Your car tires are the only part of your car in contact with the surface. These four relatively narrow pieces of rubber support the weight of your car and allow you to move. For your safety, and that of your passengers and other drivers, it’s vital that your tires are always in good condition. Tires can age, and surface conditions can cause wear and tear. When you need new tires, your Chevy dealer can help you with the best tires for your make and model. 
Do You Need New Tires From Your Chevy Dealer?
Lincoln Penny Test
This classic test gives a good indication of the condition of the tread on your tires. Every tire has tread, and these raised sections allow your tires to get a firm grip on the surface. Over time, your tire tread will wear down as the tread is abraded by surface conditions. The thinner your tread becomes, the more difficult it is for your tires to grip the surface. The penny test indicates the depth of your tread.
Take a Lincoln penny, then turn it upside down and place it in the thinnest part of your tread. If you can see only part of Lincoln’s face, your tread is safe. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, your tread is less than 2/32″, and the tread is very thin. For safety, any tires with a tread that thin should be replaced ASAP.
Bulges in the Sidewall
Your tires are made from a center steel band with thick nylon supporting bands running vertically through the tread. These bands are then covered in thick rubber and vulcanized to produce a tire. The sidewalls of the tire are the sections of the tire that face outwards. These sections of your tires are made from thinner rubber, as they don’t need the reinforcing the tread sections do.
This thin rubber of the sidewall can be a problem if they suffer damage. Contact of the sidewall with the curb can pinch the rubber, and this can lead to a bulge forming on the sidewall. A sidewall bulge is dangerous, as it becomes a weakness in the tire. The bulge can give way and cause your tire to blow out. If this happens when you’re traveling at speed, it can lead to a serious accident.
Driving on a Donut
Your spare tire, or donut, is not recommended for long-term use. It’s intended to allow you to get to a dealer and fit a regular replacement tire. There’s an old saying that a donut is good for 50 or 50. This means the donut should be used for driving for 50 miles or 50 minutes. Donuts tend to be smaller than your regular tires, and they are made from lower-quality rubber.
Don’t trust your long-term safety to a donut, it will let you down. It’s important to replace the donut as soon as you can.
If your tires are showing signs of wear, call us ASAP at Bommarito Chevrolet South County.
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