What It Is?
Tire pressure is the amount of air in your tires and is measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). A pressure gauge is used to measure each tire’s PSI. It is strongly recommended that car owners check their tire pressure once a month, especially with the cooler weather approaching.
Why Check Pressure?
Did you know for every 10 degree Fahrenheit change in air temperature, the pressure in the car tire will change by one pound per square inch? The pressure can drop dramatically with sudden temperature drops. Correctly pressurized tires are essential to safely operating your car. A car’s ability to maneuver properly, such as turning and braking steadiness, is reliant on the tires having the right amount of air in them. Tires with inappropriate tire pressure can also cause traffic accidents due to complete tire failure. Another bad side effect of neglecting to check your tire pressure is shorter wear life of your tires and a decline in fuel efficiency.
Unchecked Tires
If tire pressure is not checked with a pressure gauge your tires can have either too much or too little air in them. While both situations are less than ideal, they lead to different consequences. Tires with PSI higher than is appropriate will make less contact with the ground. When your tires aren’t able to make sturdy, consistent contact with the road you will have less traction. This can lead to unreliable braking distances and very bumpy rides.
Low tire pressure leads to more of your tires touching the road. More contact means more traction and friction. As the amount of friction created between your tires and the ground increases, the likelihood of overheating your tires also grows. Tires will wear down dramatically sooner and the chances of tread separation sky-rocket.
Finding Recommended Tire Pressure Level
The maximum allowable tire pressure listed on the tires you purchase is not necessarily the recommended PSI for use on your particular vehicle. To be certain your tires have the correct amount of air in them, refer to the manufacturer recommendations located in your owner’s manual. More often than not, the maximum allowable tire pressure statistics found on tires are slightly higher than what is recommended by vehicle manufacturers.
The correct pressure gauge is also important. The popular and inexpensive pen shaped tire gauges can give inaccurate readings based on how small and simple the small tool is. Car owners should invest in the more reliable and easier to read digital or analog dial pressure gauge tools. The process of checking tire PSI is simple and anyone who can operate a vehicle is capable of accomplishing a tire pressure check. However, if you are unsure or uncomfortable with your results consult a mechanic.
Where To Go
Discount Tire
Visit your local Discount Tire for a complimentary air check. Just look for the "free air check" sign and a staff member will be happy to check your air pressure and also inspect your tires at no charge, regardless of where you bought your tires. For more information click here.
Firestone Complete Auto Care
Across the U.S. more than 1,700 Firestone Complete Auto Care stores offer tire repair services including:
- Tire check and inspection
- Flat tire repair
- Tire rotation
- Tire mounting
- Tire balancing
- Wheel Alignment
freeairpump.com
freeairpump.com provides a map of different places that provide free air services for tires closest to your location. You can submit your location and "find free air near you!''
For more information click here.
Yelp
You can even search ''free air'' near houston and would be surprised to see all the results. There's over 10 pages of different locations around the Houston area that provide free air services. For more information click here.
*Image courtesy of
https://www.misawa.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2001753420/mediaid/1953755/
