“Good tyre maintenance is a case of knowing what to check and top of our tip list is ensuring your tyres are correctly inflated”, says Bridgestone’s PR Manager, Mandy Lovell.
Tyres lose pressure gradually over time and, if left unchecked for an extended period, can become under-inflated and start running hot. The low pressure results in a bigger contact patch with the tarmac, thereby causing additional friction, which results in a build-up of heat. Eventually, an under-inflated tyre could disintegrate and end in a blowout, but not before driving up fuel consumption too.
A few easy to follow and routine maintenance tips could save you money and quite possibly even your life.
- Check your tyre pressures every two weeks when they’re cold. If you check the pressures after driving, the air inside the tyre would have warmed up and expanded, thereby providing an inconsistent reading.
- If you find an accurate tyre pressure gauge at a garage, then try and use the same one every time you check your pressures. Failing that, purchase your own pressure gauge to guarantee consistent and accurate measurement.
- Check the tread wear and its depth. Tread removes water from between the tyre and the tarmac and if it’s too low, your chance of aquaplaning and losing control is greatly increased.
- Check for foreign or sharp objects caught in the tyre. Rather spot a potential problem when you’re parked in your driveway, than when you’re stuck on the roadside.
- Inspect the sidewalls for cuts or bulges on both the interior and exterior of the tyre. Cuts make a tyre illegal and a bulge in the tyre is a blowout waiting to happen. Replace damaged tyres straight away.
- Also make sure there are no fluids leaking onto the tyres, such as oil or grease from the wheel hub, or possibly brake fluid. Apart from being signs of safety-critical failures, oil and grease can damage a tyre.
- Finally, worn shock absorbers reduce roadholding and can cause premature tyre wear. Incorrect wheel alignment can also cause unecessary wear on the tyres.
Don’t let something as simple as a tyre hold you up these holidays when a 5 minute inspection in your driveway could save you hours and improve road safety for you and your family.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
