Your vehicle's tires are the component on your car that receive the greatest amount of general wear and tear, simply because they are also the only component that are actually in contact with the road while you are driving. Over time, this wear and tear can cause structural damage to your tires, which can negatively affect the performance of your vehicle and make a flat tire – or even a collision – a more likely possibility by reducing the amount of control that you have over your vehicle in motion. Fortunately, there are a couple of early warning signs that you should watch out for to determine when you should replace your vehicle's tires.

Tread Wear

The most obvious sign that your tires may need to be replaced is if the treads on the tires have experienced excessive wear. You can tell if your treads have been worn away if you can see the wear bars – which are plastic bars in the treads of your tires that run perpendicular to the tread – have become level with your tire tread. At this point, your tires are becoming extremely thin, which makes the risk of a blowout or a flat more likely through normal use.

Air Pressure and Punctures

You should check your tire's air pressure at least once a month to ensure that it is within the recommended range (which is printed on the sidewall of your tires if you are unsure). If you find yourself constantly refilling your tires due to low air pressure, or if you've experienced multiple punctures recently that have been patched up or repaired, you may want to consider replacing your tires.  Chronic leaks and a history of repairs can both point to the degradation of the structural integrity of your tire, allowing air to escape constantly even if you can't see a physical crack in the surface of your tire.

Vibrations

Finally, another warning sign associated with tires that are overdue for replacement is if you notice that there is excessive vibration or wobbling while you drive. This is most often attributed to poor alignment of your tires, which can develop into uneven wear that can produce vibrations or a rumbling sensation while driving. This is more than a minor annoyance: such vibrations are also indicative of worse traction, which means that your vehicle could be at risk of slipping or skidding while turning or driving normally. 

Contact a business like Powers Transmission Centers for more information.