Proper tire care is one of the first steps to safe driving.
This is important for any car, but it’s even more important if you plan to drive a bunch of passengers around in your large van.
Take a look at these tire maintenance tips to make sure your van tires stay in good condition.
1. Check the Pressure Every Month
If you drive on uninflated tires, you can cause damages, like early tread wear, lowered vehicle handling, and even blowouts, that can lead to a crash.
You should check the pressure of your tires every month because it only takes a few weeks to lose an entire pound per square inch of air. Colder climates can lose air even faster, so don’t put off your tire pressure checks.
Doing so could make your van a risk for you and your passengers.
2. Replace Your Tires Before You Need To
Tires aren’t fun to buy, but you should always buy new ones before your old ones are completely worn out.
Driving around on dead tires is a huge safety risk.
Try putting a penny upside between the tread on your tire (in other words, head first). If the tread doesn’t cover Abraham’s head, you need to buy new tires.
3. Rotate Often
You should always rotate your van tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. This will create even tread wear around the tires and keep them safe and functional for as long as possible.
This is something you should do when you buy new tires as well. Most stores will include a tire rotation for free, but if they don’t, make sure you get one somewhere else.
4. Don’t Install Mismatched Tires
If at all possible, every tire on your van should matching. Tires that don’t match can cause reduced handling and unusual tread wear.
Of course, this isn’t always possible.
When you can’t get four of the same tires, at least make sure the back two match. Putting new tires on the back fo the car will reduce your chance of spinning out, especially in wet conditions.
5. Don’t Overload Your Van
You can usually feel the difference when you’re driving an overloaded car. While it may not seem like a problem, you should avoid overloading your van whenever possible.
When a van’s loaded down with too much weight, it can cause the tires to fail.
6. Drive Carefully
This is always worth a mention.
Slamming on the breaks can make your tires overheat, meaning the sidewalls will weaken. In the worst cases, breaking too fast too often can cause your van tires to fail.
This type of driving can also create cracks in your tires or worsen tire damage that was already there.
Make Sure Your Van has Good Tire Care
Bad tires lead to bad driving, but if you follow these tire care tips, you can stop worrying about the condition of your van tires. If you don’t put off the neede maintenance or ignore the warning signs, your tires should stay safe.
Think your van might need some work? Take a look at some of our auto repair manuals.
