Four critical points on a car - where the rubber meets the road.

One sure way to tell if you need new tires is to look at the tread wear. After driving 50,000 miles, or so, there’s no surprise if you need new tires. Of course, that also depends on how you drive. A heavy foot, either accelerating or braking can lead to faster tire wear, not to mention higher fuel usage and brake wear. But, there are other reasons you’ll want to pay attention to your tires.

One potential problem with tires, particularly with older tires, is when the sidewalls begin to crack. This is more common with older tires. It’s a result of tires enduring the conditions – sun, heat and other weather. The tires are made of rubber and the elements can dry out the rubber in tires. As a result, tires can crack.

Seeing a web of cracks in your tires does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. It depends on the depth of the cracks. Some are merely surface blemishes but you’ll really want an expert to take a look and make sure they’re OK.

Driving on under-inflated tires can also cause damage. Since proper air pressure can increase the gas mileage of a vehicle, there’s seldom a good reason not to keep the pressure at prescribed levels (look in your owner’s manual for the proper air pressure in your tires).

Another potential problem with tires occurs when damage or defects cause tires to bulge. Tires absorb a lot of abuse, particularly on some of the pot-holed roads we see in the McHenry County area. If there’s a defect in the tire, a rough road can bring it to the surface, so to speak. Even a good tire can become damaged under the worst conditions.

In either case, whether cracking sidewalls or a bulged tire, the condition is potentially dangerous. Damaged tires are a high risk for a blowout.  If the blowout occurs at higher speeds, it’s easy to lose control of the vehicle.  Even if you don’t lose control, having a flat tire is no fun.

Determining the condition of your tires starts with a visual inspection. However, since it’s difficult to see the inside sidewall of a tire that is mounted on your vehicle, you may want to have the car on a lift when inspecting the tires. This usually involves bringing the vehicle to a qualified auto repair shop.

Since an experienced auto repair technician has a better idea of what to look for when inspecting tires, it’s a good idea to bring the car in and let a professional look over your car’s tires. While they’re at it, you may want them to check the air pressure, balance and rotate the tires. If you’re due, you may want an alignment, too. Many, however, prefer to wait until the spring to have their car aligned; they prefer to wait until they’re done driving through winter potholes.

If it happens that you need new tires, this is a good time to get them. At Performance Unlimited in Ringwood, they are offering $80 rebates when you purchase a set of four select Hankook tires through the end of October and on select Goodyear and Dunlop tires through the end of 2014.

You can go to the Performance Unlimited Web site to print a coupon for the $80 rebate: www.4performanceunlimited.com. Or you can call Performance Unlimited for more information at 815-728-0343.