Your wheel-tire assemblies are key features for your car's performance; thus, this post by K&K Oil and Lube in Clermont will go over basic preventive maintenance procedures to keep them in mint shape.

4 Key Preventive Maintenance Procedures for Your Wheel-Tire Sets

Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

One of the best ways to get yourself involved in your tires' care and preventive maintenance is checking their pressure once every month. Doing this is critical because, due to temperature fluctuations and the permeation of air through the rubber structure, tires typically lose 1 pound per square inch of pressure around every thirty days. Thus, it's safe to say your tires are prone to become underinflated if not checked regularly. It should be no surprise that driving with under-inflated tires is unsafe and ineffective. When tires lose a significant amount of pressure, they deform, increasing the rolling resistance and making their rotation rough. Plus, with less air to support the vehicle's load, tires end up using more energy to perform, causing the engine to burn vast amounts of fuel. Overinflating your tires is not optimal either. Excess pressure can cause you to lose control of your vehicle because too much air can deform your tires' shape, decreasing their grip to the ground, which means reduced traction and increased chances of skidding, or in the worst-case scenario, a tire blowout. On the whole, make sure to avoid any risk related to improperly inflated tires by checking their pressure periodically; to that end, keep your owner's manual handy and get a tire gauge. The first step is consulting your owner's manual to find the operating pressure at which you should inflate your tires. Then, check each tire by locating their air valves; once you've pinpointed them, remove their caps off and insert the tire gauge into the open valve for a few seconds. Finally, check the pressure displayed by the gauge and make sure it matches the inflation recommended by the manufacturer.

Prolong your vehicle's life and protect it against heat and friction by giving it a synthetic oil change in Clermont. Call K&K Oil and Lube at (918) 269-0081 or visit AMSOIL's online store to place an order on high-quality products for your vehicle's preventive maintenance.

Keep Your Wheels Aligned

A wheel alignment is, quite simply, a service procedure that consists of adjusting the angles of a vehicle's wheels to keep them perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. These angles specified by the manufacturer are intended to maximize tread life and improve the vehicle's handling control for the driver. Now, it's perfectly normal for your car's wheels to lose their preset angles and become misaligned after months of use; however, what can cause significant damage to your vehicle is overlooking the alignment intervals of your tires. Hence, pay attention to your car if it starts to pull to one side when driving straight; also, take note if your tires suddenly squeal or if your steer begins to vibrate while driving; altogether, these are all signs indicating your wheels need an alignment adjustment. Generally speaking, it's recommended to get a wheel alignment once every year; however, you should always follow the maintenance intervals and requirements described in your owner's manual. All in all, make sure to keep your wheels aligned for improved tire performance.

Keep Your Tires Balanced

A weight imbalance can compromise the rotation and performance of your tires, hence the need to balance them accordingly. In broad terms, tire balancing minimizes uneven tread wear by correcting the weight imbalances on your tire-wheel assemblies. Of course, many factors can contribute to weight imbalances in your tires; for example, you can expect them to feature minor weight variations from the moment they come out from being manufactured. On top of that, wheels include small weights that often get detached by accidentally hitting a pothole or bumping into a curb. If you ever notice your vehicle wobbles or hops while driving, that may indicate there's a significant heavy spot at one of your tire-wheel sets; given that case, make sure to call your trusted mechanic to have your tires checked.

Besides taking good care of your tires, make sure to keep your engine in mint shape by giving it high-quality products, like AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil. To find more products and place an order on the most effective synthetic oil in Clermont, call K&K Oil and Lube at (918) 269-0081 or visit AMSOIL's online store.

Rotate Your Tires From Time to Time

Finally, a tire rotation consists of repositioning your tires from side to side and from front to back to distribute their tread wear evenly. Ideally, you should rotate your tires at about 5,000 to 8,000 miles; however, each vehicle has unique maintenance needs; hence, check your owner's manual to verify your car's rotation intervals. Tire rotation is essential because tires are the main point of contact with the ground; hence, they are continuously subjected to uneven, rough, hot surfaces that cause the tires' tread depth to wear and become shallower unevenly. The fluctuations of air pressure and weight also promote uneven tire wear, leading to reduced traction and unsafe tire performance, hence the importance of rotating your tires from time to time.

Your vehicle is a complex machine that needs to be appropriately maintained; to that end, protect its engine against premature wear and overheating by giving it quality products, like AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil. For more information about the most effective synthetic oil in Clermont, call K&K Oil and Lube at (918) 269-0081 or visit AMSOIL's online store.