How to Make Your Tires Last Longer

6 tips

• Check tire pressure once a month, when the tires are cold. Use the pressure on the driver's door sticker, usually 30 to 35 psi, not the maximum on the sidewall.
• Rotate the tires every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, at the same time as an oil change. Rotation evens out wear so all four tires age together.
• Get an alignment check once a year, or after hitting a big pothole or curb. Bad alignment scrubs rubber off one edge and can ruin a tire in a few thousand miles.
• Do not overload the car beyond the weight limit on the door sticker. Extra weight wears the center of the tread faster and raises the risk of a blowout.
• Avoid fast starts, hard cornering, and slamming into curbs. Aggressive driving is the fastest way to wear tires out early.
• Store the spare properly and check its pressure twice a year. A flat spare is useless, and most spares lose pressure slowly over time.

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