Timely tyre changes are imperative for better road stability, comfort and safety. The rate at which tyres experience wear and tear differ according to various factors such as the tyre model itself, manufacturer’s quality, vehicle type and your driving style.
Factors You Need To Consider Before Buying New Tyres
In this post, we will discuss the key factors you need to consider that will help you determine if it’s time to change your car tyres and, if you do, what type of tyres should you opt for. Let’s dive in.
1. Check the Level Of Tyre Wear
The first thing you need is a shiny new coin. Now different coins have different sizes. You must first find a new tyre of the same size as your car’s at a tyre store. Once you spot the right tyre, try sinking your coin of choice into the tread work of that tyre and mark an endpoint. Now you can come back and try the same thing with the same coin on your car’s tyres. If you find your tyre’s tread cover’s over 50% or above, there’s still time for your to look for new tyres.
Now while you do this, be sure to check the treads at various tyre spots. You need to check if the tyre has been wearing out consistently. Often, tyres wear out randomly, where some areas might be flatter than others, which is another sign that calls for tyre replacements. Such cases happen more regularly in hotter locations. For instance, tyres in Abu Dhabi or similar places need to be frequently checked as higher temperatures can cause more wear to your tyres.
A quick tip – It’s always best to periodically swap your front tyres with the rear ones to ensure your tyres wear evenly. However, certain vehicle designs have different front and rear tyre sizes. Be sure to check on this factor before you swap tyres.
2. Check For Cracks
Wearing tyres might be the primary problem for a regular driver. If you’re a person who doesn’t use your car often, you should be worrying about cracks or dry-tyre-rotting. You don’t have to worry about the wear if you are mostly a city driver. However, if you do a lot of highway driving, we recommend putting on a new set of good quality tyres on your car if you think the old ones have been sitting on them for many years. You wouldn’t want them to blow on the highway from being cracked and risk your or your family’s safety.
3. Look Out For Cheap Tyres
Now, once you come across a situation where you need to buy new tires, the obvious question will be – Which tyre should you buy? Of course, anyone would look for items with lower prices or discount offers, but be sure to avoid the cheapest ones, especially Chinese made tyres. If you are price sensitive and you don’t drive as much, it is safe for you to opt for the second or third most cheap tyres out of the lot provided by reputed tyre dealers.
4. Know If You Need Performance Tyres
Performance tyres are stickier on the road, providing you with more grip. Of course, they are likely to wear out faster, but they’re necessary if you’re going to cruise at higher speeds often, not to mention if you enjoy your occasional track time.
To Summarise
That’s it. Wear and tear are the major problems you generally face with car tyres. However, if your tires have been sparingly used and are 6-7 years old, you must check for cracks rather than worry about straight wear. In such cases, get a new set of tyres so you don’t endanger yourself at highway speeds. You must opt for a better-rated tyre to handle higher speeds if you’re a fast driver. So the next time somebody tells you, you need a new set of tires, check them out first before you make a new purchase.