No one wants to be stranded on the side of the road as their tyre gives up halfway through the road trip. Life is a long journey and you must keep your tyres in the best shape. Not everyone knows about the correct methods of tyre maintenance but it is the most important thing to know about if you want to keep your vehicle in a top-notch condition. 

To take care of your tyres’ health, you need to be careful. Follow these tips brought to you by the Tyre Doctor to maintain your tyres’ fresh condition and enable yourself a smooth and safe ride.

• Tyre Pressure

While on the road, make sure that your tyre has appropriate pressure. Proper inflation is very important since it ensures optimal braking and thereby safety, better grip, soft drive, and of course saves fuel. For correct pressure refer to the car manufacturers recommend pressure for the front and rear axle. Normally this can be found on the body frame of the driver’s door. Make sure to use a reliable pressure gauge. Regular checks must be done to ensure the safety of the vehicle.

• Regular Checks for Wear

This is the most common and the most important lesson in tyre maintenance. Check your tyres for wear every month and especially after long road trips. Inspect your tyre’s tread wear indicator on the read grooves and remove them from service when the time comes. Check for debris or nail or any such material stuck to your tyres. Take a look at the sidewalls to ensure there aren’t any cuts or bulges. Bald or nearly bald tyres may cause accidents on wet roads to inspect the rear wear indicator on the tread.

• Spare Tyre Regular Checks

Needless to say, you should always carry a spare tyre with you. That is Driving 101. But something that one should always keep in mind is to regularly check your spare tyre. A trick you can adopt is to give your spare tyre a thorough check every time you rotate your regular tyres. When inspecting your spare tyre, note if it has been damaged or shows any excessive wear, and check the tread as well as the air pressure in the spare tyre.

• No Overloading

Every tyre is unique and every tyre has its limitations when it comes to overloading. The information on how much load can a tyre take can be found with the manufacturer or any manual of the product that you might have. Overloading can cause excessive damage to the tyres. If you are going to carry something heavy with you, then get the required type of tyres for your vehicle. 

• Wheel Alignment

It is very important to keep an eye on the tyre or wheel alignment of your vehicle. If this is not properly adjusted, it can cause abnormal wearing of the tyres. Misalignment might happen when you drive through and/or hit a certain obstacle. Even in the cases of minor and major accidents can the alignment be disrupted. Proper wheel alignment would ensure a safe and smooth ride as well as a long life to your tyres.

• Tyre Rotation

This is an important step to ensure the wear of tyres is even. It should be done according to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation. It increases the tyre’s tread life. An evenly worn set of tyres would ensure low stress on the drive terrain. There are many methods and patterns of tyre rotation including X-pattern, forwards cross, rearward cross, front-to-front, and side-to-side- depending on the size and functions of the set of tyres.

• The Right Storage

The storage of tyres must be carefully done since tyres are rather sensitive to environmental damage. Some people might use tyre hotels to store them while the cost-effective method (or if you can’t afford or don’t have tyre hotel services in your region) is storing them at your house. To ensure the safety of your tyre, make sure to clean them before storing and ensure they are completely dry. Do not put any gloss product on the tyres. Put them in an airtight plastic bag separately and store them in a cold, dry place which is moderately ventilated. Avoid chemical exposure or excessive heat.

Tyres keep your ride going. It is imperative that you give them the care they deserve. If you follow these steps and take care of your tyres, your journey will be smooth.