If you plan on minimizing wear and tear on your car and ensure it’s running at peak performance, tire maintenance shouldn’t be skipped like leg day. While the task might seem daunting to all you first-time car owners, caring for your tires at home is very easy, not at all time-consuming, and affordable! Learn how to take better care of your vehicle’s tires by following these 3 pieces of advice from the professionals at our Braman MINI of Miami tire center.
1. The Right Tire Pressure
Tire PSI will fluctuate as the temperatures change; when temperatures go down, tire pressure decreases, and vice-versa when temps increase. Even in places like Miami, where outside temperatures rarely drop below 60 degrees, it’s important to check your tire pressure with a tire gauge before and after each winter and summer.
What PSI Should Your Tires Be?
Proper tire PSI will depend on your vehicle and the type of tires installed. For instance, some 2021 MINI Cooper tires, like 195/55 R 16 87V A/S Cooper S tires, should be pumped up to 33 PSI (front) and 32 PSI (rear). Others MINI tires, like 175/65 R 15 84H A/S sizes, will need to be 39 PSI (front) and 36 PSI (rear).
Sport tires are even more susceptible to PSI loss and damage in cold weather. At temperatures below 14 Fahrenheit, sport tires can become torn and cracked, so it’s important to keep your John Cooper Works GP in the garage if you’re in a colder climate.
To find the right MINI Cooper tire PSI, check your owner’s manual or the label found inside your vehicle’s driver-side door. (If you’re having trouble with your MINI TPMS, bring it in to the service center for a look!)
2. Regular Tire Rotations & Wheel Alignments
Depending on individual driving conditions, your tires will wear differently. Front tires may wear out faster than rear tires, for instance, and the best way to combat this is to perform tire rotations which will balance out that tread wear.
How Many Miles Before You Need a Tire Rotation?
We recommend having a tire rotation every 6,000-8,000 miles or every other oil change. If you have special sport tires, like those found on a MINI John Cooper Works, you may want to have your tires rotated every 5,000 miles. You may also benefit from a 4WD or AWD tire rotation (for your Countryman). Ask our Miami MINI service and tire center for more details or to book a date and time.
What’s a Wheel Alignment?
Wheel alignments are not as common as tire rotations, but they can be necessary. Over time, your wheels get misaligned. When this happens, your tires will exhibit uneven tire tread wear and steering will become more difficult. A wheel alignment or tire balancing aims to correct these issues. Special equipment will measure the angle of each tire and straighten them independently.
Thinking about going somewhere cheap for your wheel alignment? Think again. There’s are reasons why places like Costco don’t offer wheel alignment service.
- Training technicians can be expensive and cost-prohibitive; the staff at these “cheap service centers” are only trained to perform standard auto maintenance. A full-service auto repair shop trains their entire team to perform wheel alignments.
- Some auto shops don’t want to purchase extra liability insurance for alignments. A licensed auto service center like ours is already insured.
- Professional-grade wheel alignment equipment can be costly, as well. A large service center chain might not want to pay for machines like front-end aligners, MINI tire changers, and other pieces of equipment. The added cost of software can also be an issue.
It’s always in your best interest to bring your vehicle to a certified auto service center to align your tires and wheels. For professional wheel alignment service in Miami, schedule an appointment at Braman.
3. Check Your Tire Tread
The tread wear on your tires should tell you what you need to know about their health. Uneven wear indicates that you ought to rotate your tires or get a wheel alignment (or both). If the tread is too low and your tires look bare, it’s likely that you’ll need to buy a new set. Bare tires are an enormous danger!
You can check your tire tread with a penny or coin, but we suggest bringing your vehicle in for a tire inspection. This ensures you have a written record of your tread levels, which will allow you to make an informed decision.
Signs Your Tire Tread is Low
You may notice the following issues when your tire is damaged or its tread is too low:
- Unusual vibrations
- Strange noises
- Poor handling
- Pulling to the right or left
- Skidding in wet weather
- Slow braking
Regardless of tread level, it’s recommended that MINI Cooper tires be replaced at least every 6 years. Not sure when the last time you replaced your tires? Look at your tire’s sidewalls to locate the manufacture date, which will appear as “DOT … WWYY” (WW = Week and YY = Year). So, if your MINI tires read “DOT … 0114” then they were manufactured on the first week of 2014, and you should replace the whole set.
Need to buy new car tires for your MINI Cooper in South Florida? Visit Braman MINI of Miami to place an order. We carry most popular tire brands and can special order anything from UHP to M+S to Run-flat tires. Also, feel free to ask about our MINI Maintenance Program, which provides you with complimentary tire service and auto maintenance with every new MINI purchased.
