Normally, people take tyres for granted. They aren’t in any hurry to look closely at tyre specifications, such as the wear or tread pattern. However, you can be rest assured that they are making a big mistake. Would you like to know why? Well, it turns out that the humble tyre is the only part of your vehicle that makes constant contact with the road. They brake, accelerate, steer and hold the road.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that tyres are at the top of your car’s importance hierarchy. It is responsible for your vehicle’s safety, traction, and performance. Here are some things to know about your tyres that you may not already know.
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Different Tyres for Different Seasons
If you look at tyres they all seem to look the same. But they are most definitely not the same. There are winter tyres, and there are summer tyres. And they are different as night and day. To begin with, the tread pattern is totally different. The same goes for the compound.
The compound on a winter tyre will be softer. This makes it better for weather that could be described as cold due to the cold’s habit of making tyres go hard. The tread is also designed to have better holding and traction for weather that compromises these aspects. Using winter tyres in the summer will result in the softer compound experiencing more wear and tear.
It is even worse when using summer tyres in the winter. The traction will be worse, along with the braking. All in all, you will be much safer and less likely to die in a fiery crash if you use the correct tyres for the seasons.
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Manufacturing Date
If you have just bought a brand new set of tyres, the chances are that they are in fact not entirely new. They will actually be at least a year old. Because of this it is advised that you check the manufacturing date on the tyres. You will find the letter DOT on the tyre, near the rim of the wheel, on the edge. The four numbers after those letters will outline the week and year of production.
Using this info, you can make sure that you are not buying tyres that are more than a year old. Because if they are more than that age, you could suffer some consequences. They could suffer from dry rot, for instance.
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Tread Wear
One of the certainties of tyre lives is that they will suffer wear and tear. The kind of wear and tear will depend on the amount of driving you do, along with your driving style. Is the tread wear uneven? This will mean that you need a suspension check, or you may need to get your wheels balanced.
You need to keep an eye on the depth of the tread. If it is too low, your tyres are no longer safe to use. There are tread depth checking devices that you place in the tread to see how deep it is. Anything less than 1.5mm is illegal. And very unsafe.
If you are looking for the cheap and the best second hand tyres then never hesitate to contact Qld Wreckers.
