Car maintenance can be time-consuming and costly exercise, but if kept on top of everything it doesn’t need to be. Tires have no predictable life, but when the tread depth on the tire starts reducing, uneven wearing starts setting in, this calls for attention. I this post, I’ll share with some of the useful tire maintenance tips to help you manage your tires On the longest run.
5 Useful Tyre Maintenance Tips
Normally tire change is usually recommended at about 40 to 50,000 kilometers, after all, it is all about being safe especially on wet surfaces. Here are a few useful tire maintenance tips.
1. Have Properly Inflated Tires
90% of tire problems arise from under-inflation, especially if you have low profile tires. The under-inflated tires can easily be seen by visual inspection every time you park your car for a long time. It is highly advisable to have regular checks on your tires at least once every month.
A lot of people don’t know that there is a tire pressure recommendation in the side panel of your car. It is normally stuck to the tire or the center pillar of the car, and that is the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure for your car.
However, if you have already changed to the aftermarket wheels and tires, then keep your tire pressure to not less than 30 psi. You will know if the tire is overinflated when it becomes more bouncy than regular.
2. Check for Balance/Wheel alignment
Wrong wheel alignment can take a toll on your tires and you will have no choice but to replace them sooner than expected. Misaligned wheels can cut down the life of your tires by half, therefore check your alignment regularly, especially when you notice that the tire wear is not uniform from one side to the other.
If you are driving on the highway and your steering wheel is wiggling, this is a balancing problem, so have your wheels balanced because it’s going to be annoying for the rest of your trip.
3. Have the Correct Tyre for your Car
Consult the experts while selecting the size of your wheels and tires for your car. Not everything you see in the market is the right one for you, not everything that is discussed in the car forums is correct. Ensure other branded tires adhere to the specifications or the safety requirements of international standards before consideration. Be careful while choosing your tires especially when you’re traveling on the highways since safety is paramount.
4. Check for Uneven Tread Wear
Tires have manufacturing dates on the sidewall, and they normally last for about five to seven years depending on their usage and depending on the brand. One way to know if your tires are not safe is when you start to see cracks on the sidewall, even when the treads are still thick.
If a coin can go in between the threads of your tire and makes it halfway, then you’re good to go, if not, then you need a replacement.
5. Regularly Check your Brakes
You might be owning a car with a rotary brake it sounds obvious, but if you don’t keep an eye on your brake, stopping can become an issue, and that is officially a bad thing. Brake pads are usually the first to go, so check them every couple of months and take a look at the discs.
Every time you start driving, it is highly recommended to check your brake discs for any anomalies like a noticeable lip on the outside or if they’re badly pitted. these checks will help you know if your discs are worn and need replacement.
Also, if you hear a screeching sound every time you hit the brakes, then get yourself a new set of pads just to keep you safe when driving and also to avoid hitting other motorists and obstacles in a high traffic situation.
Keep these tips In mind when driving your car. I hope you enjoyed reading and have found this post quite useful. Happy driving 🙂
