TREAD CAREFULLY

Ensuring your tyres’ optimal condition is a prerequisite to the vitality of your vehicle. It is quite simple and easy to check the tyres for wear and tear and identify when to replace them. Read on to know more.

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Faisal Mohammed Naim

Othe main cause of cracks which could cause blowout and lead to the loss of control of vehicle. Tyres lose pressure naturally all the time, so it’s important to check tyres’ pressure at least monthly. Make sure you’re using the recommended pressure for your car (mentioned on the tyre). More often than not, the recommended pressure is different for the front and the rear tyres.

Tread Depth

Tyre treads are there for one reason: to assist grip on road-surface, especially in wet conditions. Lesser the tread, more compromised the surface grip. As the tyres wear and tread depth decreases, the grip reduces and stopping distance increases.

All tyres have tread wear indicators (TWIs) comprising small blocks of rubber within the tread at certain points around the tyre. As the tyre wears, these blocks get closer and eventually become flush with the surface of the tyre.

It is recommended to replace the tyre, once tread depth is down to around 2mm. The easiest way of ascertaining how much life is left in the tyre is by using a tread depth indicator. Often tyre retailers offer these for free; otherwise they’re a small-cost item from a car part retailer.

Uneven Wear

Uneven wear is a sign that usually tells you something is going on with the wheel alignment, the suspension is worn, or that you have been driving with the tyres under or over-inflated.

Uneven wear also comes if you regularly tow, or favour a driving style that imposes more than normal stress on the tyre. To check for uneven wear, inspect the whole contact surface, including the outer edges, of the tyre.

Swapping tyre pairs from front to back at regular intervals is recommended, for both front and rear-wheel drive vehicles, provided tyre size is the same at both ends (not always the case).

Old Age

Generally, a tyre any older than five years will need replacement. Even if the kilometres travelled are low, or the tyre isn’t even being used, it will deteriorate as the rubber loses its suppleness through the drying out of moisture and oils. This applies to all tyres on the vehicle – including the spare.

A tyre’s age can be identified by reading the build date stamped on the sidewall, usually in the form of a four-digit number rep- resenting the week and year of manufacture. It’s also worth noting that tyres deteriorate more quickly in hot climates.

DOS AND DON’TS

Replace full set

It’s best to replace all four tyres. Once the tyres are due for replacement, it’s recommended that they’re all replaced at the same time, including the spare. Mis- matched tyres can interfere with the overall balance and road grip of the vehicle, also accelerate wearing out of the new tyre(s) by transferring more weight on them.

It’s also necessary to note if your vehicle’s tyres have a specific rotational direction – many tyres today are designed this way and need to be fitted accordingly.

Choose Only the Right Tyre

It is important for your car’s safety that you replace the original tyres with only the recommended ones. A change in tyre profile will affect the rolling circumference of the tyre and may require changing rim size so the original circumference is retained.

For best all-around performance, the same type of tyre should be used in all four wheel positions. Tyres of different sizes, constructions, and stages of wear may affect vehicle handling and stability.

In addition, there may be specific recommendations by vehicle or tyre manufacturers which may apply to your vehicle. These should be followed, please check your vehicle handbook for details.

Never Mix Radial and Non-Radial Tyres

Do not mix radial and non-radial (i.e. cross-ply or bias-belted) tyres on a vehicle. If mixing tyres is unavoidable, never mix radial and nonradial tyres on the same axle. If two radial and two non-radial tyres are installed on a vehicle, the two radials must be installed on the rear axle and non-radials on the front axle. faisal@timesofoman.com