When driving in a large city like Sydney, we regularly navigate a range of challenges on the road, some of which pose a risk to our tyres. It’s essential to pay attention to tyres, as not only does caring for tyres ensure their longevity and reduce repair and replacement costs, but it also makes driving on the road safer.
In this post, we’ll cover some practical measures you can take to maximise both the performance and longevity of your tyres, and also ensure that your tyres remain in good enough condition to do their job effectively.
Top Tyre Tips
Choose the right tyres
Ensure you consider your driving style, the terrain you typically drive on, and the tyre tread when selecting tyres for your vehicle. You to to ensure your tyres:
- Are the appropriate size
- Have the type of tyre tread that works best for your vehicle and driving style, and that closely matches any existing tyres you are keeping (if applicable)
- Are able to handle weather conditions, such as the heat of Sydney’s roads in summer, wet conditions, and cold conditions in winter, particularly if you drive in alpine areas
- Are sufficiently durable to handle both city driving, and the occasional off road adventure.
Maintain Appropriate Tyre Pressure
Checking your tyre pressure on a regular basis is a great way to ensure your vehicle drives efficiently, to reduce the risk of tyre blowouts.
It’s not too difficult to check your tyre pressure, you just need to remember to do it. The simplest way is to check using the tyre pressure gauges supplied at the service station. Ideally, check tyre pressure monthly, and do an additional check if you experience a driving incident that may have impacted the tyre pressure, such as driving over an obstacle like a pothole.
Your tyre pressure should align with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. There will be a recommendation for standard driving conditions, and additional advice for when you are driving at higher speeds on highways for example, for when you are driving off road on muddy or uneven terrain, and for when you are carrying or towing a heavy load. The recommendations will appear in your vehicle’s driver user manual. Tyre pressure recommendations also often appear on a sticker in your car’s door jamb. For more information on checking tyre pressure, see our post on How to get ideal tyre pressure for your car.
Monitor Tread Depth
It’s wise to periodically check your tyres’ tread depths. Acute tyre tread wear can deem your vehicle unroadworthy. In Australia, the minimum allowable depth of tyre tread is 1.6mm, however it’s best to monitor a tyre if its tread depth is lower than 3mm, and consider replacing the tyre as soon as possible.
How do you check tyre tread depth? Place an Australian 20 cent coin into a central groove in your tyre. If the tread reaches the bill of the platypus, your tyre is still passable. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to promptly sort out a tyre replacement.
Another way to check tyre tread depth is to use the tyre tread indicators. Basically, if your tyre tread wears down as far as these indicators, then you know the tyres need replacing.
Why is tyre tread important? Tyre tread performs an important role of enhancing traction on the road – particularly on wet roads. This reduces the risk of hydroplaning (when water causes your tyres to lose traction with the road, and instead, slide across the road’s surface), and it also improves braking performance.
If you aren’t certain if your tyres need replacing, and you’d prefer not to do these checks yourself, Jim’s Mobile Tyres are happy to help.
Ensure wheels are aligned and balanced
If your wheels are misaligned or unbalanced, it will impact your tyres, as sections of your tyres will wear down before others. Not only does it damage your tyres, but unbalanced or misaligned wheels can lead to your vehicle vibrating as you drive it, as well as steering issues. Correct alignment will improve your vehicle’s stability and handling, as well as improving fuel efficiency and the longevity of your tyres.
Ensure you get your vehicle serviced at regular intervals, and make sure that wheel balancing is included in the service. Jim’s Mobile Tyres aren’t able to perform wheel balancing as part of our mobile service (special machinery is required to do this), but upon an assessment of your tyres, we can usually identify signs that your wheels might be out of balance, and can then direct you to this service.
Regularly Inspect Tyres
You won’t know if your tyres have been damaged unless you regularly check them. Debris can easily become lodged in a tyre, and over time, cause damage. The more often you check your tyres, the less likely it is that they’ll need replacing. A repair may instead be possible.
Check your tyre for bulges, cute, damage, foreign objects, and for uneven wear. If you’d rather not do this yourself, the team at Jim’s Mobile Tyres will happily assist. If we find damage, we can either repair the damage, or if repair is not possible, we can fit you with a new replacement tyre.
Avoid Overloading
Carrying heavy loads can place excessive strain on your tyres, as well as on your vehicle’s suspension. It will also reduce fuel efficiency, and compromise vehicle handling and safety. If you can avoid it, don’t overload your vehicle or carry or tow excessively heavy loads. Adhere to your vehicle’s load limits, which should be outlined in your vehicle’s user manual.
If you need to carry a heavier load than usual, adjust your tyre pressure accordingly (this will usually mean you need to increase the pressure slightly). Then once the load is gone, readjust your tyre pressure for usual driving conditions.
Drive with care
Having good driving habits can really help you maintain your tyres for a longer period of time, as well as ensuring you are safer on the road. What to avoid is sudden acceleration, sharp and sudden turns, hard braking, and driving over potholes and speed humps, carelessly driving over debris, and hitting the curb with your tyres,which can cause sidewall damage.
Instead, take a slower and more cautious approach to driving. Pay proper attention to what’s on the road ahead of you, and drive at a speed that allows you the time to act cautiously to prevent potential damage, rather than driving aggressively and reacting at the last moment.
Correctly store and care for tyres
If you keep spare tyres, ensure they are stored in a cool and dry place, away from any chemicals and out of sunlight. Chemicals and their vapours can erode tyres, and sunlight can cause the materials in tyres to break down prematurely.
If you are storing tyres, it’s best to hang them in a tyre bag, rather than stack them, as stacking can warp the tyres.
When cleaning tyres, use a mild soap solution and water, or a special tyre cleaning solution. Avoid any harsh chemicals as they may degrade the rubber.
Consider the seasons
If you mainly drive in the city, you likely won’t need to change your tyres according to the seasons, however if you plan to drive in very cold temperatures, for example if you head to the snow during the winter, then you need to think about changing your tyres over seasonally.
All weather tyres are fine for Sydney roads. Winter tyres may be required for driving in alpine conditions, as they will offer superior traction and performance on snow and ice.
If you aren’t sure if you need to change your tyres over seasonally, ask Jim’s Mobile Tyres. We can assess your tyres and your needs, and make the best recommendation for you. We can also change your tyres over at the start and end of each season, so that you don’t have to worry about it.
In Summary, if you take heed of the above tips for maintaining your tyres, you’ll not only be safer on the road, but you’ll extend the lifespan of your tyres and enhance fuel efficiency. Not to mention, driving will be smoother, and you won’t experience all those tyre anxieties.
Speaking of tyre anxiety, there’s simply no need to have it when you work with Jim’s Mobile Tyres. Our team is available to come to you and solve all your tyre concerns. No need to take your vehicle to a service centre – we bring our service to a location of your choice, whether it be your home or workplace. We handle tyre repairs, tyre pressure checks, tyre rotations, new tyre fittings and more. We also sell a wide range of quality tyres, and can fit most vehicles. Contact us today.
