If you have recently had to invest in a new set of tyres as well as get to grips with the rather alarming prices seen on the pumps these days, then your wallet may well be crying softly in the glove-box, shuddering whenever you pull into a service station – along with many others, who find themselves in the same situation. Give your wallet a breather by ensuring that your new tyres last as long as possible and driving with extra caution and do not cause you trouble while driving in main areas of the UK like London or Yorkshire!
Let’s look at five useful tyre checks to help you stay safe on the roads.
Check your Depth
Tread depth is not as important in dry weather as it is in wet, and in the UK, there are few days without some rain, whether it is a downpour or a mere drizzly sprinkle. No matter how heavy the rain, water sitting on the road surface can be exceedingly dangerous if your tread depth has been allowed to run too low. Legally it must be 1.6mm over the middle three-quarters of the contact surface, but, for more certain safety, experts recommend not letting it go below 3mm before you invest in a new set of tyres.
Check your Inflation
Tyre inflation is vital to the best working of modern tyres. They are carefully engineered to work within the recommended range of pressures, and should not be allowed to go over or under these limits. This is so vital to the correct workings of modern tyres that tyre inflation has been added to the MOT checklist in recent years.
Check your Rubber
Rubber is an organic product: grown and harvested from trees. This can be easily forgotten, given how ‘manufactured’ finished tyres look, feel and smell! But, like all organic things, they begin to deteriorate almost as soon as they are made. Tyres can last a good long time though: there is no need to panic that your nearly new tyres will disintegrate on you suddenly one day as you drive along. But once your tyres start showing signs of damage: chips, chunks of rubber falling off, dimples or dents in the sidewall, and your tyres suddenly making more noise than they used to – then it can be time to start thinking about a new set of tyres!
Check your Age
Tyres in general which last around five years when in constant use. This can be pushed to ten years if the tyres are very gently used, are exquisitely looked after, and are stored flat on their sides in a single layer in between uses! It doesn’t matter how carefully you look after your tyres, once the rubber gets to a certain age, it will begin to deteriorate rapidly, and if you try to make them last longer, you will find your life plagued by slow leaks, punctures, blow-outs and increasingly worrying responsiveness while driving. You can also get new tyres in Castleford from Reg Greenwood, call them at 01977 702 317; and eradicate punctures and tyre issues from your immediate future.
Check your Speed
When you have your new tyres fitted, it can be tempting to put them through their paces and try out some riskier roads. Avoid this temptation as any damage, even in the early days when the tyres are at their most sturdy, can mark the beginning of a host of problems, even if they take some time to manifest themselves – perhaps even so long that you have forgotten about those early high jinks, so the sudden failure of your tyres comes as an unpleasant and expensive surprise!
