Learn everything you need to prepare your car for the hot summer months. For the most comfortable drive and the ultimate vehicle summer prep, we’ll cover summer tire maintenance, tire care tips, and how to choose the tires that will complement the driving aspects of your vehicle.
The importance of tire care from winter to summer
Winter might have ice, freezing temperatures, and heavy snow. But summer has its collection of obstacles: extreme heat, humidity fluctuations, and wet roads. Some regions will do well with one set of tires year-round—for example, Arizona, Louisiana, and Georgia.
However, states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota which experience a wide range of weather conditions need to use winter tires during the winter and all-season tires or summer performance tires during the other months. It’s imperative to care for tires year-round to lengthen their lifespan and maintain road safety.
Summer tire care tips
- Check on tire tread depth occasionally to ensure enough depth to give your vehicle traction on the road, especially when wet, as the water uses the grooves to move away from the tire.
- Be aware of the tires’ age and condition, especially if they came with a second-hand vehicle or you weren’t the one to purchase them. Get to know your tires so you know when they need care and when to replace them.
- To check the age of the tire, look at the DOT numbers on the tire. There will be a set of four numbers. The first two numbers are the week and the second two numbers are the year the tire was manufactured.
- Occasionally check the integrity of the tire sidewalls. Look for bumps, punctures, and lodged debris. These things can ruin a tire if left unchecked and result in an unsafe drive.
- Stay on top of tire pressure in the summer. The hot air will expand the air molecules within the tire and add stress to the rubber. An over-inflated tire doesn’t have as much surface area with the ground and it doesn’t have as much give to mold around bumps and debris on the road.
- Summer roads themselves are hot to the touch. Your tires are not exempt from this circumstance. Hot roads can wear on the tires faster, especially if you aren’t equipped with thoughtfully engineered summer performance tires. Ideally, park your car in a garage or the shade and check tread depth consistently.
Summer tire maintenance
As with all seasons, there are tire care tips to maintain safety, longevity, and fuel savings. Follow these tips for the ultimate vehicle summer prep.
- Rotate and balance your tires regularly. Pair it with your oil changes to keep your vehicle healthy. This ensures the weight and wear of driving are evenly distributed among the performance tires.
- Choose the right tires. Not just any tire. Use our Tire Finder option at the top of each Sailun webpage to find the tire that will fit your vehicle and driving habits perfectly.
How to properly inflate tires
Before inflating the tires, find the correct inflation level. This is usually found in the driver’s-side door jamb or the owner’s manual. Note that the front and rear tires normally have different recommended tire pressure levels. The number you find is the recommended pressure of a cold tire. So check the tire pressure when they’ve been sitting still for a while and inflate them at this time. Find and remove the valve stem on the tire. Connect an air pressure gauge and see where the tire pressure is before starting.
At a gas station
Park your vehicle close to the air dispenser found at gas stations. Remove the valve stem from your tires one at a time and keep them somewhere safe. Use the hose and affix it to the same stem from which you removed the cap. Add air if the pressure is low. Do little bits at a time so you don’t end up overinflating the tire. Check the tire pressure again and repeat until you’ve reached the desired number. Replace the valve stem cap.
At home or on the go
Start on a level surface so there isn’t extra pressure on one tire more than another. Remove the valve stem from your tires one at a time and keep them somewhere safe. Use an air compressor and affix it to the same stem from which you removed the cap. Add air if the pressure is low. Do little bits at a time so you don’t end up overinflating the tire. Check the tire pressure again and repeat until you’ve reached the desired number. Replace the valve stem cap.
Own vehicle summer prep with performance tires
Make this summer the best one yet with epic adventures, long road trips, and off-roading expeditions with friends. Get a set of performance tires from Sailun to start strong and use these summer tire maintenance tips to keep the tires healthy and reliable. Shop here.