• Check tire pressure. Do this at least once a month and before and after any long trips. Check your owner’s manual to see what your car needs.
• Rotate your tires. This should be done every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. On front-wheel-drive cars, the front wheels wear at almost twice the rate of the rear wheels, and in left-hand-drive countries, the left tire will wear faster than the right.
• Examine your treads. To make sure your tires have a tread depth of at least 4/32 inch, stick a quarter, Washington’s head facing down, into one of the tire-tread grooves. If any part of Washington’s head is obscured, you have at least that amount of tread.
• Align your wheels. Improperly aligned wheels can create rapid and uneven wear, Misaligned wheels can also create steering and tracking problems.
• Keep the deepest treads in the rear. Deeper treads grip the road and channel water better, making the rear of the car less likely to hydroplane and fishtail.