The majority of drivers and car owners are totally aware of the importance of using good tires in their vehicles. Yet, a set of new tires is a rather large investment which makes some people to make do with the tires which should have already been changed.
Unfortunately, no matter how sophisticated the model of your car is and how many cutting-edge technology it is using, your safety as well as the safety of your vehicle are still depend on the quality of tires you are using. It is extremely important to keep an eye on their condition in order to change them in the most appropriate time so as you are able to avoid dangerous accidents and also don’t throw away a set of tires that could still be useful.
What makes your tires to wear out?
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the more you are using your car, the more quickly its tires are wearing out. Yet, the overall time you have been driving your car with this exact set of tires is not enough for estimating whether the tires really need replacement since there is a large number of factors which influence the condition of this crucial element of your car.
First of all, the quality of the road has a great impact on the condition of your tires. Undeniably, driving your car on the unpaved roads will make the tires wear out a way more quickly than driving the same car on the city roads. Still, even the quality of the city roads change a lot. Furthermore, recently paved roads in two different cities will have different effect on the rubber since they might be made of different materials and their abrasiveness won’t be equal.
Secondly, the type of road you are using is an essential factor influencing the condition of the tires. For example, the car driven in the mountainous area which has almost no straight roads and, furthermore, which makes your car to perform descending and climbing without a stop will wear the tires out rather quickly. At the same time, using plane city roads is safer for the rubber. Yet, driving a car primarily inside a city makes you constantly use breaks which also speeds up the process of tire wearing out. In this case, the drivers who are using their vehicles on the highways in the first place, will be able to change the tires less often.
Your driving style itself has a great impact not only on the condition of your tires but also on the conditions of the entire car. Actually, special studies of the influence of the driving style on the rubber showed that the difference in the wear of tires could reach 20%.
In addition to it, different models of cars used under the same conditions and used even by the same driver will tend to have different quality of tires. This is the result of various inherent features of these cars including their suspension design and weight.
Finally, in all likelihood, you are aware of the importance of rotating the tires changing their positions. This is crucial in case you want them to wear out evenly.
What is about the mileage guarantee?
Now, when you know how much factors are influencing the condition of the rubber in your car, you might be wondering, what the mileage guarantee given by the tire manufacturers actually means.
In fact, this parameter is a mean of the maximum mileage that was made by the drivers using these tires in their cars. Usually, this mileage starts from 40,000 miles and in some cases, reaches 85,000 miles. This mileage is also used as a basis for warranty. This means that if it happens that your tires get worn out before you reach the mileage of the warranty, you will be able to replace the tires paying only a portion of its price. The manufacturer of your tires will estimate how much of the guaranteed mileage you made with your car and you will be able to get new tires paying only the value of the unused mileage.
Undeniably, this is a great option, however, you should be aware your tires haven’t been worn out earlier than they were supposed to be because you had abused them, In addition to it, it is also crucial to rotate the tires as it is suggested in the warranty document. Otherwise, you won’t be able to take any advantage of this warranty.
When do you really need to change the tires?
Having new tires and checking the mileage is a good way to observe the time when they are becoming worn out. Of course, in the case of purchasing a used car, you should have a different approach in order to estimate the condition of the rubber.
The simplest way to do is performing a so-called penny test. All you need to do is just to turn a penny coin to you with the side with Abraham Lincoln. The edge of the coin should be placed in any of the grooves of the tire’s thread. The top of the Lincoln’s head should be pointed at the rubber. If you are able to see the top of the head of the American president, it means your tires should be changed as soon as possible.
Still, bear in mind that the condition of the tires in a used car might differ since it is unknown whether the previous owner rotates them regularly. Thus, you should check all of them as it might happen that some of the tires are still in a good condition.