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Tread wear isn’t the only tipoff that you might need a set of tires. Here are some other things to look for:

Cracks in the sidewall: This isn’t something that happens as often with newer tires and modern tread formulations, but it’s still something to watch out for. Exposure to the sun’s UV rays or ozone from electrical fields can result in cracks and drying-out of the sidewalls, which can mean real trouble and eventual tire failure.

Bulges in the sidewall: This one means real trouble. Think of a bulge as being like an aneurysm in a blood vessel – there’s a weak spot in your sidewall material that’s allowing the tire pressure to cause it to puff out. Obviously, that weak spot is going to give way completely, and it probably won’t take long to happen. Get that tire replaced!

Age: You may not know it, but tires have a “sell-by” date. It’s generally accepted in the industry that six years is the outside limit for age of tires, whether it’s the spare or the tires on the ground. If you’re thinking about buying a six-year-old car with low, low miles but still the original tires, you might want to have them replaced soon.

Noise, vibration and roughness: As tires wear down, their shallower tread surface will mean more noise and a rougher ride. It’s the vibration you need to watch out for, though. Sometimes it can be a vibration in a certain speed range, or only at highway speed, or all the way from 0 mph on up. What it means is that a tire is going out-of-round, often due to an internal failure like belt separation or separation of other layers internally. If wheel balancing doesn’t correct the vibration, you may have a tire that’s going to fail soon.

Don’t take chances with your tires – that means taking chances with your safety. If you think you’ve got a tire that’s on the verge of failure, give us a call and make an appointment at RoadMart Tire today – don’t put it off!