Simple Tips for Tyre Maintenance

Tyre maintenance should be a top priority for your vehicle. To ensure that you are safe on the roads, it’s important that you look after your tyres. We recommend weekly inspection of tyres for safe and economical driving. Here are our top tips:

1. Check and Maintain Correct Vehicle Tyre Pressure

Tyre safety starts with inflation. It’s the air pressure in tyres that allows the tyre to support the load, grip the road and absorb the shocks. Every vehicle tyre has a recommended inflation pressure, which is the ideal tyre pressure expected for good riding comfort, safety, and improved fuel efficiency. You will find the correct tyre pressure often printed either in the sill of the driver’s door or on the inside of the fuel flap, as well as the vehicle handbook.

If tyres are under inflated, your tyre tread will wear more quickly and need replacing more regularly. Also, under inflated tyres will have more resistance to roll, so more fuel is required to maintain the same speed.

2. Check the Tyre Tread Depth

The stability of your vehicle is maintained, by the optimal tyre tread depth. Your vehicle relies on the tread to grip the road and come to a stop in the shortest possible distance. The lower the tread on your tyres results in the braking distance increasing. So, it’s important that you check them regularly. It is recommended that tyres are replaced when the tread depth reaches 3mm to maintain optimum braking performance.

3. Check for External Damage

A tyre that has suffered minor damage like a puncture, small cracks or cuts can be repaired, provided it is within repairable limits. It’s important to get it repaired immediately because driving on an injured tyre increases the damage which then becomes irreversible, and the tyre needs to be replaced. E.g. driving on a punctured tyre causes intense stress on the tyre leading to the weakening of the sidewalls and a tyre with a compromised sidewall is deemed irreparable. Hence, repair the punctured tyre immediately before it’s too late.

4. Keep your Wheels Aligned

Having your wheels out of alignment can create problems for your tyres. Incorrectly aligned tyres can result in uneven wear, which can weaken them and make them more prone to damage. It can also reduce the driver’s control of the vehicle and increase fuel consumption. When you are having your vehicle looked over or having new tyres put on at a garage, make sure the alignment is checked and adjusted if needed.

5. Maintain Good Driving Habits

As well as basic maintenance, good driving habits also help keep your tyres in top condition. Excessive braking or acceleration while driving or constantly stopping and starting in traffic can have a detrimental effect on your tyres and cause them to wear more quickly. Where possible you should also avoid uneven road surfaces and potholes and take care to slow down for speed bumps to prevent the wheels from being knocked out of alignment.

6. Take Care if Mounting a Kerb

Mounting the kerb can cause the tyre’s sidewall to become pinched between the kerb and the wheel causing them to become weak and could result in a blow-out. Ideally, you should avoid mounting the kerb altogether, but if you have to, make sure you’re careful in your approach. Climb the kerb slowly at an acute angle and ensure you don’t scrape up the side of the pavement to avoid damaging your tyres.

7. Don’t Overload your Vehicle

If you put too much weight in your vehicle, a number of problems could occur. The performance and handling will reduce with stopping, starting, and turning all negatively affected. Overloaded vehicles can cause excessive wear on tyres due to excessive heat. This could cause a tyre explosion and increase chances of an accident.

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