Tire Center
OEM TIRE CENTER AT NOVATO CHEVROLET
Maintaining Your Tires
It is absolutely essential to maintain your OEM's tires, as they ensure that your car runs smoothly. Your tires help the vehicle place power on the ground with the grips making sure that your OEM can hold firmly onto the road.
Working with a OEM service professional at Novato Chevrolet is key to tire maintenance, as he or she will be familiar with all of the tire options. A OEM service advisor can talk to you about your driving style and then work to suggest a tire based on that information and the Novato weather. After having your tires installed, you will still need to keep up with regular maintenance and care.
The life span of your tires can be drastically affected in many ways. Your driving style, tire pressure, wheel alignment and routine tire rotations are some of the most common factors to consider as you continue to drive your OEM vehicle. Learn more from the information below on how you can limit the amount of treadwear that is caused by daily driving. If you are in need of a new set of tires, simply view our tire store and schedule a service appointment!
TIRE BALANCE
What Is Tire Balancing?
Tire balancing equally distributes the weight of the tire and wheel assembly to spin smoothly at high speed.
Tires can become out of balance with normal tire wear. All four tires and wheels may be balanced during a tire rotation and when new tires are installed.
Special equipment spins the tire and wheel assembly to measure vibrations and the technician installs wheel weights as needed to eliminate the vibrations.
What If I Ignore It?
- Excessive tire wear
- Irregular tire wear such as cupping
- Steering and suspension component wear
- Vibration
What If I Take Care Of It?
- Maximize tire wear and ride quality
- Prolong tire life
- Minimize vibration
TIRE CONDITION / TREAD DEPTH
What Is Tire Condition & Tread Depth?
Monitoring normal tread wear helps plan for future tire replacement. Uneven or irregular tread wear can indicate problems with tire pressure, wheel alignment, tire balance, or lack of rotation. New tire tread depths typically begin with 9/32" to 12/32" of tread. Make sure your tires' tread depths are sufficient for road and weather conditions.
What If I Ignore It?
- Loss of braking effectiveness, steering control, and traction in wet weather
- Increased braking distances
- Increased risk of hydroplaning
- Low tread depth restricts water, slush and snow from escaping between tire tread and the road. This can promote hydroplaning and reduce traction on wet and wintry roads.
- Minimum tread depth recommended for vehicles likely to encounter listed condition:
- Snow = 5/32"
- Rain = 4/32"
- Dry = 2/32"
- Tread depth under 2/32" may violate applicable law.
What If I Take Care Of It?
- Increase safety performance
- Provide a more enjoyable ride
- Help ensure your vehicle meets its original load and speed rating specifications
- Match the physical dimensions, internal construction, tread design, and tread compound of the original tires
- Help achieve performance characteristics originally intended for your vehicle
What Are The Benefits Of Original Equipment (OE) Tires?
Original Equipment (OE) Tires:
- Developed by OEM engineers who work closely with the original equipment tire manufacturer to develop a tire that optimizes all the performance attributes of your vehicle
- Undergo an exclusive OEM development process with testing to ensure the same level of performance
- Extensively tested in the lab, on the track, and on the road to ensure that the tires provide the right balance of performance, comfort, wear, and fuel efficiency
- Help your vehicle attain the original performance characteristics to maintain the enjoyment you've had with your OEM since day one
- Are the only tires OEM recommends for your vehicle
Non OE Tire Options:
- May share some characteristics of the original tires, but because of the number of variable design characteristics, they may perform differently, potentially altering the ride comfort, interior noise, wear rate, fuel efficiency, steering feel, snow traction, and wet and dry handling and braking performance you may be accustomed to
- May be available from us at Novato Chevrolet, but can vary in certain specifications from your vehicle's original tires
- Although we recommend that you help retain your vehicle's original performance characteristics by choosing OE specified tires, you may have other needs that could be met with another tire that was not tested by or developed in conjunction with OEM
TIRE PRESSURE
What Is Tire Pressure?
Properly inflated tires provide the best combination of handling, tread life, and comfort. The air pressure inside the tires supports the weight of the vehicle. Tire pressure is the inflation pressure specification, measured in Pounds per Square Inch (PSI), for a given tire type, size, and application.
The cold tire inflation pressure, PSI, is on the Tire Information Label located on the driver's side door jamb.
Because tires can lose 1 to 2 PSI of tire pressure per month, tire pressures must be checked regularly.
What If I Ignore It?
- Underinflation, or low tire pressure, can cause premature wear, irregular tread wear, and decreased fuel efficiency
- Underinflation adversely affects handling
- Underinflation may lead to tire failure
- Overinflated tires make your vehicle ride harshly, are more prone to road hazards, and wear unevenly
What If I Take Care Of It?
- Prolong tire life
- Increase fuel efficiency
- Improve ride characteristics, handling, and comfort
TIRE ROTATION
What Is Tire Rotation?
During tire rotation, at the time of service, the tire and wheel assemblies are moved from one position to another to more evenly distribute wear and maximize tire life. The rotation pattern depends on the vehicle and tire design. Because the front tires turn and pull the vehicle forward, front tires wear differently than rear tires.
Tire rotation is regular maintenance that should be performed as recommended and is required to maintain the tire's warranty coverage. (Consult the tire manufacturer's warranty booklet provided with the vehicle for more details.)
What If I Ignore It?
- Increased likelihood of irregular or uneven tire wear
- Increased tire wear and more frequent replacement
- Premature wear can increase road noise
What If I Take Care Of It?
- Prolong tire life
- Help ensure your vehicle's optimal handling with more even tire wear
- Avoid road noise caused by premature or irregular wear
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
What Is Wheel Alignment?
A wheel alignment is the adjustment of angles that the tires make in relation to the road surface and each other. The primary alignment angles are camber, caster, and toe.
A wheel alignment is often performed after replacing tires or suspension components, after an impact with a pothole or curb, or when the following conditions occur: abnormal tire wear, an offset steering wheel, or handling concerns (drifting, pulling, wandering, darting).
Technicians measure alignment angles using sophisticated equipment, then adjust or possibly replace suspension components as needed to set alignment to original OEM specifications.
What If I Ignore It?
- Increased or irregular tire wear and more frequent tire replacement
- Vehicle may drift, wander, pull, or dart
What If I Take Care Of It?
- Prolong tire life
- Helps optimize your vehicle's handling based on original OEM specifications
- Reduces steering effort
How Often Should You Change Your Car Tires?
Every time that you drive, your tires undergo additional wear and tear. This means that you will have to replace them several times over the course of your OEM's lifespan. Never put off replacing your tires, as this can endanger your safety. Different tire types will last for varying amounts of time, and their durability also depends on your driving habits. As such, you need to regularly check them for wear.
You will know that you definitely have to change your tires if they begin to get worn down past 1/16 inches of tread. You can easily test this yourself with any penny. Place it between the treads with Lincoln's head down. If you see the entire head, you need to get your tire replaced. Don't forget to monitor how your OEM reacts while driving. If you notice an unusual amount of vibration, you should have your tires looked at by a professional.
Why Get New Tires?
Whenever you have your OEM's tires replaced, you will notice a few great things. Your tread will be better able to grip the surface of the road, improving your safety. You also improve your vehicle's efficiency and performance since it no longer has to work as hard. In other words, changing your tires saves you money over time on fuel.
If you want to learn more about OEM tire maintenance or are due to replace your tires, head to the service centerat Novato Chevrolet in Novato.