Your 5-Point Tire Maintenance Schedule

How often do you drive your car? Do you use your vehicle for daily commutes or just for the occasional trip to the store? Even if you tend to drive only on the weekend, you should think about tire maintenance. As the first point of contact that your vehicle has to the road, it’s vital that your tires are always in a solid, safe condition.

But how do you know if your tires are safe? What are you supposed to check on your tires? We’ve created a comprehensive list of factors and aspects to consider for your tire maintenance schedule. With this list, you can plan your tire maintenance schedule. 

When we say tire maintenance, don’t panic! We’re not necessarily referring to a problem or damage that your tire has. Rather, we’re talking about the steps that you can take to extend the lifespan of your tires and understand how to look out for certain issues in your tires. 

So, in this guide, we're presenting your 5-point tire inspection checklist. 

1. Check Tire Pressure

• At least every 2 to 4 weeks
• Always before long trips
• Seasonally when outdoor temperatures change 10 degrees F

Tire pressure is measured in pounds per square inch, also known as PSI. While you increase your tire’s pressure by filling it with more air, tire pressure is not necessarily a direct measurement of the “volume” of air within your tire. It refers to the general pressure required for your tire to maintain its shape and support the weight of your car.

Why do we make this distinction?

Because tires gradually will lose pressure over time even if they don’t have a puncture or leak. In fact, a drastic change in outside temperature will actually cause your tires to have less pressure. 

You can check the correct pressure needed for your tires either on the rear edge of the driver’s side door or the owner’s manual of your vehicle. Then, use a pressure gauge or similar tool to periodically check your tire’s pressure at least once a month. It’s best to do this in the morning before you’ve driven the car, as the tires will be “cold” and you can get the most accurate reading. 

If you’ve recently experienced a sudden drop in temperature, it may be necessary to check your tire pressure and fill it up outside of your normal schedule. 

Click here to learn more about Tire Pressure. 

2. Rotate Your Tires

• When you have your oil changed
• Every 5,000 to 7,000 miles

Did you know that most tires can have their positions on your vehicle switched? For example, a tire that’s on the left driver’s side position of your vehicle can be swapped with the tire on the right rear passenger’s side of your vehicle. 

So why would you want to rotate tires?

Your car will tend to distribute its weight in the same way across all four tires as you drive. This is good, as it leads to a steady, more comfortable ride. However, it also means that your tires will always have weight distributed on the same spots on their treads. Because of this concentrated wear over thousands of miles, your tires will wear unevenly. 

But, if you have the positions of your tires periodically rotated, you can make the road wear more evenly across the whole tread, rather than unevenly. 

It’s best to have your tires rotated around the same time that you have your oil changed. In fact, some oil change shops will even include tire rotation with their oil change service, or for a bundled fee. If you have tires that are specifically meant to be on the left or right sides of your vehicle, you can still rotate them, but you’ll need to follow a different rotation pattern. 

Click here to learn more about tire rotation. 

3. Check for Tread Damage, Wear, Punctures

• Always before long drives
• At a minimum monthly
• After driving through construction or road debris
• If you hear strange noises from your tires 

While tire rotation can help reduce tread damage and wear, sometimes you can’t prevent damage to your tire sidewall or punctures on the road. These may happen without you even being aware of them. For example, a nail may slide cleanly into your tire without any noise. Slowly, over time, air will leak out and your tire pressure will be reduced. If you aren’t aware of the nail, you could possibly blow out your tire while driving and damage your vehicle.

Because of this, it’s smart to periodically check your tires at least once a week for sidewall damage or punctures. You may notice your car is driving differently if your tires are damaged, so trust your instinct and pull over if something feels off. 

You should also be checking your tread’s wear about once every month. Most modern tires have built-in tread wear indicators, which are raised sections in between your tires' treads. If the tread is worn down on your tire to the point where the indicator is touching or near touching the road, it’s probably time to get new tires. Another trick is to put a penny in the groove between the treads of your tire upside-down facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, your tire tread may be too worn and needs to be replaced. 

Click here for more about the tire treadwear penny test. 

4. Tire Balance and Alignment

• When you buy new tires
• Every 7,000 miles
• When you feel vibrating or shaking from tires

Having proper wheel alignment and balanced tires reduces the vibration of your vehicle and leads to a more comfortable drive. It will also make your car drive straighter and not veer off to the side of the road.

Any time you get a new set of tires, your mechanic or installer should balance your tires and align your wheels. Tire balancing is generally done with a specialized tool that spins your tire at high speeds. The tool will then instruct the operator where weight needs to be added to the wheel to be properly balanced. 

Even if you haven’t recently bought new tires and notice your vehicle vibrating or shaking strangely while driving, you may need to have your tires balanced. Because of how difficult it is to do without the tool, this should probably be done by a professional mechanic. 

Click here to learn more about balancing your tires and aligning your wheels. 

5. Check the Condition of Spare Tires

• Once a month, or when you have your oil changed
• Always before long trips

Spare tires are useful last-minute quick fixes to help you get your vehicle to a mechanic to make repairs. But your spare needs to be taken care of just like all of your other tires. While you don’t need to be checking the treadwear and balance of your spare nearly as often, as it’s only going to go a few miles to get to a mechanic, you should still be periodically inspecting it.

Spare tires may sit in the back of a car for a very long time and sometimes the rubber can wear away or crack. Spare tires may also lose pressure over time and need to be filled up at the same time you fill-up the rest of your tires. If the rubber in your spare loses elasticity or cracks, it may not be able to support your vehicle!

In general, you should check your spare tire about once a month, around the same time that you’re checking the pressure of your other tires. 

Click here to learn more about spare tires.

Photo 197172043 / Checking Tire Svitlana Ponurkina | Dreamstime.com