Most of us don't think about our tyres very much until we hear that telltale shriek as we skid around a street corner. Or, heaven forbid, we wait until we find it impossible to break in time and careen into another car/pole/wall.
The tragedy of accidents caused by bald tyres is that there are some clear signs you can look out for to know when to replace your tyres and ensure your own and your loved ones’ safety. Take a look at the following list and see if it’s time to get your tyres repaired:
- The coin test. Your tyre treads should never be less than 1.6 millimetres in depth (more if you’re driving on wet surfaces). To check the depth of the tread, take a twenty cent piece and insert it into the tread's grooves. If the tread hides any part of the queen's head, you've got some more time before you need to replace your tyres. If you can easily see the top of the queen's coif, head on down to your local tyre store as soon as possible.
- Your tyres seem to be going flat more often. Most tyres lose air over time, but it should be a reasonably minimal problem. If you’re getting regular flats or your tyres are deflating more quickly than usual, it’s a good bet that you’ll need to replace them immediately.
- Your mileage has gone down. Worn out tyres can cause drag on the road, which costs you more in petrol. Even tyres a little low on air can be burning through your hard earned cash at the bowser. Because you can’t generally tell just by looking, remember to check your tyre pressure regularly with a gauge – you should be doing this every fortnight as a matter of routine and before every long journey.
- You see bulging and cracks. When tyres become warped, or the belt inside is broken, you'll start to see bumps and bulges in them. While these aren’t dangerous, you should definitely start thinking about getting a new set of tyres soon. Cracks or crazing on the sidewalls is also a sign that you should book a tyre repair or replacement service soon. The cracks often appear on tyres that are out in the weather regularly and are caused by strong sunlight or the ozone in the sea air.
- Your car wobbles. Cars tend to vibrate, especially on uneven roads, but if you feel you’re experiencing a little too many bad, bad, bad vibrations while driving it might mean your tyres need rebalancing. Or it could be some internal problem with the tyre – either way, it’s best to get to a mechanic right away.
- Your brakes wear out faster. If your tread is getting too low and uneven, you can start to lose traction when braking. Worst case scenario, you’ll lose control when your brakes underperform. Suddenly you’ve got a more costly problem than merely a tyre replacement.
Got a problem with your tyres. Call us now for expert advice.