RS: Under inflation is the most important maintenance item where inflation is the most important maintenance item. Under inflation is perhaps the most sinister because it really has the highest safety component.
In order to keep your tires from under and over inflation Roger suggests that drivers check their air pressure at least once a month especially when the summer months come along.
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| Misalignment leads to irregular wear patterns and causes steering to be unstable, making the car less safe to drive. (Photo: Uniroyal) |
RS: Normally a tire loses about 1 or 2 pounds per month because of the porosity of the rubber. In the hot weather they can lose more because the rubber becomes more porous.
RS: Misalignment also leads to irregular wear patterns; one side of the tread face is bare, the other has lots of tread. If a tire is out of alignment, is going down the road a little bit sideways; that's what's taking the rubber off one side and not the other. So, you have unstable steering, and you obviously have very rapid wear; up to 40-50% faster. Because the steering is unstable, this makes the car less safe to drive. What the Driver should do is get a four wheel alignment at least once a year.