Tyre Care and Tyre Maintenance Advice

Sandra Olivier
March 16, 2009

Sandra Olivier http://www.longtail.co.za

Tyre Care and Tyre Maintenance Advice
Proper tyre care and maintenance starts with the fitting of tyres to the vehicle at an accredited tyre fitment centre. If not fitted properly tyres can be damaged and create unsafe conditions for the vehicle passengers.

BALANCING: Properly balanced tyres and wheels spin with all their weight distributed equally. Unbalanced tyres can result in a vehicle's "shimming" (shaking from side to side) and "tramping" (hopping up and down). When your tyres are installed, balancing should be part of the installation procedure.

ALIGNMENT: Proper alignment ensures that all wheels on a vehicle are pointed in the optimum direction to the road and each other. Tyres on a misaligned vehicle degrade handling and don't wear equally, reducing their tread life. A qualified Alignment Technician can test your vehicle's alignment.

ROTATION: The purpose of regularly rotating tyres is to achieve more uniform wear on each tyre. If no period is specified in your owners manual, then the tyres should be rotated every 12,000 km.

CLEANING: Cleaning tyres removes foreign substances from the tyre surface that can degrade the tyres. We recommend that you clean your tyres once a month using soap and water. PUNCTURE AND TYRE REPAIR: If any tyre sustains a puncture, have the tyre inspected internally at any Wheel & Tyre Service centre for possible damage that may have occurred. Tread area punctures in all passenger and light truck tyres can be repaired provided that the puncture hole is not more than 0.635mm (1/4 inch) in diameter, not more than one radial cable per casing ply is damaged, and the tyre has not been damaged further by the puncturing object or by running underinflated. Tyre punctures consistent with these guidelines can be repaired by following the recommended repair procedures. If damage exceeds these guidelines, the tyre must be replaced. Plug-only repairs done on-the-wheel are considered improper and therefore, not recommended. Such repairs are not reliable and may cause further damage to the tyre.

AIR PRESSURE: You should check each tyre's pressure (including your spare) once each month and always before a long trip--and always do it when they're "cold" (that is, at least three hours after the vehicle has been stopped and before it has been driven one km). Purchase an accurate pressure gauge as it's impossible to tell how much air is in the tyre by looking at it. Don't trust the gauges attached to the air hoses, as they may be inaccurate.

INSPECTIONS: Check your tyres at least once a month for uneven wear and foreign objects wedged in the tread. If you have a situation where a tyre continually needs more air it should be taken off the vehicle and checked thoroughly.

---------------------------------------------------- Tiger Wheel & Tyre has long since been recognised in the industry for their unmatched service excellence and their wide product range on leading wheel & tyre brands. It makes sense that Tiger Wheel & Tyre should be your first choice when seeking expert advise on the performance of your vehicle.
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