How To Tell When Your Tyres Need Replacing

It’s not always noticeable when your tyres need replacing. There’s no special noise or “date of expiry” or alert that tells you that you need to change them. However, it is vitally important to change or at least check your tyres regularly, because driving with worn tread is like trying to hold a glass with oily hands – there’s no grip. This is a major reason for car accidents in Australia, so be sure you know when your car needs its tyres changed.

Here’s what to look out for:

• Age

Like all things in life, everything ages. However, with regard to your tyres, age matters a great deal because they are made with special, evenly-dispensed moisture to disperse the heat effectively while driving. The moisture lessens over time and this can cause a lot of damage to your tyres. Also, nowadays, tyres are stamp-dated with four numbers indicating first, the week it was manufactured and second, the year. This will give you an idea of the age.

• Tread

Australian law dictates that your tyre tread must be at 1.6mm. When it reaches a depth of 3mm, it is deemed un-roadworthy and you could receive a fine. There are also wear markers or tread wear bars, which are small block-like shapes between the treads. Once these indicators are distorted by the tread, it is a good sign that you need to replace your tyre as soon as possible. You should be able to feel this as well, especially when turning corners or braking. The tread on your vehicle is especially important when driving on wet roads. Without it, it won’t grip properly and will lead to accidents.

• Pressure

Tyres also need to be maintained at the right pressure in order to function properly on the roads. You should check the pressure of your car every two weeks. Just remember that it is best to check them before you start on your journey because inflating your tyre at cold temperatures is optimum; whereas, at warm temperatures, the pressure could be influenced by the heat.

Also, under-inflated tyres can lead to shoulder damage to your tyres and over-inflated tyres can lead to internaltyre structure damage. Be sure to check the sticker on the inside of your car door to know the precise amount of pressure or bars needed.

The best advice is to take your car into one of our stores Australia-wide to have your tyres checked properly by a professional mechanic. At least, with the information above, you can now be aware of the dangers that poor tyre maintenance can result in.

For more information, get in contact with us so we can provide expert advice regarding your tyres or any other aspect of your vehicle.