Your Guide to Tyre Safety and Performance
Are you tired of dealing with flat tyres, poor handling, or excessive wear on your vehicle? It’s time to give your tyres the attention they deserve. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about tyres, from choosing the right ones for your driving needs to ensuring proper maintenance.
Whether you’re a seasoned driver or just starting out, understanding the importance of well-maintained tyres is crucial for your safety and overall driving experience. So, let’s get started and learn how to keep your tyres in top condition!
What causes uneven tyre wear?
Uneven tyre wear can be caused by a variety of issues. It could be something simple like under or overinflated tyres or could be a more serious issue such as suspension or alignment troubles or an internal tyre fault.
Tyre wear patterns
Different issues can result in different tyre wear patterns. However, this can be useful as it means you can get a good idea about the potential issue just by keeping an eye on your tyres and how they are wearing.
Common tyre wear patterns to look out for include camber wear, tyre wear on the outside edge, cupping tyre wear and patchy tyre wear. To ensure you know what you’re looking for, we’ve taken a look at these common tyre wear patterns and what could be causing excessive or uneven tyre wear.
Camber Wear
Look out for: The inside edge or outside edge of the tyre will show considerably more wear than the rest of the tyre if your tyre is suffering from camber wear. You will usually see a gradual slope from one side of the tyre to the other, so it is easy to identify.
Possible causes: Camber wear can be caused by suspension misalignment, a bent strut, a dislocated strut tower, a weak or broken spring, a bent spindle or a collapsed or damaged control arm brushing.
What to do: The causes of tyre camber wear can be fairly serious and affect the safety and performance of your car. It is important to get your vehicle checked at an approved garage to determine the cause of the issue by checking the suspension and its alignment.
Feathered Directional Wear
Look out for: Feathered directional wear tyre pattern can be difficult to see, so you must feel the tyre when you are checking it. Feathered directional tyre wear feels smooth when you rub your hand over the tyre one way but feels rough when rubbed in the opposite direction.
Possible causes: Feathered directional wear pattern can be caused by toe misalignment, worn tie rod ends, worn idler arms, bent steering linkage or a bent steering arm.
What to do: It is important to get your car checked at an approved garage to determine the issue so that they can fix the underlying cause of the uneven wear.
Cupping Tyre Wear
Look out for: With cupping tyre wear you need to look out for cups or dips around the edge of the tyre tread. Cupping wear doesn’t follow a specific pattern, so you must check the entire tyre for signs of cups or dips.
Possible causes: Cupping tyre wear is often caused if one of the tyres is out of balance with the others, however, it could also be due to weakened struts or shock absorbers.
What to do: Cupping can indicate a problem which could be fairly serious if left untreated, which is why you should take your car to an approved garage to get the tyres checked. A technician will be able to advise whether your tyres need re-balancing, or if you have weakened struts or shock absorbers, in which case these may need replacing.
Centre Tread Wear
Look out for: Excessive wear down the centre of the tyre with less wear visible on the tyres outer edges.
Possible causes: Centre tyre wear is usually caused by overinflating the tyres. This causes a bulge in the centre of the tyre, this causes the centre to take more pressure and thus wear more quickly than the outer tyre edges.
What to do: Make sure you check your tyre pressures regularly and if you do have to inflate your tyres stick within your manufacturers recommended tyre pressure guidelines which can be found in your manual.
Outside Tyre Wear
Look out for: With outside edge tyre wear, the outer edge of the tyre will wear more quickly than the centre of the tyre.
Possible causes: Outside tyre wear is usually caused by underinflated tyres which causes a dip to occur in the centre of the tyre. This dip has less contact with the road so does not wear as quickly while putting more of the weight of the car on the outer edge of the tyre causing more wear.
What to do: You should make sure you check your tyre pressures regularly and always pump the tyre up to the manufacturers recommended tyre pressure. If you are not confident checking your own tyre pressures, you can always pop into your local Stoneacre branch for a free check.
Tips for checking for abnormal tyre wear
It is a good idea to inspect your tyres checking the tyre depth, pressure and general condition at least once per month as well as before setting off on a long journey. You can take a look at our tips on how to check your tyres for abnormal tyre wear.
Checking Tyre Depth:
A good way to check your tyre depth is to use the 20p test. Place a 20p into the main tread grooves of your tyre. If the outer band of the 20p coin is obscured when inserted, then your tyre has a tread depth above the legal limit. If the outer band is still visible, then the tread depth may be illegal and should be checked. You should test at least three different locations on the tyre to make sure the tyre is wearing evenly.
Checking Tyre Pressure:
You should check the pressure of every tyre, including your spare wheel using a pressure gauge. If you don’t have a pressure gauge on your infotainment system, most fuel stations have one available for a nominal fee. You can find the recommended tyre pressure in your car handbook and you should always stick within the recommended limit.
Difference between a tyre blowout and a punctured tyre
Punctured tyre – this is where a tyre is slowly losing pressure and the tyre will eventually become flat. This is a situation that is easy to deal with if identified early on and can be fixed temporarily with a type of puncture repair kit or putting on the spare wheel. In the long term, the punctured tyre will need to be properly replaced with a new one.
Tyre blowout – this is a very sudden loss of pressure where the tyre is quickly destroyed, making it difficult to drive. There is also a chance that a blowout can damage the wheel itself and the surrounding area of the vehicle.
Tyre blowout causes and avoidance
Under-inflation is the biggest cause of tyre blowouts. When tyres are underinflated, they can bulge and bounce more, causing friction that heats them up. This can weaken the tyre and make it more likely to burst.
Overloading your vehicle can also contribute to tyre blowouts. If you put too much weight on your tyres, they can be under more pressure than they can handle, especially if they’re already underinflated.
While potholes are a general menace to motorists, they can also be quite dangerous to our vehicles’ well-being. Driving over a particularly nasty pothole, especially at speed, can cause an immediate tyre blowout due to the impact alone.
Hitting a kerb with momentum can also cause a /blowout. Avoiding hitting dangerous-looking potholes and high kerbs will reduce the chance of a blowout.
What to do during a tyre blowout
If you experience a tyre blowout, follow these steps:
- Stay Calm: Panic can lead to accidents. Maintain control of your vehicle.
- Grip the Steering Wheel: Hold the steering wheel firmly to prevent sudden swerving.
- Ease Off the Accelerator: Gradually reduce your speed.
- Avoid Braking Suddenly: Sudden braking can cause loss of control, especially if the blowout occurs on a wet or icy road.
- Pull Over Safely: Find a safe location, away from traffic, to stop.
- Activate Hazard Lights: Turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers.
- Inspect the Tyre: Carefully examine the damaged tyre. If the tyre is flat or severely damaged, do not attempt to drive on it.
- Change the Tyre: If you know how to change a tire and have the necessary equipment, do so. Otherwise, call for roadside assistance.
- Check the Spare Tyre: Ensure your spare tyre is inflated and in good condition before changing it.
- Drive Cautiously: Once the tyre is changed, drive cautiously to the nearest tyre repair shop or service station.
Remember: If you’re unsure about any of these steps or feel uncomfortable, it’s best to call for roadside assistance.
Can I avoid a blowout by using run-flat tyres?
In short, run-flat tyres won’t necessarily remove the risk of a tyre blowout. What run-flat tyres can offer is more stability in the event of a blowout, as it can support a vehicle without air and the car’s handling should only be affected marginally following a blowout.
Also, you can usually drive on a run-flat tyre for up to 100 miles before needing to stop, although it is advised that max speed of 50mph is adhered to. If you have run-flat tyres equipped on your car, ensure you keep an eye out for any run-flat warnings on the dash.
Tyre Pressure Warning Light (What The TPMS Light Means)
When the tyre pressure warning light becomes illuminated on your car’s dashboard, it’s a sign that one or more of your tyres have become underinflated and fallen below the ideal pressure. This could be a sign that you need to replace your tyres, or they just need reinflating.
Some TPMS systems will also let you know if the pressure in one or more of your tyres is too high. The TPMS system lets you know so that you can address the situation as soon as possible, as failure to do so may result to you driving in dangerous conditions.
What should I do if I see the tyre pressure warning light?
If your tyre pressure warning light comes on, slow down gently. Underinflated tyres are harder to control, especially at high speeds or in wet conditions.
Park your car safely and check the tyre pressure. Your TPMS light might indicate which tyre is underinflated, but it’s best to check all of them.
Use a tyre pressure gauge to check each tyre. Add or remove air as needed.
If the light keeps coming on and off, it might be due to temperature changes. Cold weather can make tyres shrink, while warm weather can make them expand.
If the light flashes and stays on, there might be a problem with the TPMS system. Take your car to a mechanic for a check-up.
Is it safe to drive with the TPMS light on?
The tyre pressure monitoring system lets you know if there are issues with the pressure of your vehicle’s tyres. It’s not something you should ignore.
An underinflated tyre makes it harder to control your vehicle, especially if you’re travelling at speed on a major road or motorway. It also increases the chances of aquaplaning when the road is wet.
Furthermore, an underinflated tyre can cause accelerated wear and increase the chances of your vehicle suffering a blowout. Obviously this is bad at any speed, but potentially catastrophic to you and fellow road users if it happens whilst driving at high speed.
You should remember that it is a warning light for a reason. It’s warning you of a potentially serious problem and you should deal with the situation as soon as it’s safe to do so.
What can I do to avoid having tyre pressure problems?
It’s a good idea to check your tyre pressures every month, as well as check them before you set off on a long journey. Doing this will vastly reduce the chances of you having any problems with your tyre pressures whilst you’re driving.
Make sure you check them when they’re cold, as this will give you more accurate readings. When you drive, your tyres warm up and expand, which will give you false readings.
Don’t rely on your tyre pressure warning light to tell you there’s a problem. If you’re proactive, you’ll avoid tyre problems on the road.
If you’ve seen another warning light and you’re not sure what it means, make sure you read Dashboard Warning Lights Explained
How to Put Air in Your Tyres
Keeping your tyres properly inflated is not only crucial for your safety on the road but also for the longevity of your tyres and the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Yet, many drivers overlook this simple maintenance task.
Gather the Necessary Tools
To get started, you’ll need a few basic tools:
– Tyre pressure gauge: This tool allows you to measure the current air pressure in your tyres accurately.
– Air compressor or air pump: You’ll need a reliable source of compressed air to inflate your tyres.
– Owner’s manual: Refer to your vehicle’s manual to find the recommended tyre pressure for your specific make and model.
Check the Current Tyre Pressure
Before adding air to your tyres, you’ll want to check their current pressure using a tyre pressure gauge.
Remove the valve cap from the tyre stem and firmly press the gauge onto the valve stem.
The gauge will provide a reading of the current pressure in PSI (pounds per square inch).
Adding Air to Your Tyres
Once you’ve determined that your tyres need additional air, it’s time to inflate them to the proper pressure. Here’s how to do it:
- Locate a petrol station with an air compressor: Many petrol stations offer free or low-cost access to air compressors.
- Park your vehicle close to the air pump: Position your vehicle so that the air hose can reach all four tyres without difficulty.
- Remove the valve cap: Unscrew the valve cap from the tyre stem and set it aside in a safe place.
- Attach the air hose to the valve stem: Press the nozzle of the air hose firmly onto the valve stem to create a seal.
- Inflate the tyre: Use the air compressor to add air to the tyre gradually. Check the pressure periodically with your tyre pressure gauge to ensure you don’t overinflate.
- Check the pressure: Once you’ve reached the recommended pressure, remove the air hose and check the tyre pressure again with your gauge to verify accuracy.
- Replace the valve cap: Screw the valve cap back onto the tyre stem securely.
Performing a Final Check
After inflating your tyres, it’s a good idea to perform a final inspection to ensure everything is in order. Walk around your vehicle and visually inspect each tyre to ensure there are no signs of damage or leaks. Additionally, you can give each tyre a gentle kick to check for proper inflation.
Maintaining the correct tyre pressure is a simple yet crucial aspect of vehicle maintenance. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your tyres are properly inflated, leading to improved safety, fuel efficiency, and overall performance on the road. Make it a habit to check your tyre pressure regularly, and you’ll enjoy a smoother and safer driving experience for years to come.
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