Fresh Bites 14.07.06

Some quick tips and techniques on Tyre Care and Maintenance this morning.

Brand New Tyre

Tyre on the Legal Limit

Note the tread wear indicators in the centre of the tyre. To the untrained eye this tyre looks o.k. but is 80% Worn!

Tyres are what keep you on the road and the little black stuff is only a few square inches/centimetres in area so it’s very important that you know how to look after them and how to recognise problems immediately!

First of all you need some Kit which is not expensive but absolutely invaluable!

 Tyre Kit

1. Tyre Pressure Gauge.
2. Tyre Tread Depth Gauge.
3. Mini Compressor (runs off the cigar lighter)
4. Small Wooden Plank (about 12 inches long)…for supporting jack in soft conditions.
5. Professional Cross Wheel brace.

Go to the article on Tyre care for the full explanation of all these pieces of kit and how they will deal with all of your tyre problems.

Hints and Tips

1. The pressure gauge will give you an accurate reading when the tyres are cold before your journey.

2. The Mini Compressor will give you a very quick correction of tyre pressures when they are down and will also enable you to increase the pressures correctly when you are carrying a heavier load or full passengers when going on Holidays for example. The recommended increase in pressures will usually be found inside the fuel filler cap or the Car Manual.

3. You can spot a slow puncture very easily by checking the pressures daily. It only takes a couple of minutes.

4. A nail in the tyre will usually shed 6psi per day so if it’s down by this amount 24 hours after you have checked the tyre you have got a nasty nail in the black stuff which will need to be dealt with by your tyre shop immediately.

5. The plank is a necessity to support the jack when you get a puncture since punctures usually happen miles from anywhere and often in the winter with soft verges .It’s really important to get the car off the road if you are in a dangerous position to change the wheel. People get killed by passing cars when changing wheels!

6. It’s possible to get a greater mileage out of your tyres by rotating them periodically. The front tyres will be wearing at twice the rate of the rear tyres due to the weight of the engine that they are supporting and all the turning that they undertake. The rear tyres just mind their own business and go round and round!

7. When you are re-locating your tyres this is an ideal time to have a close up and personal look at their condition, wear rate and tread depth. It’s not always easy to spot uneven wear by bending down and peering at the tyre. With the wheel off it’s easy to highlight a flat spot or uneven wear which can lead to a slide or skid if not dealt with!

8. Even if the tread depth is still within the legal parameter it is likely that the tyre will be 80% worn at that stage. So we recommend that tyres are replaced before that stage of wear is reached. Winter months particularly will highlight the need to become an expert tyre analyst. What you may get away with on a dry road in Summer will be lethal in the Winter especially if you do a lot of country road driving . What is the significance of this remark? Leaves…Leaves… and more Leaves!