The longevity of a car tyre is hard to predict due to the fact that it depends on a combination of factors which are the designing, the drivers’ habit, the climate, the road conditions and the car care. Among these factors, the habit of the drivers is a changeable component. Therefore, getting rid of some bad habits is an important improvement that can be done to increase of longevity of the car tyres.
First all of, when driving on the road, the drivers should consider some cases to avoid:
Speeding
Quick starts
Emergency braking
Secondly, when using the tyres, the drivers should not:
Mix tyre types
Use tyres on damaged, distorted or modified wheels
Use wheel and rim sizes that are not compatible
Reinflate a tyre that has been run flat or seriously underinflated
Use a spare tyre that has a different size or the speed in excess of 80 kmph
And finally, when replacing the tyres, the driver should try not to replace the old by the ones that do not have the speed capability or load index that equals to or higher than those originally specified by the manufacturer.
Car tyre often has wear and tear after a long time using
“When to change car tires?” has been one of the most commonly asked questions for the car owners because it requires the drivers to realize the signs of a worn out tyre such as
The tread is worn beyond the recommended tread depth levels
The sidewall is damaged
Any hole in the tread is greater than 6 mm in diameter
The bead is damaged or deformed (the bead is the edge of the tyre that sits on the wheel)
Especially, these 2 situations below should be noted the most. This is the time your tyres should be thoroughly inspected and then replaced.
Occasionally, on the road, car tyres are perforated or deformed by nails, iron, or other sharp and hard objects. In these cases, you are advised to visit an authorized tyre dealer or a mechanic store to check whether the tyre should be replaced or not.
In other cases, changing tyres might be necessary if:
The tyre is damaged by hydrocarbons or corrosive substances.
Hydrocarbon is a factor causing the wear and tear
The inner rubber is scratched.
The tyre tube can be scratched when the tyre is flat
There are punctures on the tyre hips.
Your car tyre also can have a puncture at all time
Bead area is revealed or deformed.
Common tyre bead damages
The tire is bald.
The bald tire is very slippery due to the poor traction
The warning sign of a worn tyre is the small flanks at the bottom of the tire splines. If the rubber surface is within this range, the tire has almost reached a safety limit of 1.6 mm. You can also buy a device to measure the depth of the tire's lugs that the mechanic store often uses.
One way that Americans often use to measure tire tread depth without spending a dime is to use a Lincoln Presidential coin as below. If all of Lincoln's head is invisible, the tire is worn out.
The funny but useful way to check the tyre wear and depth
It can also be applied in India way as well
Using a worn tyre increases the risk of car crashes, especially in wet conditions, because the tyre loses its ability to grip the road. In many countries around the world, it is illegal to drive a tyre less than 1.6 mm thick.
Read more: How to handle a tyre burst and blowout
Even if the tyre still works normally without any problem, it should be replaced by the expiry date which can be found on the side of the tyre. The last four digits of the date range indicate the tyre's date from the manufacturer. The expiry date recommended by most tyre manufacturers is less than 5 years from the date.
However, the longevity of a tyre can be changed significantly under different circumstances. In summer, all drivers should be attentive to the external appearance of the tyre, to reduce tire pressure or any abnormalities (such as vibration, noise, horizontal force). Furthermore, in addition to the routine checks and the tyre pressure adjustments, all tyres must be inspected by a tire specialist regularly, including
Spare tire
Trailer tire
Camping
The driver should have the mechanic store carefully check the car tyre condition
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Tire Tread Test and Safety - Car Care Tips
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