With the road toll already mounting for 2017/18 summer school holidays, doing a quick tyre check may just save you and your family’s life. Pat and Toyo Tires have teamed up to bring you these ‘ Three tyre tips to do before heading off on holidays with your family’. So without further ado, here’s the tips for before you leave, or if you’re reading this whilst kicking back in your favourite camping chair, they may just help you to get the family home safely.
ONE – DAMAGE
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You’re going to need to squat for this so make sure you stretch. First thing is as basic as. You need to inspect your rubber for damage. We’re talking bolts, nails, sticks, sharp rocks, glass, star spikes. You would be amazed what can works its way into your tyres without you noticing, and a slow leak is a recipe for disaster.
Check the tread face, and the sidewall. Hot tip, turn your steering wheel from lock to lock and you will get a better view of your front tyres.
TWO – TREAD WEAR
Second of the tyre tips is Tread. Tread is what keeps you on the road, so its kinda important. You don’t need to have been in a slide before to know how important tread is, especially in wet weather. It’s what gets the water out of your tyre and you on the black top.
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The tread wear indicator is a thick bar of rubber that runs across the tread of your tyre. The bar indicates the minimum legal tread depth for your tyre. You’ll find an arrow on the side of your tyre to show you where the indicator is. Though if you need to find the arrow to see where the indicators used to be, chances are it’s time for new ones! Follow the arrow and check the tread face. If the bar is on the same level as your tread or close, head to your local tyre shop.
THREE – AIR PRESSURE
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It’s a topic that can light up a pub chat or a comment thread properly quick. This is a simple check you should do when you are filling up before you hit the road.
Correct tyre pressure saves fuel, improves on-road grip and increases tyre life. If there’s too little pressure, friction increases, creating uneven wear on the shoulders of the tyre and increasing fuel consumption. Too much pressure and the tyre loses grip and reduces driver control, wearing heavily on the middle of the tyre. Every car comes fitted with a tyre placard. It’s probably just inside your drivers door jamb.
When it comes to a fully laden car, or caravan, you need to adjust for weight. If you aren’t sure, take it to your closest tyre dealer. They will be happy to help.
Article from Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures.
