Tyres are the last part of the car that might come to your mind when talking about maintenance, but that shouldn’t be the case. In fact, given their importance, tyre maintenance is crucial to the functioning of your car, and everything from the way it drives to the fuel economy will depend on the condition of the tyres of your car. This means not only changing them when required despite their price but also ensuring regular maintenance since this will help extend their life and ensure you get the most usage out of them. In this blog post, we will look at the best and top five tyre maintenance tips to prepare your car for the next long-haul trip that you will undertake.
Trust us, talking about and actually maintaining tyres helps a lot. Whether it is a cross-country trip where you won’t leave the pavement and the asphalt or hiking trips that will see you take your 4×4 or your SUV through some rough terrain, it’s always better to prepare in advance and ready your tyres for not just an adventure of your lifetime, but also an incredibly excruciating test for them. Preparing your tyres and maintaining them beforehand can make all the difference. Let’s start by looking at the tyre maintenance tips that will prepare your car for the upcoming big road trip.
But first, let’s take a quick recap and understand what tire maintenance is all about.
Tire Maintenance: The Best Tips
Tires are supposed to be in contact with the road all the time and are part of a vehicle that goes through the most wear and tear. Despite this, the modern tyre is robust and long-lasting, and if taken good care of, it can actually deliver way more than what the brochure might say. By ensuring that these tips are followed beforehand and the rest of the car (especially the suspension) is in good shape, you and your car will be all set for the big trip, and you won’t even have to worry about anything once you get back and both you and your car let a big sigh of relief.
Tyre Maintenance: Before The Big Trip
These tyre maintenance tips are here to help you prepare your car for the big trip, ensuring that you don’t run into any trouble or issues with both your vehicle and your tyres once you pack up the luggage and the family for the big trip because nothing gets more annoying than having to get out and search for the spare and for the tools once you’re all loaded up and packed in for the trip.
Tyre Pressure Is Imperative!
First things first. You’ve got the car ready, you’ve got the family ready, everything looks on the up and up. And all of a sudden, you feel the car and the tyre sag down a bit; the tyres are deflated. That is because the air pressure within the tyres was too low, and without checking the tyres and ensuring that there was actually enough air in them, you loaded up the car and started driving. But it isn’t just limited to low air pressure in the tyres, driving with the tyres filled to the capacity on a hot summer day will actually cause the tyre walls to weaken, which can be extremely dangerous since such overinflated tyres can burst at any time and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Therefore, it is important to check the air pressure in your tyres before setting off, ensuring that the pressure is according to the regulations and limits as determined by the manufacturer and won’t present an issue in the prevailing weather conditions since temperatures can rise while a vehicle is being driven, putting incredible stress on the tyres.
Tyre Inspection: Get Visual!
Modern vehicles, be they SUVs, coupes, sedans or whatnot, come with lots of creature comforts and entire driver-assist packages that display a lot of information to the driver. One might say that visually checking tyres is redundant now, in the age of driver informatics; however, there is a lot of information that you could glean from a physical and visual inspection. For instance, if you’ve been driving beforehand and you’ve gone through a rough patch or gravel, removing those small stones from the tread of the tyre can always be helpful, as will a physical inspection that might unearth something wrong with the tyre before you actually set out on the trip. Even something as simple as a nail stuck in the tyre can become problematic, so it is commonly said that a stitch in time saves nine.
Rotate Your Tyres Beforehand!
Don’t the tyres rotate whenever you drive your vehicle? Well, we’re not talking about them spinning on their own axis, but rather the rotation of the tyres from their usual places or axles. For instance, if you have a vehicle that is rear-wheel drive or RWD, then it might be a good idea for you to switch your rear tyres with your front tyres; this way, the powered wheels and tyres will have more traction and grip since they will have retained much of their tread and wear. This is what we mean by rotating the tyres: taking tyres from a non-powered axle and switching them to the powered axles for better grip and performance from the tyres themselves. It’s better to switch the tyres in a diagonal manner for AWD or all-wheel drive cars.
Don’t Overload The Cars And The Tyres!
Not overloading the cars and tyres means putting too much weight on the car. While people love trucks and SUVs for the reason that they can tow and carry lots of weight, these vehicles still have their limits on what they can tow and what they can carry. Especially the tyres; tyres can only carry so much, especially if you plan on going off-roading with the tyres. Off-roading puts considerable pressure on the tyres and subjects them to extreme forces, which can further challenge their physical integrity. Therefore, not overloading the tyres can be a good way to ensure that your tyres don’t cause you any trouble throughout the trip.
Ensure Spares Are Good; You’ve Got The Tools!
Before going on with your trip, you’ve got to ensure that your spare tyre is ready and functional. That means ensuring that they are inflated at the right air pressure and that you also have the tools required for a tyre change, including jack stands, impact or torque wrenches and any other tool you may need should you encounter any tyre problems or experience a flat. Trust us; it can be a really bad experience looking for a shop with a flat tyre at an awkward hour. The trip could go south really quickly.
Magnum Autoclub: Tyre Maintenance Made Simple!
Magnum Autoclub provides excellent tyre maintenance services that ensure optimal performance throughout the year. Whether it’s tyre changing, tyre maintenance or tyre rotation, we make sure your wheels get the best service and treatment so you, your car and the traffic are safe from any mishaps and you enjoy the full performance of your tyres. Whether it’s hard acceleration or hard braking, tyres under Magnum’s care won’t ever give up on you, and that’s the Magnum guarantee.