Tire Care

Today I want to cover proper tire care. First, you need to make sure that you have good quality tires, if not, get some :) Protect the rubber from sunlight by covering your tires with wheel covers when you plan to stay somewhre more than a couple of days. When you sit in one place for a while you need to make sure you check your tire pressure with an accurate guage and reinflate them to proper manufacturer recommended pressure. I keep 80 pounds of pressure in my tires. I also have a small portable air compressor (not the kind that plugs into the cigarette lighter - they are a waste of time and money) the one I have is heavy duty enough to fill to these pressure levels. Once I am satisfied that I have the proper air pressure in each tire, I visually inspect the tires for any bubbles, nails or unusual tread wear. Once on the road, I do a walk around at each stop and visually inspect each tire. Some folks use a spot meter temperature indicator to check for excess heat. If a tire is producing excess heat it is not properly inflated and or is failing. Make sure you rotate the tires on your truck according to manufacturer recommendations and also make sure your front end is properly aligned. Also, make sure your lug nuts are torqued to the proper torque. Take care of your tires and they will take care of you by getting you to your destination safe and sound. Tomorrow I talk about the shower stall.