Whether you just purchased new tires from a Utah auto repair shop or even if you’ve had them for a while, we all want to avoid damaging our tires. We especially want to avoid the trouble that comes with getting a flat tire. This article will outline some tips to help you prevent a flat.

Before looking for way to avoid a flat though, make sure you are prepared for a flat if one happens.  Don’t forget to check your spare tire for proper pressure and condition.  Make sure you have a jack and lug nut wrench in your trunk as well.

The first tip to avoiding a flat is to periodically check the tread depth of your tires.  This can be done just by looking at it. A trick you can use to make sure you have enough tread left is to place a penny upside down in the tread. You should have enough tread left so that it reaches from the top of the penny to the top of Lincoln’s head. Also, don’t forget to rotate your tires so that the tread wears evenly on all the tires and not just in one spot.  Many Utah auto repair shops will rotate your tires free of charge if you purchased them there.

An issue that many people don’t know about is tire rot.  This is especially important on old tires (usually not driven a lot of miles).  Look for small cracks on the sidewalls of your tires.

Besides improving gas mileage, proper tire pressure will keep your tires lasting longer. All vehicles built since 2007 have built in pressure monitoring systems to alert the driver of low tire pressure.  There are some aftermarket tire pressure monitoring kits available for older vehicles.  Under-inflated tires will stress the sidewalls.  This stress also increases the amount of dry rot.

The next item you should check are the valve stems.  Like the tire, valve stems can have dry rot and fail.  Your Utah auto repair shop can replace a valve stem in about 10 minutes.

Next on the list is to avoid bad areas.  This is an obvious one, but important enough that it should be included.  Look out for pot holes, sharp rocks, construction sites etc.
These tips are simple and inexpensive. But, when you follow them you will really decrease your chance of being the next unlucky person on the side of the road struggling to change a flat tire.