Tires usually need to be replaced every four to six years, depending on how well the tires are maintained and how frequently they’re used. The following factors will let you know when it’s time for new tires. You can also ask a technician at your reliable Ford dealer to check the condition of your tires whenever you have a servicing appointment.
Cuts or Cracks in the Treads
The treads of a car’s tires must always be structurally firm. Cracks or cuts can threaten the strength of treads, putting the entire tire at risk of blowing out. If you ever notice anything but the smallest of cuts or cracks in your treads, have a technician take a look. You may need a new tire.
Deep Cracks in the Sidewalls
Sidewalls are also susceptible to cracks over time, which happens as the tire rubber gradually dries out. Small cracks are usually harmless in the sidewalls of a tire, but if cracks begin to cluster and lengthen, your tire might become weakened and dangerous to use.
Tire Rubber Losing Color
If you ever notice patches of fading color in your tires, you may have a dry rot problem. Dry rot can rapidly degrade a tire, making it brittle and weak while expanding the rubber and even causing the tire to leak air. You may be able to clean off mild dry rot, but extensive dry rot always means the tire has to be replaced.
Bulges or Bubbles in the Rubber
Strange bulges or bubbling in tire rubber can be caused by internal friction and overheating from lower layers of loose rubber rubbing against each other. Bulging can also be caused by internal punctures where the escaping air becomes trapped under the upper layers. Whatever the cause, bulging or bubbling tire rubber is unsafe to drive on.
Worn Out Tread Depth
When the tread depth at the very center of a tire’s treads nears 2/32 of an inch, you should consider replacing the tire. During winter, when slippery road surfaces require even more traction, it’s best to replace tires when the tread depth nears 5/32 of an inch.
Unevenly Worn Treads
Car tires naturally wear down unevenly over time. Regular tire rotation is the perfect solution to this problem. But if you haven’t rotated your tires in a while, you may find that one or two of your tires have worn down far more than the other two.
With overly uneven tires, you’ll ordinarily need to have all four tires replaced at once. This is because replacing just two tires will still result in excessively uneven tires: now the newer tires will have more tread depth than the old ones.
Visit Hutch Ford today for a new set of high-quality tires. We’re a full-service dealership devoted to serving our customers promptly, courteously, and to the very best of our ability – we look forward to proving our commitment to you.
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