More miles from tires

Q: My tires wore out after only 20,000 miles, and they were supposed to be good for 36,000 miles. What’s up? — Charlie, North Carolina

A: Charlie, several things could be up. You don’t mention the brand of tire you bought, and that could be your first clue. Many off-brands just don’t give the wear quality of a brand-name tire. Usually, however, the main reason for premature tire wear is incorrect tire pressure and lack of tire rotation. You must run the correct air pressure to guarantee good traction and tire life.

Seasonal temperature changes affect the air pressure in tires, especially up north where I live. The air pressure in a tire will drop as cold winter weather moves in and rise when hot summer weather returns. The rule of thumb is that a swing in temperature of 10 degrees F causes a one pound change in a tire’s air pressure. If you run the wrong tire pressure, your tires won’t perform as well, especially when run at too-low pressure from either colder air or neglecting to check the pressure.

Check the manufacturer’s recommended air pressure.