Winter weather places additional stresses on vehicles. The way to help avoid breakdowns is to properly prepare for colder temperatures and adverse driving conditions.
Here are some tips from truck tire manufacturers.
- Inspect. Give tires a thorough going over, looking for any signs of damage, such as uneven wear, punctures, cuts, cracks, bulges, splits, etc.
- Tread depth. For winter weather driving, the more tread depth the better. A best practice is to exceed the minimum tread depth standards. Have at least 4/32” tread depth in every major groove on front tires and 2/32” on other tires.
If any tires are close to these limits or are beneath it, consider replacing them.
- Air pressure. Regardless of the weather, maintaining proper air pressure is critical for getting the most performance out of a tire.
Tire air pressure should be checked regularly during the winter weather season because tire pressure decreases by about 1 to 2 lbs for every 10 degrees F drop in air temperature.
- Inflation. The importance of having correctly inflated tires in good condition cannot be overemphasized.
Underinflation – the leading cause of tire failure – creates excessive stress on the tire because of increased deflection of the sidewalls, which results in erratic wear. The effect of the over-flexing and the generation of too much heat will cause carcass fatigue and deterioration.
Overinflation causes a tire to be stiff and unyielding, making it more susceptible to damage in the form of shocks and rapid, uneven tread wear.
- “Cold” tires. Tire air pressure always be checked when tires are cold – meaning they are not hot from driving, using a reliable pressure gauge.
