Simple But Important Tips for Maintaining Your Vehicle's Tyres
Your vehicle's tyres are just as important as any other part of your car or truck; after all, the tyres are the only part of the vehicle that come into contact with the road, so it's vital that they always be in good repair, both for your own safety and for smooth handling of the vehicle. While tyres will eventually suffer some damage and need fixing or replacing, note a few tips for maintaining them properly so you can extend their lifespan as long as possible and avoid any unnecessary damage.
Turning the tyres
When your car is parked and not moving, you want to avoid turning the tyres. Moving them from side to side while the vehicle is in place causes friction of the tyres against the pavement; in turn, this wears down the rubber and tread and can cause cracking. It can also cause indentations on asphalt! Even moving the car a few inches or centimetres forward or backward while adjusting the tyres is better than changing their position while stationary, so avoid this as much as possible.
High speed and other bad driving habits
Driving at high speeds can actually increase the risk of damaging the vehicle's tyres, as the tyres then need to work harder to grip the road, and this can cause early tread wear. Those higher speeds also mean more heat for the tyres, and heat can be damaging to rubber, allowing the tread to wear down sooner than it should. Cracks can also lead to a blowout or the tyre flattening at high speeds, so consider slowing down as much as possible.
You also want to avoid slamming on the brakes, as this scrapes the rubber of tyres across the pavement, also causing damage to the tread, and it puts pressure on the tyre from the brakes and rotors. Mind your driving habits to lengthen the life of your car's tyres.
Cleaning and oiling
You may not think much of cleaning the tyres and rims when you wash your car, but dust and dirt that build up around the tyres can mean wear and tear around the brakes, which then puts added wear on the tyres. Adding some oil or rubber lubricant to the outside of the tyres after cleaning them also softens the rubber, so it's less likely to crack and split. When you give the tyres a good wash, you can also take the time to examine them and look for anything embedded in the tread, as well as premature cracking, flaking of the rubber or other signs of an impending blowout.
For more information on tyres, contact a company like O'Neills Tyres.
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