Tire Maintenance Tips Every Pro Needs to Know
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’, keep them tires rolling! As truckers, we know y’all want to keep moving. You have miles and miles to cover to deliver your loads on time. Here are the tire maintenance tips every pro needs to know because with poor tire maintenance, you could find yourself stuck on the side of the road.
Tires are expensive, so being able to take care of them to extend their life can save you in the long run. Also, be sure to keep an eye on them and know the warning signs so you can replace them before they fail on the road. Check out how to be a tire pro with these tire maintenance tips.
Tire Maintenance Tips Every Pro Needs to Know
You need to make sure that your tires are properly inflated. Punctures or slow leaks that go unnoticed can cause a tire to fail on the road. Plus, under or over-inflated tires can affect how a tire performs and wears.
You should regularly check your tire pressure and go beyond using a wooden club to thumb each tire. Be sure to use a calibrated tire gauge at least once a week. You can find a master gauge and use it’s reading to make sure your calibrated gauge is adjusted correctly.
If you think this process will be a time-consuming pain in the rear, just think about the savings you’ll have long-term. By spending 20 to 30 minutes checking on your tires you’ll be able to detect issues and prevent them instead of wasting time and money trying to fix your tire issues later.
Generally, it’s best to have steer tires on a 12,000-pound front axle at 110 psi. Set drive and trailer tire pressure are often kept at 95 psi, which is above the legal load psi of 75.
The issue with overinflation is that it causes irregular wear at the center of the tire and can cause your tires to be more susceptible to blowouts. It can also cause your tires to become more easily punctured when you do little things like bump a curb.
Underinflation causes tires to quickly wear on the shoulders. It also weakens the sidewalls and puts more pressure on the carcass. This is dangerous as it can lead to structural damage, ruptures, torn tread, and more.
However, if you find yourself in hazardous winter road conditions it can be good decision to temporarily lower your air pressure. Doing so will increase the amount of traction you have by making your tire footprint larger. Just be sure to reinflate your tires as soon as you’re out of the emergency conditions.
Don’t neglect your tire rotation. Tires wear in different spots depending on their vehicle position. Rear tires wear on the fronts while steer tires wear on the shoulders. Rotate your tires to help them wear evenly and last longer.
Also, even tires provide a smoother ride and prevent suspension damage. Along with tire rotation, you will want to check the alignment often and make sure your tires are best aligned with your operation. If your tires aren’t aligned and your truck pulls to the side your tires will wear faster.
When you’re washing your truck go ahead and clean your tires too. They pick up a lot of chemicals and debris that cause them to wear faster. Plus, your rig will look nicer without mud-caked tires.
Keep On Rollin’
By taking a little time to take care of your tires you will extend their life and get more bang for your buck. Don’t let tire neglect have you stuck on the side of the road or an emergency situation.
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