With the proper knowledge of tire aging, tire wear patterns, and tire life, you can easily find out when to replace, or buy new set of tires. This should also give you a sense of just how much budget you need to allot for new sets of tires. There is no shortcut to estimating tire life expectancy of tires, however. Fortunately enough there are some common indicators and sings that clearly indicate: “buddy, it’s time to go for new ones.”

Tire Ratings

To get an exact idea of how your tires wear and age, it is compulsory to know the basic reasons responsible for damaging tires. Tires are nothing but compressed rubber which is based on three types of ratings. They are: traction, tread wear, and temperature.

Temperature ratings are distributed in three grades: ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’. The last in the series, ‘C’ dictates it is minimum allowable for non-commercial vehicles. Each rating in the series is related to a specific temperature count, that the tire is to dissipate heat when it is loaded with a certain weight. ‘C’ rated tires are in the lower temperature category, in comparison to ‘A’ rated ones. When a vehicle is heavily loaded, this becomes an apparent reality.

A three-digit number indicates a tire’s tread wear ratings and helps to predict the lifetime. A tire that comes with a rating score of 100 is indicative of something STANDARD. Meaning, the life expectancy is same to that you can expect from a normal tire. On the other hand, a 150 rating means the tire will work fine for one and half years more than that is of the standard one.

Worldwide traction rating indicators are: ‘AA’, ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’. Wherein ‘AA’ is the highest rating a tire can have, and ‘C’ is the lowest. Such ratings are so crucial, as they dictate how your tires will perform on a dilapidated road or other adverse conditions; also, how long will it take for it to stop moving. Therefore, ‘C’ rated ones are the marginal.

Tip: When looking for tires, never go for anything that is lower than any of the ratings recommended for your vehicle.

How Many Months Will They Last?

Knowing all ins and outs of tire ratings are only the beginning of a long journey which culminates into success only when you have some precise ideas about tire expectancy. Generally, a tuck, light truck, or car owner can expect a durability of in between 30000 to 80000 miles. This is however dependent on the driver, the manufacturer, conditions of the roads, heat, and covered distance. Thus, it is not possible to have an exact idea when it comes to predicting how long your tires are going to last.

When To Replace Your Tires?

You can however easily notice when to replace the tires. The first indicator is the tread wear bar. This is a kind of small bar that spans the distances between treads. As soon as the bar is even or exposed, you must consider replacing the old tires. In the absence of a tread wear bar you can use a penny to check the depth instantly. A depth less than the head of ‘Abe Lincoln’ apparently points out that it is high time you replace your tires.

Some other determiners are inconsistent wear on any of the sides, which means: your tires are crying to be rotated, and your shocks and alignment also need to be checked. If your tires wear down significantly, it may cause various issues. Since tires don’t wear out in an evenly manner, you had better rotate them regularly. Under or over inflation also causes your tires to wear unevenly.

How To Extend Tire Life?

The first rule to extend tire life is rotating them as soon as you have covered any distance between 4000 to 10000 miles. However, it mostly depends on the tire and the manufacturer of your vehicle. So, the standard practice is having a look at your vehicle service manual to have some ideas on when to rotate the tires.

Moreover, rear and front tires wear out at a varying rate. So you should inspect them separately and do everything in order to extend their longevity. Always be sure to have a look at tire pressure on a regular basis to ensure that the tires are appropriately inflated and the recommended PSI level is maintained. Following this will enhance your safety and MPG.