Top 10 Tyre Tips

1. Routine Tyre Pressure Checks

Check tyre pressures every 2-3 weeks when the rubber is cold

It’s important to check your tyre pressure when cold, as it will give you the ‘true’ pressure your tyres are at. While you drive, your tyres warm up and the pressure increases, giving you a false, higher pressure than they are really at.

If you do check your tyres while they’re ‘hot’, add an extra 4 PSI to the recommended cold tyre pressure. For monthly tyre check reminders, sign up to Tyre Check Tuesday!

2. Locating Your Tyre Pressures

You can find the recommended tyre pressures on the inside edge of your driver door.

On most vehicles, a metal plate with the manufacturer recommended tyre pressures will be located on the spine of the door. If you’re unclear on where to find this or still not sure what pressure your tyres should be contact your nearest store.

3. Minimum Tread Wear

For the safest driving conditions, you should replace your vehicle’s tyres when you have less than 2mm wear left.

As your tyres wear by driving on them, the tread wears down. The less tread on your tyres, the worse your vehicle’s braking performance and handling are. In wet conditions, these characteristics are further worsened.

The legal minimum tread depth is 1.5mm, but handling and braking performance begin to be compromised from less than 3mm of tread depth. Therefore, it is important to replace your tyres far before they reach the legal minimum.

4. Checking Tread Depth

“You can use a match head to check your tyre’s tread. If part of the head shows, it’s time for a replacement.”

A match head is the easiest way to check tread depth. Otherwise, using one of our free tread depth cards, which can be picked up from your local Bob Jane T-Marts, will also indicate if you need to replace your tyres or not based on tread depth.

5. Visual Inspections

Inspect your tyres regularly for tears, bruises and embedded objects.

Even the smallest cut that appears superficial can actually be a slow leak in your tyres. When checking your tyre pressures periodically, inspect your tyres for sidewall and tread damage. If you think you have a puncture, visit your local Bob Jane T-Marts for a professional assessment of the damage.

6. Tyre Valve Caps

It’s important to replace tyre caps if they get lost to keep water and debris out of the valves.

Sometimes when checking our tyre pressures or just from day-to-day driving, the tyre valve caps become misplaced. These are inexpensive and will save your tyres from water or other debris damaging and eroding the inside of it.

7. Spare Tyre

Don’t forget to regularly check your spare tyre for cracking and wear due to age.

Our spare tyres are often the last resort, hidden away in the boot of the car or stowed somewhere on the outside. Whether you have a space-saver or full-size spare, it’s important to check the tyre for damage due to old age.

Your spare tyre should be replaced every 5 years as a minimum.

8. Wheel Balancing

Regular wheel balances to your vehicle will improve wet road handling and safety.

An important aspect of your vehicle’s regular maintenance, wheel balancing ensures that each wheel receives equal contact on the road by adjusting the weights on each wheel. Common symptoms of unbalanced wheels include increased vibrations felt through the steering wheel and premature wear on suspension components.

Find out more about wheel balancing at your local Bob Jane T-Marts today!

9. Wheel Alignment

Periodic wheel alignments and rotations should be done to ensure even wear and extend the life of your tyres.

A wheel alignment ensures that all your wheels line up with your vehicle’s centreline. This will make your vehicle handle correctly and not pull to one side or the other while driving.

Find out more about wheel alignments from your local Bob Jane T-Marts today!

10. Matching Treads

Always match treads to the same axle. Mismatching tyres can cause handling issues.

Due to the different characteristics of different tyres, even from the same manufacturer, it’s always important to match having a matching set of tyres on your vehicle. Mixing brands and treads, especially on the same axle can cause severe handling issues and make the vehicle unbalanced due to the different load and speed ratings.

To be safe, always stick with the same set of four matching tyres on your vehicle whenever possible.

For more information about any of these top 10 tyres tips, contact your local Bob Jane T-Marts for extra information!