Tire Safety Tips

Are your wheels out of balance?

Your tires are the most important part of your vehicle with respect to safety. When they are out of balance, it can decrease the handling of your vehicle. Out of balance tires will cause your car to vibrate at certain speeds, usually between 80 and 100 km/h. A tire is out of balance when one section of the tire is heavier than others. One ounce of imbalance on a front tire is enough to cause a noticeable vibration in the steering wheel. This is easily repairable with a 4-wheel balance. If the vibration is felt in the steering wheel the problem is most likely in the front wheels. If the vibration is felt in the seats the problem is most likely in the rear wheels. Regardless of whether a vibration is felt, it is a good safety practice to balance tires every 20,000 km. Many people like yourself will be pleasantly surprised with how smooth your vehicle drives afterwards.

Tire pressure

Improper pressure also affects vehicle handling. Tires lose about 1 psi per month under normal conditions, and a lot more when the temperature drops or the wheel is damaged. Low pressure in turn increases heat and can damage a wheel even more. So it's important to regularly check your tire pressure with a tire guage. It should match the manufacturer's listed pressure, which will be printed on a sticker in the driver's side door frame of the vehicle. For an accurate reading, check pressure when the tires are cold. And remember: low pressure isn't noticeable to the naked eye, so use a guage regularly!

A word about tread wear...

When your tire tread wears away, you have less traction and can hydroplane. It's important to keep an eye on the remaining tread life. How can you tell? Place a penny in the tread, with the Queen's head upside down. If you can see the top of her crown when looking from the side, your tread has worn too much and it's time to replace your tires.

Can tire rotation save you money?

YES, it can. Regular tire rotation promotes uniform treadware and will extend the life of your tires. Uniform treadware can boost your vehicle fuel economy and increase the performance of your vehicle. The team at wheel depot recommends you rotate your tires every 7000km to 10,000km and even more frequently when you do most of your driving around town, or have a front wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicle. This is a simple, inexpensive process that follows one of the patterns in the image to the right.

Be careful with changing wheel size!

Every vehicle is designed for a certain size and type of tire and rim, and ratio between the two. Changing this can be unsafe. While there are times when changing the size or type can be ok, it is important that you first talk to the experts at Wheel Depot Plus, for their professional advice.

It goes beyond tires...

The team at wheel depot recommend changing the oil in your vehicle after a certain number of kilometres or a certain amount of time. For most vehicles, oil changes are recommended every 3000 km to 5000 km. Failure to do a regular oil change can cause internal motor malfunctions and decreases the life and performance of your vehicles engine. Think of it like your heart - if you take care of it, it will have a longer, happier life!