Check your tyres, shocks and battery before hitting the road, warn experts
Ensure hassle-free journey by taking vehicle for safety inspection
itment centres are reminding seasoned travellers embarking on road trips it is crucial to ensure tyres, shocks and batteries are in suitable condition for a safe, hassle-free journey.
Tyremart Makhanda owner Robert van der Merwe hosted a successful information workshop for clients, suppliers and 4x4 owners at the Salem Cricket Club Ground at the weekend, where he pointed out the importance of checking these details before undertaking any journey.
Van der Merwe said tyre safety could not be overstated enough — especially when travelling longer distances.
“Heavier loads mean the need for higher tyre pressures,” he said.
“The sticker on your door will give you an indication, as will your licence disc. Every tyre has a maximum inflation rate.
“Our roads are generally rugged and bad with potholes and we find drivers are running lower tyre pressures. Especially in these types of conditions, what you want is actually more air in the tyre and a proper evaluation of your suspension.
“More volume of air in the tyre keeps the tyre cooler which
Fmeans less wear on the tyre.
“Remember your front wheels are working from your steering … then there is engine torque, which means the tyres will wear off twice as fast at the back,” Van der Merwe said.
“So you want to be rotating tyres — front and back — regularly. If you are servicing your car for example, every 15,000km, tyres should be rotated every 7 to 8,000km.
“If you’re driving over rough terrain etc it is every 5,000km, due to uneven wear,” he said.
Van der Merwe said if tyres were over-inflated they would react “like a loose ball” on the road. “If you’re under-inflating, it’s only the edge of your tyres that are gripping the road surface; so only correct tyre pressure as per the specs according to the weight of the vehicle will give you maximum traction and grip,” he said.
Van der Merwe stressed the importance of not overlooking shocks maintenance.
“A shock helps keep the tyre on the road and makes sure it doesn’t lift off the tarmac and ensures the driver is getting correct braking and handling performance from the vehicle.
“Potholes have a massive impact on shocks, and it is critical to check them regularly.
“If you hear a noise don’t drive it in the hope it’ll go away; rather have it checked.”
Van der Merwe said 4x4 owners needed to check their shocks more regularly given the
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Willard Batteries regional office manager Charl van der Merwe said battery care was an important factor that was often overlooked when it came to use of a vehicle.
“Most fitment centres and parts suppliers have battery testers. A battery print-out report will tell you what the condition of your battery is like. This reflects the current health of your car battery and they can also do an alternator test that checks whether the battery has been charged correctly.
“That is a good start before you embark on any travels over the festive season. Five minutes doing that could possibly save you a half day being stranded next to the road,” he said.
Sealed maintenance free batteries did not need owner maintenance but this did not mean that battery maintenance and checks should be ignored, he said.
“Because car batteries are maintenance free, you don’t worry about it and you tick that off as something that doesn’t need ongoing checks regularly. So you wait until it fails but then it is too late.
“A battery is basically equal to the cost of a tank of petrol, but it can last between three and five years if it is maintained correctly.
“With today’s advanced technology in vehicles, the demand on batteries is higher.
“Willard Batteries therefore is constantly investing in development and making use of better technologies to focus on constantly upgrading our batteries so they can deliver better performance,” he said.