Regular inspection and maintenance of your tyres is an important part of making sure you are driving a safe vehicle and will help prolong their lifespan. Inspect your tyres at least once a month. Every time you prepare to get behind the wheel, as well as before and after long journeys, you should perform a quick safety check on your vehicle, including an inspection of your tyres.
Proper maintenance of your tyres will extend their life and save you money, considering the cost, making them a major investment.
Focus on these 4 tips when it comes to tyre inspections and maintenance:
Check Your Tyre Tread Depth
In New Zealand, the minimum legal tread depth for tyres is 1.5mm. Anything less than 3mm can seriously affect the overall handling of your vehicle and you may not have enough traction to accelerate or brake quickly, especially in slippery or wet conditions.
Having a sufficient tread depth is important to ensuring the safest possible driving experience. Most tyres will have a tread wear indicator moulded into the tread. Check all four tyres and measure the tread using the tread wear indicator which is a rubber bar moulded into the tread. If this is visible, it’s time to replace your tyres.
Tyre Damage or Irregular Wearing
Making regular visual inspections of your tyres is a very important safety exercise. Keep an eye out for cracks, bulges or cuts in the tyre and if found, this damage should be inspected by a tyre service professional.
At Manu’s Tyre Service, we can get you the best professional advice on whether the tyre should be removed from the service and can provide a range of tyres to suit vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
A few things you can keep an eye on for tyre damage or irregular wearing are:
- Feathered edges
- Wear on one side
- Wear only in the middle of the tyre
These can be signs that your vehicles steering, suspension or wheel alignment needs adjusting and should be addressed as soon as possible.
Valves and Caps
Keeping unfamiliar substances and water out of your tyres is very important as water is known to cause problems in vehicle tyres if it eventually gets there. As the tyre heats up, the water expands faster than the air and in cold weather; it can turn to ice, creating balancing problems.
Make sure you have the small metal or plastic caps on each tyre valve while inspecting your tyres. In case if you’re missing one, visit your local auto parts store to purchase one or discuss with your vehicle manufacturer.
Bulges and Cracks
When air has entered between the rubber layers in the tyre it causes a bulge or a lump which typically indicates tyre separation. Although it may not leak immediately, it is very unsafe to operate your vehicle with a tyre separation. Visually check for anything that looks like it doesn’t belong and look for egg-sized lumps that feel softer than the rest of the tyre when pressed.
Check your tyres for fine or wide cracks. Cracking occurs when the rubber begins to degrade. Fine cracks, although normal, should be monitored regularly and can form either between tread blocks or on the sidewall, but should not expose the cords or leak air. If you see any cracks that expose inner tyre layers, it’s a very serious condition that requires immediate tyre replacement.
If you find that your tyres need service due to any of the problems mentioned above, Manu’s Tyre Service can inspect your tyres and perform any services you need.
If you have any doubts about the safety of your tyres (including your spare), come and see us and we will be happy to chat with you and give you the best advice you require to make smart tyre decisions.
For more tyre safety tips, visit our blog for 5 Tyre Safety Tips Every Car Owner Should Know.
