How Often Should You Check Tire Pressure?
It's easy to take your tires for granted, especially since they sit under your vehicle and out of sight most of the time. But keeping your tires properly inflated helps them last longer and stay in good shape, which keeps you safer on the road. And while you can check tire pressure yourself, it's recommended that you get your tires checked regularly by professionals anyway to ensure they are in good condition at all times. How often should you check tire pressure? Read on to find out more.
When To Check Tire Pressure?
On your vehicle, it's usually recommended that you check your tire pressure once a month or so. This is important to ensure that your tires are properly inflated and performing at their best. While you can check tire pressure any time, there are certain instances when it's even more important to do so. For example, if you notice excessive tire wear on one side of your vehicle, it might be worth checking for low tire pressure as a possible culprit.
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What Are The Signs of Low Tire Pressure?
If you notice any of these signs when you get in your car, it's time to check your tire pressure. If you drive at high speeds or often take long trips, check your tires every few days. Remember that driving with low pressure can be dangerous – especially if you drive on highways or go over a lot of bridges, because low tire pressure may lead to tire failure and result in loss of control. Properly inflated tires can also save fuel, which is good for both your pocketbook and Mother Earth!
How To Properly Check Tire Pressure?
All drivers should be checking their tire pressure regularly, regardless of whether they're buying new tires or not. However, what a lot of people don't realize is that there are a few different methods for properly checking your tire pressure. The method you choose depends on what type of vehicle you have, as well as how often you drive it.
The best way to check your tire pressure is by using an automatic tire inflator like we talked about above. This will give you an accurate reading every time and help prevent over-inflation (which can cause premature wear) and under-inflation (which can lead to blowouts). There are some other options out there, but nothing beats an automatic inflator.
When To Change A Flat Tire?
Checking your tire pressure often is a simple way to catch a flat before it goes too far. However, what's often? The typical recommendation is to check your tire pressure once per month. If you don't drive much or live in an area with unusually low or high temperatures, you might want to increase that time period as needed. Be sure to use a quality gauge when checking tire pressure; otherwise, you may end up over-inflating or under-inflating your tires—neither of which are good for your vehicle.
When Changing a Flat Tire, Use These Tips
Changing a flat tire is no walk in the park. But it doesn't have to be nerve-wracking, either. A few tips can help you easily change a flat tire. Here are some tips on how to change a flat tire on your car quickly and safely:
First, make sure that all of your equipment is ready: lug wrench, spare tire (if equipped), jack and jack handle. If you don't know how to use these tools or if they aren't working properly, take them into a shop for service before you need them.
Next, pull over as far as possible onto level ground where there isn't any traffic behind or around you; try not to get stuck on an incline or decline.
Put on your emergency flashers. Then proceed with changing your tire following these steps:
- Use a floor jack to lift up one side of your vehicle so that you can place blocks under it to keep it from rolling while you work.
- Loosen each wheel nut with a lug wrench until they are completely off.
- Remove one wheel at a time and set aside until needed again later.
- Lift up your vehicle with a jack and place it securely on top of four sturdy blocks.
- Place two more blocks underneath each front tire to prevent slipping when you remove the lugs nuts.
- Loosen each lug nut by hand until they come off completely and remove them from their holes.
- Take out your spare tire, which should already be inflated enough to drive on, and put it in its proper location beneath your car.
- Replace each lug nut by hand but do not tighten yet!
- Lower your vehicle back down onto all four wheels.
- Tighten each lug nut by hand until they are snug, then finish tightening them with a torque wrench.
- Replace your wheels using reverse order of removal and lower your car back down to street level using a floor jack.
- Tighten each wheel nut again using a torque wrench to ensure safety on the road.
- Clean up any messes left behind and check for leaks under your vehicle before driving away.
