How To Practice Good Tyre Care
#1
Posted 19 January 2011 - 05:40 PM
What are 4 things you count on to keep your whole family safe every single day? For those of you that guessed tires, bravo! With all the time your loved ones spend in a car, you need those tyres to be in tip-top shape. And proper tyre care is your ticket to ride - safely. In these 3 easy steps, The Expert tells you how to keep your tire care simple and effective.
STEP 1 - KEEP YOUR TYRES BALANCED
Balancing your tyres is crucial to making sure they spin correctly. (We all know that it's no fun to ride around on shaky wheels!) Have your mechanic balance the tyres by attaching small weights to the wheel rim. These weights will equalize any distortion in the construction of your tyres or their rims. If you notice a vibration in your tyres, you may want to rebalance your wheels. At the very least, bring your car to your favorite mechanic to see if that's the way to go.
STEP 2 - MAKE SURE YOUR WHEELS ARE PROPERLY ALIGNED
Alignment is the key word in making sure everything in you car is in check and running smoothly. It keeps your tyres running together and in sync with your vehicle. There are 2 kinds of alignment: regular and 4-wheel. If your vehicle has independent suspension, you need to have all 4 wheels aligned. It is usually a good idea to do this with front-wheel drive vehicles. Alignment is crucial to your car's tyre life and relatively painless to keep working correctly. Unless you're driving your car through the Appalachian Mountains (or seriously bumpy back roads), you should only need to have your tyres aligned twice a year. Whenever the tread is wearing unevenly or you're driving unevenly - no matter how straight you are going - it may be a sign to have the alignment checked out.
STEP 3 - TAKE THE TIME TO ROTATE THOSE TYRES
This step needs to be done a little more frequently than the other 2 to keep your tyres in their best shape for as long as possible. The good news is that it is as simple as having your mechanic switch your tyres' positions. Most tyre companies will tell you to rotate all 4 tyres approximately every 6000 miles. For the less fastidious tire owner, the Expert recommends that you do so at least every 10,000 miles, especially for front-wheel drive vehicles. Also, keep in mind that there are different types of tyre rotation possible. Your owner's manual should recommend the preferred method for your vehicle, which you can then share with your mechanic.
APEXI | BOSCH | CASTROL | CE28N | DAYCO | EIBACH | FGK FUJITSUBO | HID | K&N | MITSUBISHI | NEXEN | STEELMATE | ULTRA RACING | WEGRO | WORKS ENGINEERING
#2
Posted 20 January 2011 - 04:39 PM
1. What is the recommended tyre pressure for 1) single driver 2) full car with passengers as a baseline?
2. What is the recommended mileage to change tyres?
3. What is the benefit of using nitrogen?
4. What is the oldest tyre age to buy from the shop?
Thanks!
#3
Posted 20 January 2011 - 04:58 PM
Rotate of tyres is more to prolong the tyre life span.
Since you mention safety, the best is to check your air pressure weekly or every two weekly. Low air pressure can produce heat until blow out especially driving on the highway. That is why we normally increase the air pressure by at least 2psi over normal for highway drives.
Check tyre wear every now and then, especially the inner side. A lot of people just inspect by looking at their tyres, but do not check the inner side. A negative camber or excessive toe out will cause the inner side to wear out. If it reaches the carcass (Canvass) then the steel belt, next will be a blow out.
Clean tyres and apply tyre shine. This help a little on UV protection from sunlight.
Check old tyres for hair line cracks on the sidewall.
#4
Posted 20 January 2011 - 05:12 PM
1. What is the recommended tyre pressure for 1) single driver 2) full car with passengers as a baseline?
Depends on car setup and tyres used. Basically for 215/45/R17, 32 to 36psi all round, or for FWD, front more by 2psi over the rears. Play around and find the pressure that suits you.
2. What is the recommended mileage to change tyres?
Depends again on tyres used and driver's driving style and route used. I would not mention mileage as different drivers gets different mileage even on same cars on same tyres.....
3. What is the benefit of using nitrogen?
Nitrogen suppose to leak less and also heats up less compare to air, therefore the different in air pressure when tyres heats up should be less, but then again our normal air is already 78% nitrogen. The different in air pressure is actually water vapour that gets pumped into the tyres.
The bad side is not all shops have nitrogen. They normally charge you for it, and also for refill. Once you pump at the petrol station, it defeats the purpose already.
4. What is the oldest tyre age to buy from the shop?
Always buy the newest tyre possible. If you can use up tyres fast then possibility you can pick up a two year old tyre, but ask for more discount. If not possible, tyres less then one year is best
Thanks!
#5
Posted 20 January 2011 - 07:35 PM
If I may re-phrase the no 2 question; how many percent of the thread left should we consider to start replacing the tyre already?
#6
Posted 20 January 2011 - 08:01 PM
APEXI | BOSCH | CASTROL | CE28N | DAYCO | EIBACH | FGK FUJITSUBO | HID | K&N | MITSUBISHI | NEXEN | STEELMATE | ULTRA RACING | WEGRO | WORKS ENGINEERING
#7
Posted 20 January 2011 - 10:08 PM
If I may re-phrase the no 2 question; how many percent of the thread left should we consider to start replacing the tyre already?
Okay, noted.
Normally most people wait until they reach the TWI (Thread wear indicator) but that should be a no no.....
Especially on 215/45/R17, wide tyres, you will aquaplane easily after about 50% worn down. I suggest slowing down in the wet as the tyres wears down, especially after 50%.
For tyre change in this category, I recommend at around 30% balance for safety issue. Anyway, with 30% thread pattern balance you can ask for trade in value to the tyre shop......
#8
Posted 20 January 2011 - 10:09 PM
No problem. you are welcome.....
#9
Posted 21 January 2011 - 12:07 AM
Normally most people wait until they reach the TWI (Thread wear indicator) but that should be a no no.....
Especially on 215/45/R17, wide tyres, you will aquaplane easily after about 50% worn down. I suggest slowing down in the wet as the tyres wears down, especially after 50%.
For tyre change in this category, I recommend at around 30% balance for safety issue. Anyway, with 30% thread pattern balance you can ask for trade in value to the tyre shop......
Thanks again bro.
30% balance you mean 70% of usage right?
#10
Posted 21 January 2011 - 10:44 AM
Normally most people wait until they reach the TWI (Thread wear indicator) but that should be a no no.....
Especially on 215/45/R17, wide tyres, you will aquaplane easily after about 50% worn down. I suggest slowing down in the wet as the tyres wears down, especially after 50%.
For tyre change in this category, I recommend at around 30% balance for safety issue. Anyway, with 30% thread pattern balance you can ask for trade in value to the tyre shop......
APEXI | BOSCH | CASTROL | CE28N | DAYCO | EIBACH | FGK FUJITSUBO | HID | K&N | MITSUBISHI | NEXEN | STEELMATE | ULTRA RACING | WEGRO | WORKS ENGINEERING