Wheel Maintenance Procedures

Wheels with steel rims

Pressed steel discs must be cleaned regularly to remove all foreign objects and dirt deposits. Adhesion of foreign objects leads to imbalance of the wheel and can cause vibrations of the car during movement and uneven wear of the treads. Peeled paint should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent disc corrosion.

Minor deformations of the disc rim can be corrected by straightening with a hammer. The wheel must be removed from the vehicle. In case of severe damage, the disc must be replaced. It is good practice to periodically remove the wheels to carefully inspect the rims for signs of corrosion, cracks or other damage.

Alloy wheels

Alloy wheels, as well as steel wheels, must be regularly cleaned of dirt and adhering foreign objects that affect wheel balance. Aluminum alloy wheels are also susceptible to corrosion, especially when exposed to salt water.

Alloy wheels, being made of a softer material than stamped wheels, are more easily scratched by contact with hard objects, however, scratches and scuffs do not significantly affect the wheel's suitability for use. In case of severe damage, the disc must be replaced. Deformed and cracked alloy wheels are not subject to refurbishment.

Tire care and wheel rotation

It is unacceptable to use tires with a tread depth of less than 1.5 mm. Sometimes tires are factory equipped with wear indicators, when they come out flush with the tread surface, the tire also needs to be replaced (see accompanying illustration).




Tires should also be changed if there are obvious defects, both internal and external. Small punctures and leaks can be repaired at a tire shop. If you have any doubts about assessing the condition of your car's tires, seek the advice of a tire fitting specialist.

The grooves of the tread and bead of the tires should be regularly inspected for foreign objects such as nails, small stones, etc. stuck in them. all such objects must be removed from the protector immediately after their discovery. In the event of a puncture, the wheel must be taken to a tire shop for repair.

Tire inflation valves must be equipped with protective caps (to avoid the development of corrosion of the nipple). In addition, they should be regularly (every time you check your tire inflation pressure) clean from dirt and dust and check for signs of air leakage.

Check your tires regularly for signs of uneven wear and, if so, refer to the Tire Troubleshooting Section in the Introduction to this manual for causes and possible solutions. If uneven tire wear can be detected at an early stage, after which the cause is corrected in a timely manner, the life of the tires can be extended.


To prolong tire life, regularly balance the wheels and check the alignment of the front wheels (suspension geometry) at a special stand.

It is useful to periodically rotate the wheels, which also allows you to keep the tires in working condition longer, although it is not one of the procedures that must be performed in order to ensure traffic safety. It should also be remembered that wheels equipped with radial tires during rotation can only be rearranged from front to back without being transferred to the opposite side of the car (see accompanying illustration).



Maintaining the correct tire pressure is perhaps the most important of the regular wheel maintenance procedures. Deviation of the inflation pressure from the norm in any direction leads to an acceleration of the process of tire wear and even to their rupture during movement due to overheating. If possible, check the tire inflation pressure when the tires are cold (otherwise the result will be too high due to thermal expansion of the air).

As a rule, it is forbidden to equip a car with tires of different sizes and with different tread patterns. Ideally, all wheels, including the spare, should be equipped with tires of the same size. It is strictly forbidden to install wheels equipped with radial and conventional tires at the same time.