One of the tires on your vehicle is looking a little low, and you decide to have it checked out.
When you grab your phone — or computer — and Google “Tire shop near me,” many businesses will mostly likely appear. In addition to finding a shop that’s conveniently located near you, it’s a good idea to check out their reviews and services.
Tire repair is one of the services Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire provides.
How often tire replacement should be done
Over time, tires wear out and are in need of replacing.
The latest you should wait to replace your them is eight to 10 years. We recommend that you begin planning for new tires at six years, depending on the climate.
If you live in Northern Virginia, tires tend to last a long time. Those residing near the beach — where it’s saltier — may need to replace them every four to six years.
How to tell if your tires are getting old
You can tell the age of a tire by looking at its date code. A date code tells you the week and the year it was manufactured. This can help you determine if the tire is getting too old.
An example is if the last four digits of the DOT code are 0304. That would mean the tire was produced during the third week of the year 2004.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire, which is a Virginia Safety Inspection station, looks at tires during the annual Virginia Safety Inspection.
The minimum tread depth Virginia Safety Inspection specification is 2/32 of an inch, but the manufacturer may recommend that the tires need to be replaced by 3/32 of an inch to 5/32 of an inch, depending on the tire.
The spare tire may be as old as your vehicle. When getting new tires, you should also consider replacing the spare, even if it hasn’t been used. Spare tires that are stored in a vehicle can deflate over time. Those located underneath vehicles, such as trucks, are out in the open, where they face weather conditions and debris.
Having a wheel alignment performed when you replace your tires and every 15,000 miles is also important.
If you don’t do a regular wheel alignment, your tires can experience premature wear. A tire with a 60,000 mile tread life can decrease to 30,000 miles.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.