Keeping a car on the road can be an expensive business. There’s the cost of services and MOTs; there’s the cost of actually putting fuel in the tank. And that’s before you even factor in the labour cost of driving the thing.
One cost that might sneak up on you is that of replacing tyres. The law deems any tyre with a tread depth of less than 1.6mm to be in need of replacement. Put the edge of a 20p piece into the gap, and it should be covered by the surrounding rubber.
If you find that your tyres are wearing down faster than you’d like, then you might want to take a few steps to slow the decline. New sets of tyres, and especially good ones, aren’t cheap. So what, exactly, can be done?
spare tire
Keep the pressure consistent
Having too much, or too little, the air in your tyres will mean that certain sections of your tyre will place more pressure on the road beneath. That means that the wear-and-tear won’t be evenly spread and that your tyres will degrade faster. It also means your fuel economy will suffer, so make a point of checking the pressure and making small adjustments regularly.
Align your wheels
Similarly, a slight misalignment of your wheels will mean that they’re placed at a slight angle to the road, which will have the same effect. The first indicator of this is that your car pulls to one side when you take your hand off the wheel.
Use your garage
It isn’t just driving that will shorten the lifespan of your tyres – they’ll also degrade when they’re on your drive, thanks to exposure to nature. Putting the car in the garage overnight might not have a big effect, but it’s a step worth taking, especially if your car is off the road for a long period.
Drive sensibly
The more you accelerate and decelerate, the more wear you’ll put on your tyres. We all understand that sudden swerving and braking will leave long stretches of black rubber on the tarmac. But this problem occurs even at seemingly-sensible speeds and tends to be more cumulative. If you go from forty mph to a stop at every traffic light, then that extra energy will need to be dispersed somewhere – and it mostly goes into friction with the road, which will mean your tyres wear down. Plus, some of that excess rubber will go into the air, and eventually into people’s lungs.
Keep your car unloaded
The more weight your car is tasked with carrying, the greater the stress placed on the tyres. In some cases, such as family holidays, this extra weight is worthwhile. But if you’re going to leave large items of luggage in the back of your car for weeks on end, then you’ll be shortening the lifespan of your tyres for no good reason.
Replace the Wheels Yourself
If you find that you’re replacing lots of wheels, then investing in the tools needed to do it yourself might be worthwhile – especially if you’re mechanically inclined. SGS Engineering has penned a useful guide for distinguishing impact wrenches from impact drivers.