By
Dave Trux
I
was taught a very long time ago that the most important safety
feature of a car is the tires. Let’s face it, how good are your
brakes when your tires are bald and sliding around in the rain? Your
car’s stopping ability is determined by your tires, NOT your
brakes.
There
are three key elements to tire performance: Tread pattern, tread
depth and air pressure.
Tread
pattern is what the tire actually looks like on the surface. There
are grooves running this way and that. A tire should be purchased
that fits your driving profile. Most California drivers can get away
with just about anything but other regions require winter and
non-winter tires. What’s important in California is wet weather
traction. Channeling and siping (miniature slits) help to remove the
water from between the tire’s tread blocks and the road surface.
Tread
depth is important for wet weather traction since deeper grooves will
remove and channel more water at a given speed. Naturally, the tire
will wear throughout its life until the tread exposes the “wear
bars,” which are small bumps approximately 2/32” high located
randomly within the grooves of the tire. Generally speaking, when
they are exposed the tire should be replaced.
Air
pressure is what gives the tire strength to resist wear and determine
load capacity. There is a pressure on the side of the tire. It is
only there to provide maximum load capacity pressure. An average tire
will handle approx 3,000 lbs at max pressure. Your car probably does
not exceed 3900 lbs, which is spread across 4 tires. We get into
trouble by NOT checking air pressure often enough. In California it
is against the law to service a car without checking air pressure.
Making
sure that your tires are properly inflated and have adequate tread
depth is a key to driving safety. Pressure should be checked at least
once a month, more often is better. Drive safely and make sure your
tires are in good condition. At Valley
Motorwerks, we
will check any brand of tires for free because it’s simply that
important.
Editor’s
notes: Dave Trux is the owner of Valley Motorwerks in Rancho Cordova,
CA. Their address is 11403 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova, CA,
their phone number is (916) 636-9526 and their website is
www.vmwerks.com.
