Keep your tyres healthy this summer!
Scorching heat, extreme conditions, heavy loads, high speed traveling, long drives can take toll on your tyres in summers result in tyre burst. Regular maintenance and checks by yourself not only add more life but keep you safe from causalities and accident caused due to tyre failures.
Here are few points to keep your tyre in good nick
1. Regularly check the tyre inflation level; in summer tyre pressure reduces fast compared to winters. Running on low pressure from the manufacturer's prescribed one, not only damages the tyre but also burns more fuel. You can find the recommend tyre pressure for your drive on the owners manual or along the driver's door/glove box. Maintaining the tyre pressure will add more Kms to your tyres.
2. Rotate the tyres as recommended by the manufacturer. If you have fitted from after-market, every company offers details for tyre rotation follow it throughly. Generally, it is advised to rotate tyres at every 5000kms. Wheel balance/alignment should be done on regular intervals to avoid uneven wear and tear.
3. Check for any spots and uneven bump in the tyre and replace it, if they are in warranty. Change the affected one if it is not in the warranty.
4. Avoid driving continuously at high speed in summers, tyres will heat up faster; driving at rated speed will keep your tyres cool and gives you better economy.
5. If you can opt for alloys, go for it; they are lighter, keeps your brakes cooler compared to steel rims and improves your tyre life.
6. Change your tyres before they get bald, the best way to check the remaining life left in the tyres is by the coin test. Put a rupee coin in the treads of the tyre make sure the head of the Ashoka symbol is not visible. If it does, you need to buy a new one. Minimum tyre dept for four wheelers is approximately 1.5mm.
7. Spare wheel should be inflated every time, because you do not know when the requirement comes.
8. Make sure that you remove the gravels that are stuck inside the treads of the tyres.
9. Never overload your vehicle from the manufacturer's limitation, it has serious ill-effects on the engine, tyres and braking system. Keep the unwanted weight off the car.