Among all of your Nissan’s individual components, your tires are some of the most important. Good tires help improve your gas mileage, traction, and the quality of your ride. Since good tires have so many benefits, it’s important to know when to replace your current tires. If you know what to look for, it will be fairly easy to determine when it’s time to head to the tire store.
Tread Depth Test
The most objective way to determine whether or not you need new tires is to perform a tread depth test. The good news is that you don’t need any expensive equipment to perform this test. In fact, all you need is a penny. Place the penny upside-down into one of the tread grooves on your tire. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, then it’s time to replace your tires. If you can’t, then you likely have some life left in your tires.
Look for Worn Areas
If your tires are out of balance, you may need to replace your tires with new Nissan tires before the tire fails a tread depth test. That’s because certain areas on your tire can become worn out while others still stand strong. Even small areas of excessive wear can greatly reduce your grip, though, so it’s important to have your tires replaced as soon as you can. To prevent this condition in the future, it’s important to have your new tires balanced when you have them installed.
Increased Noise
As tires roll along the road, they make noise. If your tires have good tread depth, this noise will be manageable to the point that you won’t really notice it in the vehicle cabin. However, if you notice the road noise increasing when you’re driving, it could mean that your tires need to be replaced. As the tread wears down, more of the tire’s surface touches the road, resulting in the increased noise levels you experience in the vehicle cabin.
Less Traction
If you find that it’s more difficult to accelerate on wet roads without spinning your tires, then it’s likely that your tires need to be replaced. Although quick acceleration on a wet road can cause even the best tires to spin, this condition will become much more pronounced when the tread on your tires wears down and makes your tires unable to shed water properly. In addition to problems during acceleration, this condition can lead to a loss of control if you have to apply the brakes suddenly.
When you purchase new tires for your vehicle, it’s important to get the best tires that you can afford. While less-expensive tires may save you money in the short-term, they won’t provide the long life and good ride quality that more expensive tires offer. Since properly balanced tires can last for many years, it makes sense to invest in the best on the rare occasion that your tires do need to be replaced.