Among the parts of your vehicle, the tires bear the brunt of daily driving because they are the closest to the ground. The tires are always exposed to damaging elements such as pebbles, road debris, mud, and rocks. But because they are naturally expected to be dirty all the time, they receive measly attention until they give in to wear and tear. Do you know that ignoring your tire’s condition can actually lead to problems in fuel mileage, handling, safety, and braking?
When is the right time to replace your tires?
Waiting for your vehicle’s tires to become flat or severely damaged before replacing them is a big no-no for smooth and safe driving. All tires—regardless of construction and design—succumb to wear and damage over time as they bear the brunt of daily driving. Worse, you’ll never know when it will happen. And the last thing you’d want to happen is to be stranded in the middle of the highway with flat or damaged tires. Thus, detecting early signs of damage on your car tires is important so that you can replace them right away.
Ideally, tires need to be inspected for obvious damage and wear. To see if one of your car’s tires is worn out, find the wear bars located in the grooves across the tire’s tread. If these rubber narrow bars are visible, then it’s time to change the tire.
If you cannot locate the wear bar, try the penny trick. This involves putting a coin with the head down into the most shallow tread groove. The tire needs replacement if you can see the top of the head.
Tire damage can also be detected by checking the tread blocks. Your car tires need replacement if you see the following symptoms: choppy or jagged tread, damage of one of the blocks, and whirring noise from the tires when the car is running.
Once you’ve found out that your car tires are damaged beyond repair, replace them immediately to prevent further driving troubles.
How to find the perfect replacement tires
There are various considerations you have to think about. With so many choices available, it’s quite difficult and confusing to choose the right tires for your vehicle.
To start, you need to do some research first. You can’t buy just any tire because its brand is well-known or it’s cheap. Check the tire ratings issued by the U.S. government so that you have an idea which tires provide better safety and mileage compared to others. Before buying tires, you also need to consider features such as heat resistance and treadware traction. Ask about these factors when you transact with your tire dealer.
Speed is also an important aspect to consider when buying tires for your vehicle. Check your Porsche owner’s manual to see your vehicle specifications—these should match with the tires you’re going to purchase.
Properly choosing the tires you’re going to put into your vehicle surely leads to better Porsche performance and safety.