Winter time can be tough on cars. As a caring car owner, you’re probably looking for ways on how to protect your car tires and wheels during this cold season. Combating the cold temperature, ice, and snow is not an easy thing to do but you need to take care of your tires and wheels so that you can cruise around town peacefully. Below are some tips on how to keep your tires and wheels safe.
Wash Often
Be sure to wash your car frequently and early in the morning so that it has time to dry. This will not only make your car and tires look clean but also enhance your vehicle’s performance.
Wax Your Wheels
Your tires are prone to road salt, dirt, and grime during winter. To help protect your wheels and prevent them from rusting and eroding, wax your wheels regularly. This will make it easier to wash any dirt and salt from your wheels as well.
Align Your Tires
Snow piles and other winter conditions can cause the alignment of your tires to get out of place. This will make your vehicle to lean or pull on one side, thus causing faster wearing out of your tires. In order to prevent this situation, make sure to have a professional mechanic align your car.
Stuck Solutions
One of the most common problems when driving during winter is having your car stuck in the snow. But don’t worry as there are some solutions. You may use floor mats, CDs, or anything with a stiff plastic edge such as expired credit card to provide traction for your vehicle. Make sure to use an old object as it is likely to break during this action. However, you’ll need to call a towing company if your car remains stuck after all your attempts.
Tire Pressure
The air pressure in your tires usually fluctuates a lot during winter. Driving with under-inflated or over-inflated tires can have dreadful consequences on your tires and wheels. The best way to prevent this is to keep a pressure gauge and check your tires’ pressure regularly. Local gas stations have air pumps as well or you may purchase a portable air pump that will allow you to add or remove air from your tires.
Other precautions that need to be taken care of are to keep your car in the garage at night, to avoid driving into heavy snow accumulations, to use the appropriate tires which were built for winter seasons, and to check if your brakes are working before taking the road.
