Proper tire care and safety is simple and easy. The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) recommends taking five minutes every month and before every long trip to check your tires, including the spare.

Just remember to...

Play Your PART:
Pressure
Alignment
Rotation
Tread
 

Download the brochure (PDF):
"Be Tire Smart - Play Your Part"

Pressure

Maintaining correct tire pressure is the most important factor in reducing tire wear. Under inflation results in unnecessary tire stress, irregular wear, loss of control and accidents. Industry experts agree that under inflation causes most drivers to lose from 10% to as much as 50% of tire tread life. It is a fact that tires lose pressure each day, through the process of permeation. In cool weather, a tire will typically lose one or two pounds of air per month. In warm weather, it's common for tires to lose air at an even higher rate. Check your tire pressure monthly or drop by one of our stores to have your tire pressure checked.

Alignment

Alignment is one of the key maintenance factors in getting the most wear and performance from your tires. In addition, wheel alignment provides safe, predictable vehicle control as well as a smooth and comfortable ride that's free of pulling or vibration. Under normal driving conditions your vehicle's alignment should be checked once a year. It should always be checked when you purchase tires, or experience tire or rim damage due to impact with an object such as a curb or pothole. Learn more...

Rotation

Rotating your vehicles tires periodically is an essential part of tire maintenance. The main purpose of regularly rotating tires is to help achieve more uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. However, tires should be rotated earlier if irregular or uneven wear develops. Keep in mind that a hard impact such as hitting a pothole can cause misalignment. Misalignment is one of the most common causes of uneven and irregular tire wear. Irregular or uneven wear may also be an indication of a mechanical problem. If you notice unusual tire wear stop by your local Gateway Tire for an alignment inspection.

Tread

Advanced and unusual wear can reduce the ability of tread to grip the road in adverse conditions. Visually check your tires for uneven wear, looking for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Also check for signs of damage. If your uncertain what to look for or need assistance, drop by one of our stores for a free tire inspection.

Tire
Maintenance

Tire Repair

Today literally all-global tire manufacturers advocate repair of their tires, although tire repair procedures may be different from one tire manufacturer to another. Repairing a tire saves consumers and businesses considerable money vs. having to purchase a new tire. To ensure our customers safety and to maintain the quality of repair, we repair tires as follows:

Safety First!

We first inspect the tire and the injury to determine if it can be repaired. In most cases, injuries to the tread area of a tire can be repaired. In most cases, injuries close to the edge of the tread area or in the sidewall can not be repaired. Tires that have severe wear, internal sidewall damage or less than 2/32's of tread depth can not be repaired. Our policy regarding repairs is simple, if we would not repair the tire and put it on our car, we won't put it on yours!

Dismount

We demount the tire from the wheel and inspect it for damage or unsafe conditions, which might make the tire non-repairable.

Remove Object

We remove the object that caused the damage, then drill or ream out the injury to remove all damage to the tire.

Select Correct Patch

Based on the size of the injury, we select the proper type of patch for the repair. We patch flats from the inside, we DO NOT PLUG tire injuries. Typically, a "nail hole" injury is any injury 1/4" (6mm) or smaller in passenger tires. Injuries larger than 1/4" (6mm) are considered to be "section repairs" on passenger tires. Injuries larger than 3/8" (9mm) are considered section repairs on light truck and truck tires.

Complete Repair, check for leaks, remount

We repair the tire, remount it, and check the repair to ensure a proper seal has been made before remounting the tire on the vehicle.

Tire Rotation

Rotating your vehicles tires periodically is an essential part of tire maintenance. The main purpose of regularly rotating tires is to help achieve more uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. As a general rule, tires at least every 6,000 miles and follow one of the patterns suggested below:

However, tires should be rotated earlier if irregular or uneven wear develops. Keep in mind that a hard impact such as hitting a pothole can cause misalignment. Misalignment is one of the most common causes of uneven and irregular tire wear. Irregular or uneven wear may also be an indication of a mechanical problem. If you notice unusual tire wear stop by your local Gateway Tire for an alignment inspection.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

What is TPMS?

TPMS, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, is an electronic system that alerts you with a dashboard indicator light when your car's tire pressure falls to the point of needing inflation. Why do cars have TPMS? To help drivers recognize the importance of tire pressure safety and maintenance, Congress passed the TREAD act, which requires most vehicles made in 2006-07 and ALL made thereafter to be TPMS equipped.

How does TPMS work?

There are two different types of systems being used today: Direct TPMS and Indirect TPMS. Direct TPMS uses a sensor that's mounted in the wheel and measures air pressure in each tire. When air pressure drops 25% below the manufacturer's recommended level, the sensor transmits that information to your car's computer system and triggers your dashboard indicator light. Indirect TPMS works with your car's Antilock Braking System's (ABS) wheel speed sensors. If a tire's pressure is low it will roll at a different wheel speed than the other tires. This information is detected by your car's computer system, which triggers the dashboard indicator light.

What are the benefits of TPMS?

TPMS notifies you when your vehicle's tire pressure is low or is going flat. By helping you maintain proper tire pressure, TPMS can increase your safety on the road by improving your vehicle's handling, decreasing tire wear, reducing braking distance and bettering fuel economy.

Is my vehicle equipped with TPMS?

Your vehicle has TPMS if the "low tire pressure" warning light appears on your dash when the key is turned to the "on" position.

What should I do if my warning indicator comes on?

Check the air pressure in your tires and inflate any tire that is low according to the manufacturer's recommendation. When the tire is at the appropriate pressure, the indicator light should go off. If necessary, replace the tire with your spare tire and see your Tires Plus Total Car Care store for needed repairs or replacement. They'll check your vehicle's tire pressure and perform a systems test on all of your tire sensors to diagnose the problem. Once our technicians address your vehicle's tire needs, they'll then suggest the proper maintenance to get you back on the road.

Why Does Tire Maintenance With Direct TPMS Cost More?

Direct TPMS equipped tires cost slightly more to maintain than non-equipped tires because proper care requires extra parts and labor. The valve service kit, which includes the valve core, cap, nut and o-ring (seal), must always be replaced when a tire is dismounted for service or replacement. A special TPMS tool and additional time are also needed to check and reset the sensor system.

Alignment

On this vehicle, the front wheels are not aligned to the rear thrust line. This can happen from normal wear and stress, whether your vehicle has adjustable or non-adjustable rear suspension. To steer straight ahead, you would have to steer the front wheels slightly to the right. A common result would be that the vehicle would "dog track" and possibly "pull" to the side. In this illustration, the angles are exaggerated so you can more easily see the condition. But it takes only a small misalignment to create problems.

What are the benefits of a properly aligned vehicle?

Reduced Tire Wear

Improper alignment is a major cause of premature tire wear. Over the years, a properly aligned vehicle can add thousands of miles to tire life.

Better Gas Mileage

Gas mileage increases as rolling resistance decreases. Total alignment sets all four wheel parallel which, along with proper inflation, minimizes rolling resistance.

Improved Handling

Does your car pull to one side? Does the steering wheel vibrate? Do you constantly have to move the steering wheel to keep your car traveling straight ahead? Many handling problems can be corrected by total alignment. With all the system components aligned properly, road shock is more efficiently absorbed for a smoother ride.

Safer Driving

A suspension system inspection is part of our alignment procedure. Inspecting your vehicles suspension allows us to spot worn parts before they cause a safety concern or an expensive repair.

Wheel Alignment FAQs

How important is wheel alignment?

Think of it this way. Research indicates that the average car is driven about 12,000 miles per year. A car with toe alignment just 0.34 degrees (Just 0.17 inches) out of specification has dragged its tires sideways for more than 68 miles by the end of the year!

What are the "symptoms" of a car that's out of alignment?

Have your car checked if you notice: Excessive or uneven tire wear. Steering wheel pulls to the left or right. Feeling of looseness or wandering. Steering wheel vibration or shimmy. Steering wheel is not centered when car is moving straight ahead.

How often should I have my car aligned?

Follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation noted in your owner's manual. But, as a general rule, have your vehicle's tires checked every 10,000 miles or at least once a year.