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Weekly Checks - Tyre condition and pressure |
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It is extreemly important that tyres are kept in good condition, and at their correct pressure at all times. I can not stress just how important this is, having a tyre failure at any speed is highly dangerous, but the danger increases with speed. Tyre wear is influenced by driving style, harsh breaking and acceleration, fast cornering, aswell as some mechanical problems aswell as imballance. As a general rule of thumb, the front tyres do tend to wear out faster then the rear tyres. Interchanging the tyres from front to rear ( or "rotating" the tyres) may result in more even wear. However, if this is completely effective, you may have the expense of replacing all four tyres at once!
Remove any nails or stones embedded in the tread before they penetrate the tyre to cause deflation. If removal of a nail does reveal that the tyre has been punctured, refit the nail so that its point of penetration is marked. Then immediately change the wheel, and have the tyre repaired by a tyre dealer.
Regularly check the tyres for damage in the form of cuts or bulges, especially in the sidewalls. Periodically remove the wheels, and clean any dirt or mud from the inside and outside surfaces. Examine the wheel rims for signs of rusting, corrosion or other damage. Signs of rusting, corrosion or other damage. Light alloy wheels are easily damaged by "kerbing" whilst parking, steel wheels may also become dented or buckled. A new wheel is very often the only way to overcome severe damage.
New tyres should be balanced when they are fitted, but it may become necessary to rebalance them as they wear, or if the balance weights fitted to the wheel rim should fall off. Unbalanced tyres will wear more quickly, as wheel imbalance is normally signified by bibration, particularly at a certain spead (typically around 50mph). If this vibration is felt only through the steering, then it is likely that just the front wheels need balancing. If, however, the vibration is felt through the whole car, the rear wheels could be out of balance. Wheel balancing should be carried out by a tyre dealer or garage.
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