Checking Your Tyres
Posted in Servicing Insights
Checking Your Tyres
Do you realise how important it is to have your tyres checked on a regular basis?
Well, your tyres should not only be checked your regular vehicle service, but as they are an extremely important part of your vehicle, they should be checked fortnightly to ensure you maximise their efficiency and longevity. Here are some tips to maintaining your tyres for the best traction and capability.
MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS
Check the manufacturer’s tyre placard fitted to the vehicle at the door opening or glove box lid for the correct tyre size, speed rating and load capacity to suit your car. Pay special attention to the requirements because any changes away from those listed on the placard may cause early wear or failure of your tyres.
TYRE PRESSURES
Tyre pressures should be checked regularly, preferably each week when cold, using an accurate gauge. Do not forget the spare tyre also. Many petrol stations now offer a fixed tyre gauge where drivers can set the desired pressure for their tyres and the pressures automatically adjust to the selected pressure. Having the right tyre pressure has also proven to maximize fuel economy also, which ensures longer tyre longevity and more fuel in the tank, which is another reason why maintenance is so important.
TREAD DEPTH
Remember, for tyres to be legal they must have tread across the full tread area and have at least 1.6mm of tread. Most tyres are fitted with "tread wear indicators" which are located in the tread groove and when the tyre wears these indicators are able to touch the road during normal operation, this is an indication of the tyre requiring replacement. Be sure to double check your tread occasionally.
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
It is also important to know that incorrect wheel alignment can dramatically increase the wear to tyres, requiring tyres to need changing more frequently. What is a wheel alignment? A wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker's specifications perfectly. The purpose of these adjustments is to ensure that the tyres of the car vehicle to do not wear quicker than normal, and to ensure that vehicle travels along a straight line without "pulling" to one side. This is very important to the longevity of your vehicle's tyres.
So if you are unsure about your tyres, stop by your local Motorama Service Department and we will happily inspect them for you for a small fee. Remember it is always better to be safe than sorry on the roads.
