Your tyres are the most important feature of your car and go through extreme strain every time it’s being driven. There are several reasons for wear on your tyres not just due to the age, although it is a contributing factor. Other factors that can affect the wear of your tyres include emergency or incorrect breaking, incorrect tyre inflation, poor road surfaces and improper wheel alignment. To ensure that you stay safe on the road, it’s important to look after your tyres and check them regularly. We recommend carrying out a routine tyre check every two weeks to check the following!
Tyre Pressure
The first and most important thing to check is your tyre pressure. There are a few reasons why you should be maintaining the right tyre pressure, the most important is securing your safety and that of your passengers and members of the public. Tyres that are under inflated can overheat and tyres that are over inflated can cause poor handling on the road. Another reason to correct your tyre pressure is the economy, if you are driving on under or over inflated tyres you decrease the contact patch with the road and suffer from uneven tread wear as a result.
Tread Depth
Your car relies heavily on the tread on your tyres to grip the road and come to a stop whenever you brake. The breaking increases as the tyre wears out so it is important that you check them regularly and replace them immediately when the read depth reaches 3mm to maintain optimum braking performance. To check your tyre tread you can place your finger on the main tread groove and feel a small raised notch. If your tread is worn down to the height of this notch then it might be time to replace your tyres. You can check for cheap car tyres online for tyres at competitive prices.
External Damage
Checking your tyres for external damage is another crucial step in making sure your tyres are up to standard. Tyre damages can be cuts, lumps, bumps and more that are more often than none caused by an impact between the tyres and the road or objects on the road. If there are any signs that your tyres have been compromised, you must have them checked out as quickly as possible as such issues can lead to bigger problems that can cost more to repair down the line.
Tyre Sizes
Generally, tyres have two size markings; the width of the tyre and the diameter of the wheel rim. Depending on where you are the sizes will either be given in inches or millimetres. One newer EEC approved tyres, there is only one letter interposed, and the speed rating letter is separate.
