It can be difficult to know when is the right time to get your car tyres changed due to the wide variety of recommendations available online.
The reasons for these differences come down to the extent the use of the tyres and the quality of the tears. If you frequently go on long drives and use your car every day of the week, the wear and tear on your tyres will be different from someone who only uses their vehicle for short drives on the weekends. Here are a few ways to know how to check if you need to change the tyres on your car.
Check your tread depth
By law, in the UK, all tyres on a vehicle have to meet the minimum tread depth of 1.6mm to ensure safety of the driver and others drivers on the road. Its important to know when to change your tyres as low tread depth can affect your breaking distance. In adverse driving conditions, like in rainy weather, it can also significantly affect your stopping distance.
Is there any visible damage, like punctures?
When you’re in a safe location, take a close look at your tyres. Look for any signs of damage, which could look like nails embedded into the tyre, small missing chunks of the tyre where it makes contact with the road surface, any part of the sidewall that bulges and uneven wear and tear.
Do you notice a puncture? Usual signs of a punctured tyre is if you have difficulty steering, you feel the car being pulled in a particular direction or if the wheel unexpectedly jerks as you drive. Sometimes you might be able to fix the issue and you can use our handy ‘step-by-step guide on how to change a tyre‘ to learn how to do it yourself. But sometimes, if the puncture is too close to the sidewall, then it may be unsafe to carry out repairs and would be best to let a tire fitting technician inspect the condition of your tyres and fix a new set of tyres to ensure you car is safe.
Lack of grip while driving
An important reason why it’s important to check if you need to change your tyres is because uneven wear to your tyres can affect the handling of your vehicle. For example, when driving in unsafe weather conditions like on rainy or snowy days, is there a noticeable lack of grip? Tire fitting experts state that this could be a key sign of uneven wear to and bald patches on your tyres.
How long do tyres last?
If you’ve not changed your car tyres for around 5 years, or have been used for over 25,000 miles it is time to arrange for them to be replaced
How to keep your tyres in good condition for longer
In order to keep your tyres in good condition, make sure you regularly check your tyre pressure to ensure it doesn’t get too low and that your tyres are above the legal tread limit. It’s also important to take your car in for regular servicing to address the general wear and tear to your vehicle and to ensure your car is safe to drive.
What to do when you need new tyres?
If you have discovered that your tyres need replacing you should arrange for the work to be carried out as a matter of urgency.
If they are nearing the legal limit, you could be risking points on your licence every time you leave the driveway, but any significant erosion of the tread pattern on your vehicle can have an impact on safety.
If you are looking for a mobile tyre fitting Glasgow company that offers tyres from all leading tyre manufacturers and will travel directly to your home or business to carry out the work at a time and place that suits you, get in touch with Mobile Tyres today on 0141 440 0664.
