You can’t just put a new set of tyres on your car and then forget about them. A new set of tyres requires care and attention - both to ensure the longevity of your set of tyres but also to improve the safety and fuel efficiency of your car. Failure to look after your tyres can cause many problems and increase the cost to you associated with driving a car - you’ll spend more on petrol and have to upgrade your tyres more often. This article contains some great tips on how to maintain your private or fleet truck tyres.
Make sure you regularly check the air pressure Each car and each tyre brand has recommendations for tyre pressure. These recommendations balance comfort, safety and fuel efficiency. Driving your tyres without the correct pressure damages your tyres and means that you will have to replace them more regularly. Driving with properly inflated tyres improves the safety of you and your family, saves you money and makes your drive more comfortable.
Make sure you rotate your tyres regularly
The roads that you drive on are not completely flat. This means that your tyres will not wear evenly. This can cause problems if you don’t rotate your tyres. You should rotate them regularly to even out the wear across tyres - meaning that they will last longer.
Make sure you regularly get your tyres aligned
It’s not enough to just rotate your tyres though - you need to make sure they are in balance and aligned when they are rotated. If you feel your car vibrating or “pulling” slightly to one side then you will waste petrol whilst also making sure that your tyres will wear more quickly than they would otherwise. Make sure you rotate and align your tyres regularly.
Check the tyre tread
Regularly checking your tyre tread is both an important maintenance factor but also vital for the safety of your vehicle. You should regularly check the tread. Look for nails or rocks that may be lodged in the thread. These can lead to punctures. But also, driving around on tyres with treads that is too shallow can mean a loss of grip or other problems - this can be a safety issue if you are driving and need to break suddenly. You want to be confident that your car is going to stop when you really need it to.
Tyres are not a set and forget part of your vehicle. Those four small bits of rubber are all that keeps your car on the road and an important part of your vehicle safety. Because they are so important you should ensure that they are maintained properly. If you want some tyre advice, or if you want to check that your tyres are still safe, please give us a call to come in for an appointment.