In our first Best Way To Ruin a Tire article we discussed improper tire repairs. Today let’s discuss improper tire inflation.

Tires that are improperly inflated WILL fail, given enough time. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

Tires are simply vessels to hold air, even though they are also incredibly engineered and complicated units with many components. Nevertheless, the best made tire can be ruined in a matter of days – sometimes even hours – if they don’t carry the proper amount of air for the load they are designed to hold.

Truckers and other motorists must check the air pressure in their tires on a regular basis and they should use a calibrated gauge to do this.

Tires are masochists and will allow you to severely punish them by driving with the wrong amount of air, but eventually they tire (no pun intended) of being abused and they will show you who’s the boss by failing – most often in the middle of nowhere on a cold, rainy night at 3 AM. When they do, you will wonder why you didn’t take better care of them when you had the chance.

Don’t let this happen to you.

Get in the habit of checking your tires on a regular basis. If you are a trucker this should be at least once weekly, and more often if you can. If you drive a four-wheeler you should check your tires at least once monthly.

Here is an important fact: don’t ever think you can tell how much air is in your tires by thumping them. If you think you can tell by thumping a tire, you might as well thump the hood of your vehicle to determine if the engine needs oil.

Properly inflated tires also will help you to reduce the amount of fuel needed to move your vehicle. Underinflated tires increase the drag on your vehicle, making your engine work harder, which requires more fuel. Your tires will also be more retreadable if they are maintained with proper air pressure during their first life. This can add dollars to your bottom line.

Let’s summarize. The three most important words to remember when it comes to properly caring for your tires are inflation, inflation and inflation.