Tires 101: How To Make Tires Last Longer
Tires 101: How To Make Tires Last Longer
Posted on March 17, 2025
It’s that time of year for Ontarians… the snow is melting, the birds are chirping, and spring is slowly creeping up on winter.
Tire change season will soon be upon us! Besides swapping out seasonal tires, there are plenty of steps you can follow to ensure your tires stay healthy. Not only do healthy tires keep you safer on the road, but they also prevent premature tire replacement and save costs in the long run.
But how can you keep your tires healthy?
This blog has your answers! From checking your tire tread to knowing when to replace your tires, we’re here to teach you how to make your tires last longer.
Do you need new tires in Woodbine and the Greater Toronto Area? Check out our Tire Centre.
The Tire Basics
Firstly, let’s go over a few key components of tires: tire tread, tire pressure and tire alignment.
Tire Tread
The tire tread is the part of the tire that makes contact with the road surface. When you look at different tires, you’ll see many types of tread patterns available. These patterns, or grooves, enhance grip and handling for varying seasons and driving conditions. The grooves of the tire tread move water, mud and snow out of your tires as you drive.
The tire tread depth is also important for your tire health. As your tires wear down from regular use and friction, so does the tire tread pattern. This leads to smoother tires with less grip, traction, and handling abilities. Worn tires can increase your chances of collision, roadside accidents and aquaplaning.
Tire Pressure
What’s inside your tires? Air! Your tires have air pressure guidelines to ensure both the safety of those driving and the tires’ health. Low tire pressure can affect handling and braking distances, and lead to tire blowouts. Heat and friction from driving on the road will build up in the under-inflated tire and lead to structural damage.
Tires can deflate even more in cold weather. Continental Tires’ rule of thumb is that tire pressure drops 1 to 2 pounds per square inch (PSI) when the temperature decreases by 10°C.
Don't let this be you!
Read: Winter Tires in Toronto
Alignment
Tire alignment refers to your car’s suspension system and the angle of your tires when they drive on the road. When your tires are aligned, they have an increased lifespan, avoid uneven wear and tear, and provide a smoother driving experience.
However, if your tires are unaligned you may experience your car pulling in one direction, an off-center steering wheel, uneven tread wear and steering wheel vibration. But what can misalign your tires? Tires can become misaligned due to incorrect tire pressure, hitting potholes or curbs, rough driving conditions, or a worn suspension system.
Rotating your tires can also help prevent uneven tread wear.
How To Make Tires Last Longer
Now that we know a few of the tire basics, let’s learn how to make tires last longer.
Check Tire Tread Depth
As mentioned above, tire tread depth is important. The grooves and patterns on your tires wear down over time and with use, and if your tires are too worn down, you lose grip, traction and the ability to brake in time.
To check your tire tread depth, try the Nickel method!
- Turn your car off and ensure the emergency brake is on
- Insert the Canadian Nickel into a tire groove (insert the coin with Queen Elizabeth or King Charles’ crown facing down)
- If you can see the top of the crown, your tire is below 2/32” and needs to be replaced!
You can also use a tire tread gauge:
- Turn your car off and ensure the emergency brake is on
- Insert the depth gauge into the grooves of the tire
- Press down on the base plate of the gauge and mark down the reading
- Repeat this in several places on each tire to get an accurate reading
- The lowest reading you get for each tire is the right overall reading!
Tire tread gauges measure in 32nds of an inch. If you get a reading of 6/32” or deeper, you have great tire tread depth! If your reading is 3/32” - 4/32”, you should consider replacing your tires. But if your reading is 2/32” or below, you need an immediate tire replacement for your safety on the road.
Check Tire Pressure
Most passenger vehicles have air pressure guidelines between 28 and 36 PSI. Having the incorrect tire pressure can lead to tire blowouts, bumpy drives, and uneven tire wear.
So, we recommend checking your tire pressure every two to four weeks! It’s also important to check your tire pressure before a long road trip or hauling RVs and trailers. To get an accurate tire pressure reading, do so when the tires are cold. The best way to ensure cold tires is to get a reading early in the morning, indoors, or away from direct sunlight.
Learn how to check your tire pressure HERE.
Get A Tire Alignment
While you can check tire pressure and tread depth on your own, you’ll need to bring your vehicle in for a service appointment for a tire alignment. Our team can perform a tire rotation and alignment on your car and check for any other mechanical issues.
We pride ourselves on exceptional service. Our team guarantees experience with all makes and models, advanced diagnostic equipment, genuine parts, and great warranty coverage. Not only that, but we offer tire storage and have a wide selection of new tires from top tire brands!
Book an appointment for a tire alignment HERE.
Our Woodbine Nissan Tire Tread App
We take your tires seriously. Our team at Woodbine Nissan uses a tire tread app called TraXtion to check your vehicle’s tire health when you service with us.
How Does It Work?
- We measure tire tread depth on all your tires as you enter our service drive-thru
- The app shows any uneven tire wear and tear and can recommend tire alignments based on its readings
- It can also show-stopping and braking distance of your vehicle and can recommend new tires based on these results
Our Service Centre is here to help you, whether you need a regular maintenance appointment or heavy-duty repairs.
Take Care Of Your Tires With Woodbine Nissan
Whether you need a car check-up or brand-new tires, we’re your local tire experts! Our Service Centre can examine your tires with our advanced diagnostics, provide tire alignments and rotations, and recommend new tires, if needed, for your make and model.
If you have any questions about your tire health, chat with our team here.