• Written by Jay Ryan

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Happy New Year! We are somehow still here flying through space on this planet and that’s just great, isn’t it? So with a new lap around the sun that means we need to do some checking on some critical parts of your lifted, modified or loved truck, Jeep or SUV. Let’s start with tires!

Literally where the rubber meets the road, the tire is considered one of the most important, if not the most important, piece of equipment on your vehicle. How often do you pay attention to them? Do you check their wear pattern? Do you see how much life they have left? Are they properly inflated? Most folks only address their tires when they become a problem, not prior to. So use this as an opportunity to take a quick walk around your vehicle. Check the tread depth with a coin or look for the wear bars. Run your hand across the center section of your front tires to detect any abnormal wear. Some people refer to it as “chopping” or “cupping”. This is shown when the tread is uneven across the tire, hence the term “chopped”. This can be an indication of an alignment issue or a lack of rotation. We recommend you rotate your tires every three to five thousand miles but this can vary based on application. Inner tire wear can also be an indication of an alignment issue or a worn suspension component and I’m only gonna say this once: BALL JOINTS DON’T GET BETTER. Your tires can tell you some good information so a quick peak every now and then can save you a headache down the road. 

Which brings me to the next item of business. Alignments. Okay people, suspension moves. That’s literally what it’s designed to do. In doing it’s job, your suspension can get out of adjustment or worn out due to the lovely infrastructure in Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma. If your alignment is out of adjustment it is highly recommended to bring it to a professional, like Off-Road King, to put it back where it needs to be. This is a relatively straightforward process and can be done quickish in some cases. However, if you have a worn component it will need to be replaced. Let’s all say it together class: BALL JOINTS DON’T GET BETTER! Worn components have a tendency to affect those around it with their negative vibes. A worn out hub assembly will put undue stress on other components and cause them to expire prior to their use by this date. So we here at Off-Road King advise having your alignment checked at least once a year, twice would be even better. You also want to have it checked after doing any off-roading just to make sure everything stayed in place. 

Do you have a lift kit on your vehicle? When was the last time you had it retorqued? Never huh? What better time than the beginning of the year to get that thing in the shop and have someone who knows what they’re doing put a wrench on it? Circling back to a previous statement, suspension moves. So over time that driver side control arm can lose something desired in the torque spec section. This can lead to component wear which can lead to tire wear which can lead to sad tears from repair bills. See how all this is connected? The rule of thumb we use is retorque when you rotate your tires, every three to five thousand miles. This is a better safe than sorry situation. Are you going to have a u-bolt nut back all the way off after three thousand miles? Probably not but anything is possible and it’s better to be on the side of caution when we’re talking heavy moving parts and peoples lives out on the road. 

In conclusion, regular vehicular maintenance is a thing for anything with a steering wheel, just more so when it comes to vehicles with lifted or modified suspension. Keep an eye on your tires because they’ll tell you if something is out of the ordinary. And what do ya know, there’s a shop right here in Paris Tx with the skills, know how and good looks to make sure your rig is right for the new year. K love you bye.