Buying high quality, correctly-sized tyres for your vehicle, from a reputable tyre retailer, is a basis for sound tyre safety, long tyre life, and a comfortable driving experience, but this is not enough – your tyres also need proper care.
Basic tyre care for optimum motoring safety, performance and tyre life
Safety and vehicle performance in all driving conditions depend on a relatively small area of road contact, and it is therefore important that tyres should be maintained in good condition at all times, however good a driver you are!
A relatively small amount of time and effort is required for planned maintenance (as detailed below), and this can lead to a handsome pay-off in terms of: enhanced driving safety, greatly extended tyre life, and the convenience and peace of mind of routinely driving without any major tyre problems.
• Inflation: The most important part of tyre care is air: inflation should be maintained at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle – under-inflation generates excessive heat, which reduces fuel economy and increases tread wear, whereas correctly inflated tyres improve fuel economy and extends tyre life.
Check the recommended pressures for the front and rear tyres at least once each week, and before any long trips, when the tyre is cool. A tyre’s air pressure will automatically increase as its internal temperature increases when in use – this is normal and should not be adjusted.
• Tyre valves: Tyres should have valve caps with a rubber seal which provides a secondary air seal, and keeps dirt and moisture out of the air valve.
• Wheel balancing: Front and rear wheels should be balanced dynamically off-the-car at a tyre outlet using a wheel-balance machine, especially when new tyres are fitted to the rims. Wheel imbalance causes forces that result in vibration through the vehicle’s steering, suspension and body – uneven rims and poorly matched rim/tyre combinations are usually contributing factors.
The most critical speed for tyre-induced shake is around 100 kph. At this speed, a tyre rotates at 10 to 15 times a second, the frequency equivalent to the natural movement of most vehicles’ suspension, so vibration transmitted from wheel shake is a potential problem for drivers. If left unattended, wheel-shake can cause excessive tyre and suspension wear, and could even be dangerous, so any abnormal problems should be checked by a tyre specialist to identify the cause and to correct the problem.
• Check for irregular tyre wear: Tyres usually give signs of wear in plenty of time, to allow the problem to be corrected before it becomes too serious. By looking out for early warning signs, you can prevent many wear problems that shorten tyre life by thousands of kilometres. Tyre tread inspection can reveal the following:
> If wear is greater on the outer edges than in the middle, this means most of the contact with the road is on the outer tread edges. The most likely cause of this is under-inflation, usually be remedied by maintaining tyres at the air pressure recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle.
> Check the extreme edges of the tyre tread for excessive wear on one edge – this is caused by uneven/erratic contact with the road causing extreme heat and tyre wear. The tyre is in need of wheel alignment correction, called toe-in or toe-out.
> If the tyre is wearing unevenly across the tread, this can also be a misalignment problem (excessive camber).
> Tread which shows uneven wear as the tyre is rotated indicates that you may need your wheels balanced, new shock absorbers, or (less likely) new suspension parts.
If the tyres show any of the above-mentioned wear characteristics, ask a tyre specialist to check for and correct any imbalance, misalignment or any other mechanical problems. Specialist knowledge, technical skills and experience is readily available here in Qatar at any roadside ‘punctuary’ with know how which is not only impressive, but remarkable value for money!
• Wheel alignment: Correct wheel alignment is a must for optimum safety, ride comfort, handling and steering characteristics. Misalignment can cause hazardous road-holding, excessive tyre wear and increased fuel consumption. Many of the tyre distribution outlets in Qatar have the specialised equipment necessary to check wheel alignment to make any necessary suspension adjustments. A periodic alignment check is quick and inexpensive!
Driving habits: The major influence on tyre life is the driver! To extend the life of your tyres, you should, as far as possible avoid
• Driving at high speeds
• Fast cornering and sharp turns
• Fast starts and stops
• Driving over an obstruction (manhole covers, potholes, kerbs, pavements, etc) and road debris.
These can all generate excessive heat and wear.