Six ways to keep your tyres lasting for longer

Six ways to keep your tyres lasting for longer

Maintaining your tyres properly will not only increase their longevity (and thus save you money), but increase your safety while driving.

Here are six ways you can maintain your tyres:

Cleaning

Cleaning your tyres with soap and water can remove foreign substances from the surfaces, which over time can degrade your tyres.

Inspecting

Inspect your tyres regularly for not only uneven wear, but for any objects or foreign substances that might be stuck.

Balancing and aligning

If your tyres are unbalanced, your tyres could wear unevenly and need replacing more often. And if they’re not properly aligned, they won’t wear equally, thus reducing their tread life. It’s recommended that you get your tyres aligned and balanced at least once a year, which can be done at a tyre and fitment garage.

Rotating

Rotation is the moving of tyres from one position to another to ensure equal wear on each tyre. Rotate your tyres every six to 12 months.

Checking the tread

The more worn your tyres are, the less grip and traction you’ll have when driving, which could be dangerous when it comes to braking and driving in the rain. New tyres usually have 8-9mm of tread, and while the legal minimum is 1.5mm, it’s advisable to replace your tyres when the tread is around 3mm.

Inflating

Don’t wait for someone to tell you that one of your tyres looks flat – rather check regularly yourself, or when you go fill up with petrol. Follow the tyre pressure guide inside the car or under the bonnet and adhere to the numbers – over- or underinflating can cause unnecessary wear on your tyres. If you’re carrying a heavy load, you should add some extra pressure to help with the extra weight on your tyres.