Tire Life 101

 

Tires are vital for your vehicle’s safety, and they need to be evaluated for potential problems or the need to replace them. But how do you know when it’s time to replace the tires?

The rule of thumb used to be that the life of tires was 10 years. The 6 year mark is now the recommendation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, in New Mexico’s hot sun, it’s likely that the 5-6 year mark is the better time.

Every tire has a Tire Date Code on the sidewall with a Tire Identification Number. When you look at the sidewall, you’ll see a series of numbers, up to 13 of them, followed by DOT (for Department of Transportation).

Of those numbers:

·         The first 2 to 3 indicate the manufacturer’s plant code.

·         The next set of numbers are the tire size or type code. This is helpful to know if you want to call various tire stores to compare prices.

·         The last 4 numbers are what you really need – these are the manufacturing date. These indicate the week and year the tire was made; for example, a tire with the last 4 numbers of 1221 means it was manufactured in the 12^th week of 2021.

The age of the tires is one important factor; the depth of the tire tread is also important. Depending on how many miles you drive and how you drive, you may need new tires even before the NHTSA’s recommended 6 year mark.

Tires that become too worn are susceptible to blow-outs. To get an idea of your tire’s tread depth, use a quarter! Just insert it upside-down into the treat groove so that Washington’s head goes in first. If the top of his head is covered by tread at multiple points around the tire, the tread has some life left.

If the top of his head is visible at any point around the diameter of the tire, it’s time to replace the tire.

The Melloy Dodge ExpressLane is available for no-appointment checks of your tires to check the wear and pressure. Tire rotation is another important point to prolong the life of the tire. If we can help with your new tires for any make or model, stop and see us at Melloy Dodge on Coors in Albuquerque or use our online scheduling tool.