Tire Repair Austin, TX

Every tire has its own proper pressure. You can check the label on the inside of your driver’s door or check your owner’s manual. If you have a different type of tire on your vehicle than you originally had, the tire experts at your nearest Lamb’s Tire location can make the recommendation that’s right for your tires.

If you have weight imbalances, you may be experiencing vibrations or other problems, and be putting unnecessary wear and tear on your tires. Regular tire balancing can slow tread wear and help make your tires last longer.

Professional tire maintenance is important to the longevity and safety of your tires, but your own regular inspections can help catch small problems before they become big ones. To get more mileage and better performance from your tires, look for:

• Tread wear and depth: If you see exposed steel on radial tires or wear on any type of tires that’s worse on one edge, your tires have uneven wear. To check the depth of your tread, insert a penny with Lincoln’s head upside down into the tread; if you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tire should be replaced.
• Embedded objects: Check for small rocks, pieces of glass or metal, or other objects that have been picked up from the road. Removing embedded objects is a good way to prevent serious problems later.
• Damage: Inspect your tires carefully for any punctures, splits, bulges, or cracks, particularly in the sidewalls.

If you notice any problems with your tires, book an appointment at Lamb’s Tire. We’ll let you know if your tire can be repaired or whether it should be replaced. 

There are several steps you can take to get the maximum life from your tires, such as:

• Checking your tire pressure once a month or before a long drive. Proper inflation reduces wear and tear.
• Closely inspect your tires for objects caught in the tread, holes and splits, and uneven wear. Pay particular attention to the sidewalls—problems there may mean it’s time for new tires.
• Drive more carefully. Excessive speed, hard turns and braking, and frequent fast starts are tough on tires. Avoid road debris and potholes if it’s safe to do so.
• When towing or hauling, stay below your tires’ maximum load capacity.
• Have your tires regularly serviced by a professional. At Lamb’s Tire, we recommend that you keep up with tire rotation and tire balancing to help make your tires last.

Like regularly checking your inflation, staying on a schedule for tire rotation is an easy way to keep your tires in roadworthy condition. Putting tires into new positions on your vehicle changes the tires’ wear patterns so that each tire wears more evenly. Relieving the pressure on more worn areas and having fresh tread in contact with the road can improve fuel efficiency, handling, and more. 

We recommend that you schedule tire rotation every 3,000 to 6,000 miles, or whenever you have an oil change. At Lamb’s Tire & Automotive, our tire rotation service includes:

• Rotating your tires in alternating patterns
• Examining your tires’ tread
• Checking the overall quality and safety of your tires
• Checking tire pressure
• Tightening lug nuts 

Puncture location and damage severity can help determine whether to get a tire repaired or replaced. For example, a simple repair may do the trick if you have a tire that’s been punctured in the tread area and doesn’t measure more than a quarter of an inch (6 mm) in diameter.

Even if a tire has two punctures, getting it repaired might still be an option if they are at least 16 inches apart and the maximum number of repairs over time isn’t more than two. If there are more than that, however, you should consider replacing them.

Punctured tires will likely need replacement if:

• The hole is over a quarter of an inch in diameter.
• The sidewall or shoulder is punctured.
• Multiple punctures are less than 16 inches apart.

Minor steering wheel vibration after a tire rotation is normal and should fade during the first 50 miles. However, if the vibration doesn’t improve or becomes problematic, it might be a tire balancing issue, tire alignment problem or warped brake rotors due to over-tightened lug nuts. And if uneven wear is to blame, the tires must wear down and smooth out for the vibrations to subside.

Improper tire balancing can cause uneven wear that, in turn, leads to vibrations. Still, anything more than a slight amount of steering-wheel shakiness should be checked by a tire repair mechanic. If constant vibration occurs at any speed or worsens at higher speeds, consider alignment and rebalancing. These tire services should address the root cause.

Tire balancing helps ensure weight is distributed evenly around the entire circumference of a tire and wheel. Balancing this wheel-tire assembly is done with small clip-on or adhesive wheel weights.

Signs of an out-of-balance wheel-tire assembly are that:

• Your car pulls to one side.
• The tire has uneven or faster tread wear.
• The tires squeal.
• The steering wheel shakes or tilts off center.
• The floorboards vibrate.
• Fuel bills are increasing.

When all areas of the wheel-tire assembly are roughly equal in weight, the tire should roll smoothly.

But if it doesn’t, bring it to Lamb’s Tire, the most trusted tire repair shop in Austin, Texas. You might want to have your tires balanced during a tire rotation as part of your next scheduled maintenance.

Tire balancing (or wheel balancing) corrects uneven weight distribution. Imbalanced wheels can cause vibration, excessive tire wear, suspension damage, and other problems. Uneven tire wear and tear or vibration in your steering wheel, seat, or floorboards signal a need for this procedure.

Wheel alignment (or tire alignment) is different. It’s about adjusting a car’s suspension — the system that connects a vehicle to its wheels — not an adjustment to the actual tires or wheels. Alignment prevents your car from veering to the right or left, improves handling, and stops on-road vibrations.