It can be challenging to know when to replace tires, but you want to make sure that you swap them out when necessary. After all, you don’t want your tire to give out on you during your commute and make you late. Or worse, you don’t want it to blow out or not have enough tread, causing an accident. The good news for you is that Jiffy Lube offers a range of tire services, including tire replacement. Our team can confirm that your tires need replacing and take care of everything for you.
Avoid Having an Odd Tire
If you do have to replace a tire, do your best to get one that matches your other tires. This is important because having one tire that doesn’t match the other can lead to issues with handling or responsiveness.
Remember that you can extend the life of your tires by rotating them regularly.
A Note on FWD Vs. RWD
Before getting into when to replace tires, it’s smart to understand the key differences between tires for front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive.
What to Do With FWD
If you have front-wheel drive in your car, then the front tires bear most of the handling, braking, and steering. This means that they will wear more quickly than your rear wheels. That difference only increases if you don’t regularly rotate them. You will usually have to replace two tires at once for FWD cars.
Keep that strategy in mind if you are at the time of when to replace tires. If your car has front-wheel drive, move the tires that were on the rear of your car to the front. Then, put the new tires on the car’s rear axle. This improves the control on the rear axle, which is important because when the front one controls your car, the rear axle has a higher risk of hydroplaning or spinning out.
What to Do With RWD
If your car has rear-wheel drive, just do the opposite of what we described for front-wheel drive. Move the old front tires to the back and put your new tires on the front. This way, the front wheels maintain enough control to avoid issues with grip. The rear wheels are fine because of the rear-wheel drive.
When to Replace Your Tires
But how do you know when to replace tires, whether your car is rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive? One of the biggest signs is if your tread is too worn. You can use the penny test to check for tread depth. If you can see Lincoln’s head, replace the tires.
You also want to replace the tires after six years or so. At this point, the rubber will have dried and cracked a bit.
Get Your Tires Replaced at a Jiffy Lube Near You
Whether you have front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, our Jiffy Lube team can help you tell when to replace tires. If you need a replacement, we can even swap out your old tires for new ones, saving you the hassle of having to do so yourself. Book a tire service at any of our branches in Florida, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.
