5 Ways You Wreck Your Tires

Steer clear of these 5 tire-killing blunders and keep your wheels rolling smoothly

Posted January 21, 2023

We know you love your ride, but are you loving it back?

Listen.

You’ve invested your hard-earned cash in new tires for your vehicle. Awesome!

But — yes, there’s a BUT —you have to watch out for these 5 tire-killing mistakes.

1) Did you choose the wrong tires for your driving habits?

Tire maintenance love begins before you even buy your tires. And many people choose the wrong tires because they don’t admit how they like to drive.

Your daily driving habits make a huge difference to the life of your tires.

Your tires are designed to perform best under specific conditions and use.

Are you into off-roading? Racing? Are you driving mainly on gravel roads? Do you spend more time on the highway? Do you have to tackle snow, ice, or mud on a frequent basis?

And don’t forget — if you love speed, hard stops and sharp corners? Well, you need specific tires designed for you.

Why waste money on the wrong ones?

It’s easy. If you’re unsure which tires are right for you —your friendly professionals at Integra Tire will help you choose.

We just heard your sigh of relief.

2) Uh-oh. Do you have the wrong tires for your climate?

Wrong tires mixed with the wrong temperature? You’re in for trouble.

Using a tire that’s not suited for the climate you live in causes the tire to wear out faster. A summer tire in cold weather often causes the rubber to harden, which reduces traction (hello – fender bender!) and increases your risk of a blowout.

And using a winter tire in hot weather often causes the flexible rubber to heat up and wear faster.

You chew up more cash on every mile when you have the wrong tires on your vehicle. When you buy right the first time? Your tires give you years of performance.

So there.

3) You pay more at the gas pump than you need to.

We know you’re busy. You’ve got lots going on in your life. We get it.

But if you don’t get your tires regularly checked for wear, tread depth, and inflation? You’re taking chances with safety and long-term performance.

Worn down tires, or tires with uneven wear are more likely to fail – and don’t we all enjoy getting a flat on a long highway trip? No. No. We do not.

And if you’re just guessing and under or over inflating your tires? It can reduce fuel efficiency. Yes —you read that right.

Why pay more at the pumps because you didn’t keep your tires pumped properly?

To check for wear: you should visually inspect your tires for any signs of uneven wear, such as bald spots or cupping.

To check for inflation: use a tire pressure gauge to check the air pressure in your tires and compare it to the recommended pressure found in the vehicle’s manual or on the sidewall of the tire.

Remember to check the tire pressure when tires are cold, and regularly, as a difference of just a few psi can have a dramatic impact on your vehicle’s performance and safety.

Trust your friendly professionals at Integra Tire to help you check your tire wear, tread depth, and inflation to ensure your vehicle performs its best.

We want to keep you safe on the road, and prevent premature wear and damage to the tire. And we really want to save you money at the gas pump too.

Yes. We’re nice like that.

4) Do you avoid tire rotating, balancing, and alignments?

Back to your busy life. We know this tire stuff sounds boring and you hate taking the time to get it done: regular tire rotations, balancing, and alignments.

But you’ll hate having to pay for another set of tires, much more. And it doesn’t take as long as you might think.

Tire rotation, balancing and alignments should be done every 10,000 km. They extend the life of your tires and improve the performance of your vehicle.

Rotations involve moving the tires from one position on the vehicle to another to ensure even wear.

Balancing your tires ensures even weight distribution to reduce vibrations and improve handling. Have you ever experienced that weird shaky feeling in the steering wheel? You guessed it —your balancing was probably off.

Alignments ensure wheels are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the road for better handling and fuel efficiency. Yes – we’re math nerds at Integra Tire.

Regular tire rotations, balancing, and alignments ensure even wear and distribution of weight across all tires, preventing any single tire from taking most of the road’s wear and tear. Which saves you money. We know you like the sound of that!

Trust the professionals at Integra Tire to help you with regular rotations, balancing, and alignments to ensure your vehicle performs optimally and your tires last longer.

Affordable maintenance saves you money in the long run.

It’s a good thing.

5) Do you hit potholes, curbs, and other hazards?

Okay, we’ve all done it.

We under-estimated the size of the pothole. We hit the curb when we took a tight turn. We sloshed our Tim’s coffee all over our pants. We weren’t happy about it!

Potholes and curbs can quickly cause damage to your tires, and punctures, cuts, or bulges can result in costly repairs or replacements.

Hitting a pothole or curb at high speeds can cause your vehicle’s wheels to become misaligned, which can further damage your tires. So, if this has happened to you? Contact your Integra Tire dealer so they can take a look at it.

You know the driver-training drill.

It’s important to stay alert while driving and to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you so that you have time to react and to also avoid any hazards on the road. Try to steer clear of potholes, curbs and any other strange objects (deer/moose/steel pole flying off a truck), and if that’s not possible, slow down and be prepared for the impact.

Certain times of the year and situations are more likely to bring hazards. Potholes are more likely to form during the winter and spring months, when the weather is cold and wet. If you live near or travel near high-construction areas, you may be more likely to encounter hazards such as nails and other debris. (We know that sucks.)

**Did our 5 ways you wreck your tires list make you clench a little?**

The answer is easy. Give one of our friendly Integra Tire dealers a call.

Remember – don’t fret about your tires. Let your Integra Tire professional do the worrying.

They get it.

Their teenager just drove through an epic pothole last week.

Questions? Our Advisors are Happy to Help!

If you have questions about anything you've read in this resource page, contact your nearest dealer for more information. We are passionate in assisting our customers make the best choices to keep their vehicles in tip-top shape and keep their families safe.