In Australia, nearly all of us need vehicles to get around, and tyres are what connect us to the road and keep us safe.
At Double D Tyre Right so often we are amazed at how little most people know about tyres. We are also surprised at some of the beliefs people have that are just not true.
Here we discuss some of the myths about tyres and how to look after them. We hope this will help you stay safer as you get around town or up the highway.
Myth #1: I don’t need to check my tyres; my mechanic looks at them when I service my car
In our view, this is ‘passing the buck’ on driver responsibility. You don’t want to be an unsafe driver and by simply looking at your tyres every now and checking for signs of wear and tear is an easy way to maintain vehicle safety.
It saves you money. Firstly, you can monitor your tyre pressures. The tyre will last longer, perform better and improve fuel efficiency if they are at the optimal pressure. Secondly, you can notice wear on certain sections of your tyres, which can then be rotated to prolong their life.
Noticing problems such as nails in your tyre can also help prevent a blowout. These are often easy to fix if detected early, saving the cost of a replacement tyre.
Myth #2: Over-inflating a tyre can make it burst
It doesn’t matter how much you try to inflate a tyre at your service station; it is almost impossible to make it burst- unless it has a defect, or it is very poorly fitted.
However, over-inflating a tyre does affect how quickly it wears. If you are driving your car and hit a rough bump, pothole, or the sidewalk, for example, an overinflated tyre is more likely to blow out.
Myth #3: Tyre rotation doesn’t help; it just makes tyre suppliers make money
It’s okay; we won’t take this one personally. We know that rotating your tyres almost always increases the life of the tyre. So, we can sleep easily at night, knowing our customers and their families are safer on the roads.
Depending on how and where you drive, your tyres rarely wear evenly. This is especially true if you live in an area with a lot of hills or winding roads, or if you are an aggressive driver. By rotating tyres, you spread the wear and tear over different tyres.
This can also save you money by not having to replace them as often.
Myth #4: Used tyres are dangerous
In some cases, a used tyre or a re-tread tyre is the perfect option. We wouldn’t suggest that for the tyres driven on every day for the family car, but there are times when it makes sense.
We live in a throwaway society and a used tyre fitted on your spare, which is only needed to get from A to B or for a short while, can save you money.
But beware that sometimes when people get four new tyres, they rotate the best one onto their spare, for example. You need to be aware of the quality to make sure you are not taking a risk to save a couple of dollars.
Myth #5: The new tyres go on the front wheels
While this myth does have some truth to it, it is definitely not always the smartest move.
Your front wheels are normally the ones that connect to the axle that is part of your steering. The tyres that are responsible for the steering need to have enough grip to hold the road and change the direction of your car without sliding.
So it makes sense to put the better tyres there, doesn’t it?
Your rear tyres also need to grip the road well for your car to be safe and for comfortable handling. Your rear tyres are also part of the braking system of your vehicle.
This myth creates problems because people think they can drive safely on worn rear tyres as long as the front tyres have a decent tread on them. The fact is, however, any worn tyres that look like they are coming to an end should be replaced, not just moved to the rear.
Myth #6: My tyres should last for a long long time
There two ways of interpreting this myth. The first one is that the tyres on your vehicle will last until they are worn out completely. This belief is false and carries a high degree of risk. Worn tyres make your vehicle unroadworthy.
If you are a business owner with a fleet of truck tyres, delivery vehicle tyres or similar, it can also bring up insurance risks or risk of significant downtime. It is better to have a tyre management plan than be making random tyre changes and decisions. Tyres wear. That is a fact of life.
Another way this can be interpreted is that tyres that are kept in a garage or storage last forever - this is also not true. Tyre rubber can deteriorate without being used on the road, due to humidity, fluctuating temperature, pest problems and other factors. If you have old tyres, look into getting them checked by a professional before fitting to make sure they are still usable.
As tyre suppliers, Double D’s priority is always safety first. That’s the primary function of a tyre. Feel free to ask about any other tyre myths you’ve heard of, and we can post about them in the future too.
If you'd like any advice or help regarding your tyres, please contact us on
1300 338 973 or visit one of our two locations.