Our Services
Maintaining Your Tires With Chabill’s Tire And Auto Service
Regular Tire Inspection
Your tires are your vehicle’s main contact with the road. They help provide a smooth and comfortable ride while also providing the grip required to keep your vehicle on the road. While tires play such a big role in getting you to where you need to be, they are often overlooked when it comes to regular inspections and maintenance. Keeping an eye on the condition of your tires through regular checks helps to keep you and your passengers safe. It may also identify potential problems before they arise. A quick check on a regular basis is all it takes. It’s a great way to detect abnormal and premature tire wear or issues related to other vehicle components.
What Does A Regular Tire Inspection Include?
Inspecting your tires on a regular basis is quick. It includes a few visual and physical checks. When inspecting your tires, you will want to look for any damage to the tires and uneven tire wear. For older tires, keep an eye on the tread depth.
Tread Depth:
As you drive your vehicle, the tires slowly wear. This reduces the amount of tire tread on the tire and effectively reduces the grip over time. Tires are rated for a certain amount of wear or minimum tread depth. They should be replaced once they are below the recommended tread depth. A tread depth tool is an easy way to check if your tire treads are within their limits.
Damage:
Cracks, bulges, and cuts in your tire’s treads or sidewall can reduce the tire’s ability to handle the everyday pressures of your daily drive. While minor cracks as a result of tire age may be okay, bulges and cuts pose a safety hazard as the integrity of the tire may be compromised. In a situation like this, it’s best to have an expert opinion on the condition of your tires.
Uneven Wear:
Uneven tire wear is a sign of underlying issues with your vehicle’s alignment or steering components. If left unrepaired, your tires may wear unevenly and at an abnormal rate. This will cause them to need replacement at shorter intervals and cost more in the long run.
Proper Tire Inflation
For vehicles without the convenience of Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors (TPMS), monthly tire pressure checks are recommended to ensure that tires are filled to the manufacturer’s specified pressure. When completing your tire inspection, a quick look at how your tires are sitting may give you an idea if one or more are underinflated.
How To Check Your Tire Pressure
A tire pressure check should be completed when the tires are “cold.” This means prior to driving the vehicle. The correct tire pressure for your vehicle’s make and model can be found on the sidewall of the tire, as well as on a placard located on the inside of your vehicle’s driver’s-side door jamb. When referencing the tire pressure placard, ensure that the tire dimensions printed on the placard match those installed on the vehicle. Check your tire pressure with a pressure gauge or with a tire pump that is able to read tire pressure. Add more air as needed.
Balanced Wheels
Keeping your wheels balanced is another way that you can maintain the longevity of your tires. Although wheels are balanced prior to their initial installation, the abuse they take on the road can cause changes to the tire and even knock off balancing weights. These changes (although minor) can translate to noticeable vibrations at higher speeds, causing inconsistent contact with the road surface and increasing tire wear. Chabill’s Tire and Auto Service recommends that your vehicle’s wheels be checked for balance every 15,000 miles or sooner if you begin to detect abnormal wheel vibrations.
Tire Rotation
In climates where the use of a separate set of tires for the winter months is needed, keeping your tires rotated on a seasonal basis is easy. For areas where only one set of tires is required, maintaining a consistent tire rotation schedule will go a long way in ensuring that tires wear evenly. Despite having a properly aligned car with balanced wheels, each tire may experience slightly different wear patterns based on your daily vehicle load and even your chosen daily driving route. As a result, having your tires rotated on a consistent basis helps ensure that tire wear remains even throughout the four tires, prolonging the life of your tires.
Proper Vehicle Alignment
Keeping your vehicle’s alignment in check helps you maintain control, and it also keeps more money in your pocket. A vehicle that is out of alignment can quickly chew through tires, leading to costly and more frequent replacements. The high-tech alignment equipment at Chabill’s Tire and Auto Service allows our technicians to accurately and quickly align your vehicle. It’ll keep you driving straight on the road, as well as help preserve your tires and other vehicle components.
Storing Your Tires
When you use multiple sets of tires for your vehicle throughout the changing seasons, storage can play a key role in the longevity of the tires. When stored, tires should be placed in a cool, dry area that is out of direct sunlight. Prior to storage, you should take the time to clean your tires and rims. Removing dirt that can hold moisture helps prevent corrosion and helps you to better inspect your tires. Once tires are clean and dry, using disposable tire storage bags is a great way to keep your tires from accumulating dust over the months of storage. It also keeps them from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.
Your Driving Habits
Daily driving habits (and even your chosen daily route) can also have an impact on a vehicle’s tire wear, as well as overall wear on related steering and handling components.
Aggressive Driving Habits:
Aggressive driving (such as quick acceleration or high cornering speeds) can put additional stress on tires. It can also lead to premature and uneven tire wear.
Overloaded Tires:
Overloading tires by adding more weight than your vehicle can handle will also increase wear and put unnecessary stress on your tires. The same can be said for trailer tires. When loading a vehicle or trailer, be mindful of the vehicle and trailer weight restrictions.
Rough Driving Conditions:
Rough road surfaces and roads with lots of potholes can be a hazard to your tires, causing increased wear or even damage to your tires like breakage of the steel lining in your tires. If your daily drive includes “rougher than normal” road conditions, it may be time to reevaluate your route.
Chabill’s Tire And Auto Service: Everything Tires
Chabill’s Tire and Auto Service is your one-stop shop for all things tire and automotive. On top of expert vehicle maintenance and repairs, we handle everything related to tire maintenance and repair. We provide durable and reliable tire options from all of the major tire brands, such as Michelin®, Goodyear®, Bridgestone®, Continental®, Firestone®, Pirelli®, Cooper®, BFGoodrich®, Yokohama®, or Hankook®.
Are you in need of a new or alternate set of tires for your car, truck, SUV, or trailer? Let Chabill’s recommend the best type of tire for whatever vehicle you are driving or whatever trailer you are towing. Our technicians can source new tires. They can also provide steel and alloy rim options for cars, trucks, and many different types of trailers. For vehicles with compatible systems, we also offer TPMS sensor installations for the ultimate in tire pressure convenience.
