Regardless of the engine's power, the car tyres are among the most vital components. Unfortunately, however, car tyres, in spite of playing a crucial role in the vehicle's performance and safety, remain largely neglected by most buyers. Generally, car tyres come into focus when it's time to replace them with a new set, but there are several ways to increase their lives, thereby resulting in better performance and lower expenditure. Here are the top 5 effective tips to increase the life of your car tyres.
1. Tyre Pressure
Maintaining the correct tyre pressure is among the easiest and most effective ways to improve the life of your car tyres. It is a common misconception that overinflating the car tyre can help one achieve better handling characteristics and higher fuel efficiency. In fact, overinflation leads to faster wear and tear, thereby reducing its life.
Moreover, overinflation leads to higher stress on the suspension components. Yet another demerit is the bumpy ride. On the other hand, underinflation can lead to rapid degradation of the side walls, which, in turn, increases the chances of a tyre burst. Underinflated tyres also lead to lowered performance and increased fuel consumption. Hence, one should stick to the manufacturer-recommended tyre pressure.
2. Wheel Alignment and Balancing
One can minimise the wear and tear of car tyres by getting the wheels aligned and balanced at manufacturer-recommended intervals. Doing so even prevents faster ageing of the suspension components. In fact, those of you who drive over harsh terrains on a regular basis should get the alignment and balance checked more frequently. Going over a pothole or an undulation at high speed can easily cause misalignment, which necessitates a regular observation of the steering's behaviour. A car that pulls towards the left or right or has vibrations in the steering wheel at certain speeds needs an alignment and balancing job at the earliest.
3. Rotating Tyres
One should make sure to get the wheels and tyres of the car rotated at the manufacturer-specified interval to ensure even wear of tyres. The tyre rotation process should include the spare tyre, too. Not adhering to this practice could lead to uneven wear of one or more tyres and an earlier-than-usual tyre replacement exercise.
4. Gentle Driving
Driving gently not only boosts your car's fuel efficiency but also leads to lower wear and tear of the tyres. Malpractices, like that of hard braking and acceleration, and aggressive cornering can lead to increased degradation of car tyres.
5. Immediate Repair of Punctured tyre
One needs to pull over as soon as he realises that one of his car tyres is punctured. Driving with a punctured tyre even for a few kilometres and at a low speed leads to immense stress on it, which causes permanent weakening of the side walls. Using such a tyre even after getting the puncture repaired can have deadly consequences like a tyre bulge. Hence, it is recommended to replace a flat tyre as soon as you become aware of it.
