Perhaps the most overlooked and the most dependable part of your car are the tyres which it runs on. The tyres of the car play a pivotal but understated role in the life of your vehicle as they are the sole point of contact to the road during the entire time the car is in motion. Therefore, it is only natural that one takes special care of the tyres of their car and keeps them in fit condition so as to enhance their life. The regular check on tyres is important because one would not want to be caught in an unwanted situation where even a slight and sudden alteration in the weather leads to the vehicle skidding. Almost all the makers advertise their tyres as having a life of around 50 thousand kilometres, but if you want to get some extra mileage from your tyres, here are some effective measures you must adopt.
Selection
This is one of the very first and most important things as far as tyres are concerned. The right selection of tyre will not only make your driving easier and pleasurable experience, it will also ensure that your tyres last for a longer time. Determine the usage scenario of your car, list out the kind of roads and surfaces your car frequents and then choose the right kind of tyre for your car. Almost all the brands in the market offer a wide variety of tyre selection which includes soft compound tyres, hard compound tyres, and multipurpose usage tyres among other. While all the tyre options look the same at the first glance they actually are not and are highly usage specific. So make sure that you choose the right kind of tyre for your vehicle.
The Load Matters
Yes, the amount of stress a tyre has to face on the road during its life is directly proportional to the volume of load the vehicle carries on a daily basis. Therefore, never overload your vehicle as this not only has a harmful effect on your tyres, but it also harms the suspension of the vehicle. The worst hit part of the tyre due to overloading is the sidewall which flexes and contracts at every small bump in the road. This greatly reduces the life of the vehicle as the tyres are designed with a certain load capacity in mind. The abnormal contraction and expansion of sidewalls of tyre make then very weak and then the tyre becomes prone to bursting at higher speeds, which is fatal.
Tyre Pressure
Just like is the case with load, the tyre pressure is also an important aspect. Tyre companies make their tyres with specific and precise calculations where the optimum tyre pressure plays an important role. Therefore, going above or beyond the recommended tyre pressure limit again has a negative impact on the tyres of the car. While low pressure in tyre heats them up and causes tyre bursts, higher pressure in tyres reduces the grip.
Wheel Alignment
The alignment of wheels in yet another aspect that causes abnormal tyre wear and greatly brings down the life of tyres. If the wheel are all working at even a slightly different angle, every inch you drive your car will cause abnormal wear and tear of tyres. Therefore, make sure you get your wheels aligned every 5 thousand kilometres to ensure that your tyres last longer.
Sensible Driving
Yes, lastly this is one of the biggest points one must have in their mind. Pulling out the rear of your car may seem cool at times, but this drastically brings down the life of your tyres. Even hard breaking and tyre spinning acceleration may look good on reel, but not only they endanger your safety, they also bring down the life of your tyres down by a huge margin.