Tires may not be the first thing you worry about when it comes to your Toyota, but they should be high on the list. Here are three tire maintenance tips to keep your Toyota running smoothly.
Trade Your Penny for a Quarter
When discussing tread depth, the most common recommendation is to use the penny test: place a penny one of the grooves with Lincoln’s head upside down. If you can see the top of his head, your tires need to be replaced. However, recent research suggests that a quarter provides a safer standard.
Check Your Tires When They’re Cold
Monitoring your tire pressure is important, as it can affect both the handling and fuel economy of your vehicle. To get the most accurate measurement, check when your tires are “cold” — that is, when they have not been used in the last three hours — since the heat and friction of driving will increase tire pressure.
Get Professional Help
You may be able to rotate and repair your tires yourself if you have the proper tools. However, to get the longest life and safest use out of your tires, you need a mechanic to properly balance and align them. It’s not a bad idea to let a professional handle the rotations and any repairs, too, while you’re there.
Whatever you do, don’t throw away the owner’s manual for your Toyota. No matter where you buy your tires, the vehicle manual will tell you when they need to be rotated, how to do it, what’s the optimal tire pressure, and other important information.
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