How to Prolong the Life of Your Truck Tires
No matter what type of vehicle you drive, tires are among the most important components on your vehicle and are among the most costly to replace. How can you make sure that you get maximum life out of your Hino truck tires?
Maintain Correct Tire Pressure
Perhaps the most effective way for Hino drivers to directly impact their tires’ life is by ensuring correct tire pressure is maintained. Tire pressure is fast and easy for drivers to check, using a digital or analog tire pressure gauge that can be obtained at any major hardware or auto parts store.
When it comes to tire pressure, there’s a sweet spot. Add too much air and over-inflation will cause excess wear in the centre of the tread; decreasing the usable life of the tire. If you don’t add enough, under-inflation can cause excessive weight to be borne by the shoulders, or outer edges, of the tire, resulting in uneven wear and a drastic reduction in tire treadlife. Low pressure also causes excessive sidewall deflection, increasing the risk of tires being split or ruptured.
To help prevent problems, be sure to check the tire pressure indicated on the VIN plate located on the driver’s door pillar to ensure that you are inflating your Hino tires to the correct tire pressure. And remember, even with undamaged rims and sound valves, air still leaks slowly from sidewalls, especially during high operating temperatures, so check tire pressure frequently.
Misalignment: the Hidden Enemy
Wheel alignment is one of the most overlooked services on vehicles. It could be because many drivers believe an alignment is only needed once their vehicle starts pulling to the left or right, but that’s a myth. Even a slight misalignment can have a great impact on your Hino’s tire wear, your truck’s performance, and your driver! Misaligned wheels can contribute to:
- Premature tire wear
- Poor handling
- Reduced fuel economy
- Driver fatigue
With the rough roads left after the harsh Canadian winter, spring is the perfect time to have your Hino’s alignment inspected and to have a 4-wheel alignment performed, if required. Somerville Hino has the most powerful wheel alignment equipment available on the market today, allowing us to perform inspections and adjustments to the key alignment parameters with a level of precision and accuracy that was previously impossible.
Talk to one of our Somerville Hino Service experts today to make your appointment or to find out more about how a wheel alignment can improve your drive.
