How to Inspect Your Tires

Tires are your car’s connection to the road. And yet, they often become an afterthought when it comes to automotive maintenance.

Check Your Tires for Wear and Damage

Why, over the summer months, do we see many more RVs, campers, and trailers on the side of the highway with flats than regular cars with flats? Statistically, the opposite should be true, with more cars on the road than RVs and trailers, you’d expect to see more road cars with flats, but the opposite is true.

Last month the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) issues a recall for Goodyear RV tires produced between 1996 and 2003, citing an increased risk of tire failure. Note the age of those tires, 19 to 26 years old, far older than any tire should be on any RV, trailer, or really any vehicle you plan on driving at any speed higher than required to haul a moldering barn find up onto a flatbed.

Combining these two bits of information, the obvious conclusion is RV and trailer owners aren’t replacing their tires as frequently as they should be. And in truth, car owners aren’t likely doing much better when it comes to tire maintenance.

Tires are your vehicle’s connection to the road. Whether that’s winter tires in winter or sport or summer tires for track days, having the right tire for the job isn’t just a matter of performance, it’s a matter of safety, literally of life and death.

That’s why we wanted to discuss how to inspect your tires and when it’s time to replace them.

How Long Tires Last

The tread life of tires can vary widely depending on the type of tire in question and can range anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 miles. That lower end usually consists of high-performance tires while your typical all-season tire should last longer. The average tread life also varies between summer, all-season, and winter tires, so it’s important to know what your manufacturer recommends. (Here’s our explainer on the best tires for each season.)

The typical American driver puts on somewhere between 13,000 and 15,000 miles a year on their car. With an average tread life of 60,000 miles, that means most vehicles should have their tires replaced every four to five years. Most manufacturers will recommend between five and ten years, depending on the kind of tire. We recommend erring on the cautious side when it comes to tire longevity, replacing sooner rather than later.

Conditions that Reduce Tire Tread Life

It’s not just miles on the road that cause your tires to wear and breakdown over time. The roads you drive influence how your tires wear. Poorly maintained roads with lots of potholes are bad for tires. The same goes for driving on gravel/dirt roads.

Climate is also a factor. While summer and winter tires are formulated to perform best in those temperature ranges, no tire is immune from the ravages of extreme temperatures. Very hot or very cold temperatures, as well as frequent shifts between extremes (like we get in South Dakota) cause expansion and contraction of the rubber compounds in tires. Moisture and dryness too. Storing vehicles outdoors accelerates these deleterious effects.

Speaking of vehicle storage, the tires of collector cars, as well as the RVs and trailers we mentioned earlier, don’t get much use. This idleness can weaken the rubber and other compounds of the tire, leading to a loss of integrity.

And then there’s how you drive. The more burnouts, drifts, and drag racing you do, the faster your tires will wear down.

What to Look For When Inspecting Your Tires

So, what should you be looking for when inspecting your tires? You already know to check your tire pressure from time to time. We recommend doing it monthly. You’ll get the most accurate reading if you do this early in the day, when the tires are cool.

You might also have heard of the penny test to check tread depth. If the tread still covers Lincoln’s head, you’re okay. If you can see the top of his head, your tread depth is at or below 2mm, meaning you need new tires. Tires usually start out with a depth of 8mm, once you’re getting to 4mm or less, it’s time to start saving for a new set of tires. Also look for other signs of wear and damage. These include cracks in the side wall, bulging, and damage to the valve stem.

It’s also a good idea to have your tires rotated on a regular basis and have wheel balance and alignment checked as well. Doing so can increase the longevity of your tires and reduce the chances of a blowout. On that note, you should also make sure to inspect your spare tire for age related wear.

And if you ever to end up with a flat, here’s how to change a tire, step-by-step.