
If you can see all of Abe's head it is time to replace
the tires.
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| Tires also have
wear bars as tread wear indicators. If the tread is worn down
to the wear bars. It's time to replace the tires. |
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