Often, we’re too busy with our lives that we forget things that seem trivial but aren’t. In everyday situations, your car tyre performs well. However, when faced with difficult situations, the difference is revealed. For your safety and your family’s, ensure you choose the right tyre for your car.
Maintaining your tyre is equally important as maintaining the entire car. Investing in a new tyre can be costly. Therefore, compromising in maintenance could mean spending more later. Your tyre is the only part of the vehicle that comes in contact with the road. Thus, it significantly impacts your car braking and riding. Investing in a tyre is investing in your safety.
Visual Inspection
Although today tyres are safer, they’re still the primary source of road accidents. They need regular checks and proper maintenance to extend their life. Visual inspection allows you to see potentially dangerous faults. It is a great way to prevent last-minute failure.
Checking both the inner and outer surface for irregularities is essential. Over time, cracks on the tyre widen, leading to failure. Don’t forget to check your rims as well. A damaged rim can result in overtime failure of your tyre. If you’re unsure of the condition of your tyre, get it checked by a specialist. Regular inspection of the tyre makes your vehicle reliable and safe.
Tyre Rotation
Rotation of tyres helps extend its service life. It is one way to ensure equal wear across all. In most cases, the front tyre wears out faster than the rear. In case of an emergency, it makes the car handling harder. How often it should be done depends on your vehicle. Every vehicle is different. Therefore, check your car manual to determine the frequency.
The weight of your car and the surfaces you drive on determines how fast your tyre wears out. Additionally, your driving style is of significant influence. Your car type dictates the rotation pattern for your tyre. To ensure proper rotation, visit a reputable garage.
Wheel Alignment
The toe, camber, and caster are the main concerns when checking for wheel alignment. With regular rotation, you may take longer to replace your car tyre. However, if you regularly replace your tyre, you need a wheel alignment.
You will often encounter potholes and other imperfections when driving. Therefore, this might cause your wheels to be out of alignment. Additionally, improper lowering of your vehicle can cause your wheels to be out of alignment. Check the difference in how your tyre wears to determine if your wheels need to be aligned.
Wheel Balancing
Wheel balancing helps your car to spin smoothly at high speed. It’s possible to balance your tyre manually. However, it doesn’t compare to machine balancing. Weight imbalance for the wheels or tyre is inevitable. Over time, as the tyre wear, its balance changes. Rebalancing every once in a while is one way to extend your tyre’s lifetime.
Pressure Check
A tyre naturally losses some air. Therefore, regularly checking the pressure of the tyre is paramount. The air pressure of your tyre supports the entire vehicle weight. A vehicle’s performance is highly affected by the pressure of the tyre. Your accuracy in handling corners, braking, and the overall comfort of the drive is highly dependent on pressure.
If you’re looking to save some cash on fuel, you need to check the pressure habitually. A deformed tyre causes the vehicle to be more resistant on the road. A correctly inflated tyre improves your mileage. Most cars have a sticker showing the correct tyre pressure.
However, if it doesn’t, check the owner’s handbook for the information. Ensure your tyre is cold when checking the pressure. Warm or hot tyre often give inaccurate pressure readings. Head to the nearest station if you don’t have a pressure gauge at home.
Check Tread Wear
A small arrow on the outer wall of the tyre is an indicator of tread wear. Good treads provide a firmer grip in adverse weather conditions. In many states, inadequate tread on your tyre is considered illegal. Bushings, loads, and springs are the major causes of inner tread wear. Whether driven or not, it’s essential to check your tyre. If your treads are worn and shallow, it’s time to get a new tyre. Remember, a worn tyre can lead to premature wearing of other car parts.
Keep Your Tyre and Wheel Clean
Keeping your wheel and tyre clean not only improves its appearance but also prolongs its life. Dirt causes your tyre to wear out faster. Uncleaned brake dust may corrode, causing permanent damage.
Cleaning your tyre is an excellent opportunity to find and remove foreign objects. Removing these objects before they can cause real damage can save you many expenses. The good news is, cleaning your tyre doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s merely affordable since it can be done at home. When washing the tyre, the best way is to wash them separately.