By know you know the
old trick of putting a penny in the treads of your tires to see if you can
still see the top of Lincoln’s
head. If some of Abe’s head is covered,
you more or less have healthy tires. If
not… Mr. Lincoln will be very disappointed in you.
It’s not a perfect
test, and you really need to check all around the tires to be sure there isn’t
uneven wear, bulges, or cracks. But,
it’s a good place to start.
Here are some other
things to consider: How exposed to the
elements are your tires? Places with
extreme swings in temperatures and harsh weather conditions can shorten the
life of a tire. So can having tires
exposed to the sun and air for long periods of time. If possible, park in a covered area during
the day to extend life.
Also, be sure to pick
fresh tires. All tires are stamped with
a production date so that you know
how old the tires are before you buy them.
By law, tires have to be clearly marked… unfortunately, the law didn’t
say anything about the markings being understandable. You may see a code that says something like “LMLR5107.” Focus on those last numbers and you’ll see
that the tire was manufactured on the 51st week of 2007. “PQRR313”
would suggest it was made in January of 2013.
That date is pretty
important because after 7 to 10 years, the rubber just isn’t as good as it used
to be. If your “new” tires are already 3
or 4 years old, you may not get the 6 years/60,000 miles you were expecting.
Proper inflation, stay
away from rusty nails, see how Lincoln’s
head is doing once in a while… and you should have safe tires for your nextjourney.
