I know in the modern-day everything feels like one big rush. We’re constantly going from point A to point B without much thought of how we’re getting around. So it’s rather easy to forget about something simple like our car tyres. But having well-maintained tyres is crucial for not only having a more efficient drive, but also a safer one! Chances are your car was expensive whether you bought it outright or with car finance for bad credit, so you need to take the best care of it as you can. So I’m here to give you a few quick tips on how to care for and check your car tyres.
How to Care for and Check Your Car Tyres
Knowing the Legal Depth for Your Tyres
First things first, you might want to know what the legal minimum depth is for tyres in the UK. For that, it’s 1.6 millimetres. But obviously you don’t want to wait until you hit the minimum before you change your tyres, you’ll likely want to start looking when it gets between 1.6mm and 3mm.
Many vehicle manufacturers recommend replacing at 3 millimetres, but you do have time before you legally have to replace them. You’ll just want to be mindful to get them sorted the next chance you get.
How deep is 1.6mm? Just use The 20p Test to Check Your Tyre Tread
Ok, we don’t all wander around with a littler ruler that lets us know when our tyres are exactly at 3mm so we can start thinking about changing them. For those who happen to have spare change, you can simply do the 2op test!
All you have to do is insert a 20p coin into the lowest tread depth of your tyres. If you CAN’T see the outer rim around the edge of the coin, then your tyre is safe and has a minimum of 3mm tread depth. Sorted!
If you CAN see the rim then your tyre tread is less than 3mm – which is still legal – and you should consider getting them changed soon.
Checking the Air Pressure of Tyres to Help Maintain Them
It’s one thing checking your tyre tread – which let’s be honest, is pretty easy – but it’s another altogether to check the pressure.
We’re probably all rather lazy when it comes to actually checking the pressure on our tyres, but having them at the correct pressure can ensure that they are maintained for longer, and also more efficient on the road in regards to safety and fuel consumption.
Ideally, this is something that should be checked every two weeks or so. Just try and get into the habit of doing it every second or third time that you fill up your car. Check the treads and pressure together and you’re good to go!
BONUS: If you’re going on a long journey make sure you check the pressure and the treads before leaving. But you knew that already, didn’t you?
Help Your Tyres By Not Overloading Your Car
This is going to be next to impossible if you’re about to go on a family vacation with kids. But try your very best to never overload your car. When you do, it can cause excessive wear on the tyres due the head, and also compromise the handling of the vehicle itself. This could cause a tyre explosion, or just make driving less safe in general.
Your car – or even your tyres – may even tell you how much weight it can safely handle, so you might want to see if that information is available to you. It may be found on the placard of the door frame. Not that you’re going to be able to weigh your car, so I dare say this information may prove rather futile. Just be sensible, and if you have to make multiple trips instead of loading 5 washing machines in the car, then do that!
Simply Keep Your Wheels Aligned to Help with Uneven Wear
Keeping your wheels aligned is beneficial to not just the maintenance of your tyres, but also the safety of your vehicle in general.
Having poorly aligned tyres can lead to uneven wear, which can lead to weakened tyres and make them susceptible to more damage. This can also lead to a lack of control for the driver and poor efficiency in regards to fuel consumption. And let’s be honest, we all want our cars to be as fuel efficient as possible.
Ensuring your wheels are correctly aligned is actually fairly simple! All you have to do is ask the garage to take a look when they’re putting new tyres on. Every now and then I’ll have this done and usually it won’t cost that much. Last time I think it was just £10.
Be Sensible When Driving to Help the Longevity of Your Tyres
In essence, this section should be titled “Don’t Drive like a Dick” as that’s all I’m going to try and say.
We’re all in a rush sometimes, and occasionally we’ll approach things – like mounting a kerb – a little bit too quickly and do unnecessary damage to our tyres. So like everything when it comes to driving, take it easy, don’t do things in a rush, and generally try and avoid scraping your tyres on kerbs, walls or anything else.
Crucially, Don’t forget to Kick the Tyres!
Lastly, and most importantly, don’t forget to kick the tyres!
Ah, I’m only kidding! I was just seeing if you were paying attention. Kicking the tyres doesn’t really do anything, but let’s be honest, we all like to do it so we look like we know what the hell we’re doing. Luckily, there are people out there like Elite Tyres who actually know a little more than just how to give them a good kick! So go and get your car the tyres it deserves!
