Tire Service

For optimal longevity, rotating your tires approximately every 10,000 kilometres is recommended, which often aligns with your scheduled oil change intervals. This practice is crucial for vehicles with all-wheel drive systems to ensure even wear across the drivetrain and maintain stable handling. Regular rotation helps distribute wear evenly, extending the life of your entire tire set.

Tire rotation is a vital preventative maintenance step that systematically moves your tires to different positions on the vehicle to combat uneven wear patterns. This simple procedure extends the service life of your tires, ensures predictable handling characteristics, and helps maintain a quiet, smooth ride. It is especially beneficial for front-wheel-drive vehicles, whose front tires tend to wear more quickly due to steering and acceleration forces.

You should seek professional inspection if you notice visible damage like bulges or cracks, a tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6 mm, or persistent pressure loss. Your vehicle's Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) will alert you to low pressure, but performance signs like vibrations or poor grip also indicate a problem. These issues can compromise the effectiveness of advanced safety systems that rely on proper tire contact with the road.

A professional can often repair small punctures in the central tread area, provided the damage is less than 6 millimetres in diameter. However, any damage to the tire's sidewall or shoulder cannot be safely repaired and requires a full replacement. This is especially critical for tires on pickup trucks, which must maintain their structural integrity to handle heavy loads safely.

Tires must be replaced when the tread depth reaches the minimum legal limit or if they show signs of significant damage. Additionally, the manufacturer strongly recommends replacing tires every six years, even if they appear to have sufficient tread left. Over time, the rubber compounds harden and lose their ability to provide the necessary grip, which is a critical safety concern.

The correct tire specifications, including size, load index, and speed rating, are listed on a placard on the driver's side door jamb and in the owner's manual. To maintain the vehicle's intended performance and safety characteristics, it is essential to use tires that meet these factory requirements. Different vehicles, such as a crossover SUV or a heavy-duty truck, require tires designed to support their unique handling and weight profiles.

New tires dramatically improve your vehicle's safety by shortening braking distances and providing superior traction on wet or slippery surfaces. They also enhance handling responsiveness, reduce road noise for a more comfortable ride, and can even improve fuel economy. Correctly specified new tires ensure that safety features like electronic stability and traction control can function at their peak effectiveness.

The lifespan of new tires generally ranges from 60,000 to 100,000 kilometres, depending heavily on the tire's quality, your driving habits, and road conditions. Regular maintenance, including rotations and proper inflation, is the most effective way to maximize their service life. A set of tires on a light passenger car will often last longer than those on a heavy pickup truck used for work.