Media post: 5 Tips to Prepare Tires for Summer Driving

Summertime means longer days and more time for safe travel. With longer days, comes more opportunity to spend time behind the wheel and on the road traveling to your favorite summer destinations and vacation spots. Before getting behind the wheel for your trip, it’s important to prepare and make sure your tires are in good condition for your summer travels. In this blog post, SimpleTire provides five tips on how to prepare your tires for summer driving.

As the weather gets warmer, many licensed drivers are looking forward to spending time behind the wheel eating up miles on summer road trips. Before you hit the open road in search of your favorite spots, it’s important to make sure your tires are in optimal condition to ensure the safety of those around you and peak efficiency. One of the items on this list includes visually inspecting your tires to make sure there is plenty of tread. Slick tires may be used on race cars, both professionally and grassroots style, however slicks will not be helpful when on the road for a long road trip. Slicks are better saved for racing applications.

Visually inspecting your tires is something just about anyone can do. Every driver should know how to visually inspect their tires for safety. Use a flashlight if it is dark, or to allow you to see even better during the day, and look closely at your tires and see if there are any signs of cracking or tire tread separation. This may require you to look around the entire tire, including both sidewalls and the entire tire tread, to ensure a complete inspection.

Touching your tires can also help to identify issues like cracking and dry rotting. Signs of tire cracking can be indicative of dry rotting, which can occur over time and in regions with extreme climates.

Checking tire pressure should be a regular vehicle maintenance item on every driver’s checklist. Every driver should know how to perform a pressure check and adjustment. Tire pressures are typically measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) or kilopascal (kPa) and are always recommended at specific levels by vehicle manufacturers for best results. Please consult your owners manual or vehicle door jamb for recommended tire pressure settings to ensure safe operation at all times. Be aware, low tire pressure can negatively impact tire wear and fuel consumption.

Finally, performing an alignment, and even performing a tire rotation if needed can help prolong the life of your tires. Alignments are always best when performed by a professional with an alignment rack, like a Hunter, and special tools and technology to measure the geometry of your vehicle’s suspension. When it comes to vehicle safety on summer road trips, doing your due diligence ahead of time can save you time and money in the long run.