Tyre Care

Tyre Care
Title Description
Maintaning Correct Tyre Pressure Correct tyre pressure can help to extend the life of your tyre, improve vehicle safety and maintain fuel efficiency. Pressure is measured by calculating the amount of air that has been pumped into the inner lining of your tyre in pounds force(PSI).
The manufacturer of your vehicle specifies the suitable pressure, and it is your responsibility to make sure that the pressure is checked and corrected on a regular basis, at least every couple of weeks.
Tyre Age While tyres contain anti-oxidising chemicals to significantly slow down the rate of ageing, they actually need to be in use to slow down the ageing process. In other words, infrequent use and poor storage and can accelerate the ageing process and render them unroadworthy. Low mileage, older cars tend to be most at risk from premature ageing - as motorists assume there is no problem if they can still see plenty of tread.
Tyre ageing is commonly identified by small cracks (crazing) appearing in the sidewall but in most circumstances tread depth can be used as a suitable indication of when tyres should be replaced – as tyre treads generally wear out before the ageing effect becomes a problem.
Wheel alignment Incorrect alignment can result in rapid irregular tyre wear and can even affect the handling and safety of the vehicle.
Wheel alignment can be affected by driving against a kerb, hitting a pothole in the road or by excessive wear to steering or suspension components. Alignment of wheels and tyres to the specification required by your vehicle is an important way to guarantee a smooth ride and to get the most out of your tyres.
The direction and angle at which tyres are set are both important. Wheel alignment or 'tracking' involves checking the direction and angle against vehicle manufacturers' specifications. These are often described as toe in, toe out, positive camber or negative camber.
'Toe' refers to whether the front of the tyres are closer or further apart than the rear of the tyres. Different types of vehicles need different toe settings to allow for the way that wheels pull either towards each other or apart.
Camber is the inward or outward tilt of a tyre. The camber is set by the vehicle manufacturer, and can be affected by potholes in the road and may need to be adjusted periodically.
It's important to keep an eye out for unusual wear on your tyres, such as premature wear on the inside or outside shoulder, which could be caused by an incorrect camber setting.
Tyre Rotation Rotating the tyres is recommended by all tire manufacturers. Tyre roation involves changing their position on the vehicle from one wheel location to another. This helps to even out tire wear between all the tires so the tires last longer and do not develop abnormal wear patterns.
5 Simple Things That Affect Tyre Life
For any vehicle to run excellently on roads, it is not only the engine but also the tyres that require special care and attention. Most of the car or commercial vehicle owners are least aware with a fact that their simple awareness about tyre maintenance can avail them not only hassle-free driving but can also result in a treat with extended tyre life. Here are 5 simple things that you must always consider to avoid tyre malfunctions:

#1 Air Pressure
Air Pressure
Correct air pressure is the first and foremost thing that a vehicle owner must always consider for a fruitful tyre performance. All the tyre manufacturers and even the vehicle sellers specify a suitable tyre pressure for every particular tyre model that is required to be maintained. PSI and BAR pressure are the most common units of air pressure measurement. It is a least known fact that air from a tyre outflows at the rate of up to 2 pounds per month. Especially during summers, air from a tyre escapes at a higher rate and therefore, it is always advisable to regularly check the air pressure when the temperature rises.

Advantages of correct air pressure:

Safety – Over-inflated and under-inflated tyres can lead to poor vehicle handling which might result in an accident, therefore, it is always advisable to keep the tyres sufficiently inflated.
Fuel Economy – Tyre pressure has a direct relationship with vehicle’s fuel economy. Under-inflated tyres have increased rolling resistance which consumes more fuel to run the vehicle at the same speed.
Tyre Life – Tyres that are over-inflated or under-inflated are damaged faster and therefore are a direct threat to your wallet.
#2 Alignment
Alignment
Improper wheel alignment is also directly related to your vehicle’s tyre life. If you are driving in a straight line and your car feels as if it is pulling towards the left or right then certainly the problem is with your car’s wheel alignment. Inaccurate wheel alignment may result in fast and irregular tyre wear therefore this problem should be fixed as soon as possible. Generally, wheel alignment is hampered due to reasons like driving against a pavement, hitting a pothole or excessive steering or suspension wear. Wheel alignment issue can be fixed by adjusting the vehicle’s suspension and steering components. This would also ensure least tyre wear.

Advantages of correct wheel alignment:

It results in 30% increase in tyre mileage
2% rise in vehicle fuel economy
It also ensures vehicle stability at high speeds
Handling is at its best when wheel alignment is faultless
#3 Balancing
Balancing
Not only improper wheel alignment can reduce the tyre life of your vehicle but also indecent wheel balance can do a major harm to your vehicle tyres. When you feel the vibration through the steering wheel, it can mean that a wheel is out of balance. This might result in early wearing of steering components and suspension, tyres and rotating parts. Mechanics use tiny weights to counterbalance the heavier areas of the tyre and wheel assembly. In some cases, when the vehicle is at high speed, weights that are added onto the rim or alloy loose and the wheel starts wobbling again, therefore, it is always advisable to get the wheel balanced only through the wheel balancing machine. Guru mantra is that balanced wheels always deliver a swift riding experience and extend your tyre life thereby saving your time and money.

#4 Tread Wear
Tread Wear
Your vehicle manufacturer mentions the tread wear indicator on your vehicle tyres which is the last wear limit the tyres can ideally be run. Generally for cars, it is around 1.6 mm. When a car tyre is new, the tread pattern is of around 8 mm and has a great ability to disperse water. Along with the decrease in tread pattern, the water dispersing capability of a tyre reduces. It is always advisable to replace the vehicle tyres before the tread wears level down close to the tread wear indicators. Tread depth can be checked at either a service station or a tyre retailer otherwise, you can use a tread depth gauge at the nearest service station. Tread Wear Indicators are present into the grooves of tyres and are at least four in count all around the tyre.

#5 Overloading and High-Speeding
Overloading and High-Speeding
Overloading and high-speeding are always dangerous not only for your life but also for your vehicle tyres. These two can cause uneven wear and may also result in tyre bursts. It is always advisable to go through the vehicle manual to know your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.