Without trying to be cliche, until/if the day comes when we are all floating around in hover cars, the saying that “there are only four small pieces of rubber between you and the road” will continue to remain true. With this being said, tyre service and regular maintenance and upkeep are often overlooked in regular vehicle maintenance, and if neglected can have a negative impact on your hip pocket and in a worst case scenario, your safety.

With over 30 years of experience in servicing cars of all makes and models, and having seen the evolutions during this time from simple vehicle shape and design, to the introduction of safety technologies such as ABS brakes, to push start ignitions and lane departure warning systems and much much more, the humble tyre has gone relatively unchanged. Given the importance of tyre safety in Australia there are relatively simple things that can be done to improve their lifespan and performance, we thought we would share some of our favourite benefits of regular tyre servicing and maintenance.

Safety

Naturally, safety is the number one reason in which tyres should be regularly checked with a tyre service near me, and basic maintenance undertaken as needed and a regular tyre servicing and replacement occurring when needed or when required to as per tyre manufacturers specifications. Tyres don’t just affect the safety of the person who is driving the vehicle in which they are on, however well maintained tyres help to ensure the safety of all other road users, whether this be other motorists, pedestrians and sometimes our furry little friends who mistakenly wander onto the road.

The difference between worn and non-worn tyres is often generally only a few millimeters, however in the event of heavy breaking in an emergency situation, undertaking an evasive maneuver, or needing to navigate a road surface covered in rain, the difference between worn and non-worn tyres could be the difference between safety and injury.

Fuel Efficiency

It is a little well known fact that there is a relationship between tyre performance and fuel efficiency, with happy tyres meaning an overall better fuel economy. With the price of fuel on the constant rise, by simply looking after your tyres with a regular tyre service, you could benefit from the savings when it comes time to fill up.

Ensuring that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure, is one of the simplest ways to improve tyre performance and increase fuel savings, with proper and regular tyre rotation and wheel alignment also considered to significantly improve fuel economy.

Improved Lifespan

As time goes on and as your tyres spend more time on the road doing what they do best, eventually they will become worn down and will need replacing. Often tyre manufacturers will have a stated kilometre interval life expectancy at which tyres should be replaced (the average nowadays is generally considered to be around the 40,000 kilometre mark, with most tyres falling short of this due to excacipated wear-and-tear). With this being said, by ensuring that your tyres are regularly inspected including tyre rotations and wheel alignment, this lifespan can be optimised without sacrificing safety or performance.

A number of the more common factors that can deteriorate tyres faster and lead to a lifespan that is significantly shorter than the manufacturer recommended life include; not ensuring that the tyre pressures are correct, excessive acceleration and braking as this causes more stress due to added friction between tyre and road, driving too fast around corners as this puts more stress on the side walls of the tyres than necessary, and last though not least is not ensuring the experts at VAR Automotive regularly inspect and repair your tyres as part of a regular scheduled service.

A Smoother Ride

A car’s suspension is a key component in ensuring the smoothness and a comfortable ride for you and your passengers. When you’re driving, one of the main things that can directly impact the performance of the suspension is the tyres. Tyres that have flat spots from excessive hard braking or have compromised side walls from cornering too fast, or are not aligned properly will ultimately impact upon the suspension system and your ride will not be as smooth as it could be.

Apart from being a crucial component of a smooth ride, the suspension system is made up of a number of different components, with a break in one part leading to further and unneeded stresses on other parts. With tyres and particularly their alignment having a direct impact on the suspension system, by ensuring your tyres are performing properly and are well aligned, you are less likely to incur the costs of replacing expensive suspension components.

Obeying The law

As part of registering a car in NSW, a requirement is to have a completed eSafety inspection form, with the tyres being inspected as part of this process due to the high impact they can have on road safety. With the law stating that there must be a minimum of 1.5 millimeter of tread evenly across the tyre’s surface otherwise a defect will be issued, it is important to always ensure between eSafety inspections and scheduled services, that this is the case with all tyres. In the event you happen to be pulled over and there is less than 1.5 millimeters of tread, you will be fined $114 for each tyre that fails to comply and will have the additional expense of replacing the tyres and then having the defect cleared.

Signs of Tyre Wear & Damage

There are a number of signs of tyre wear and damage that we look for at VAR Automotive when inspecting your vehicle, and these will only take a few minutes of your time to have a quick check every now and then between scheduled services, these are;

• Worn tread – when the tread is visibly worn this means that the tyre is nearing the end of its lifespan and a tyre replacement is iminent
• Cracked or damaged sidewalls – If there are visible cracks, damage of wear on the sides of the tyres this is a sure indicator that they will need to be rotated or replaced
• Vibrations while driving – if you can feel a vibration when driving in a straight line or under light braking this is a sign that the wheel alignment is out and will need to be adjusted
• Uneven wear – when looking at the tyre surface if the tread is uneven on one side of the tyre compared to the other this is generally a sign that the tyre will need to be rotated or replaced
• Bulges – bulges in the tyre surface often indicate that a tyre’s pressure is too low or that there is an air leak which should be immediately addressed to prevent being stranded on the side of the road

Basic Maintenance Between Services

There are a few basic maintenance tasks that you can do between scheduled services to ensure that your tyres remain safe and performing at their best, these are;

• Correct tyre pressure – regularly ensure that your tyre pressure is correct to the manufacturer’s specifications and adjusted for excessive increases in weight e.g. towing a trailer. It is best to check tyre pressure when the tyres are at a cooler temperature, so as soon as practical after hitting the road.
• Regularly check for foriegn objects – every now and then inspect your tyres for any foreign objects that may be protruding from the surface such as a nail or screw (as this will ultimately end with a flat tyre), and look for any signs of cuts or scratches to the tyre surface.
• Spare tyre – every now and then double check your spare tyre to ensure that there are no signs of damage and it is fully inflated. Due to spare tyres often spending so long hiding away and not being used, over time the tyre pressure may naturally drop (what could possibly be worse than having a flat spare tyre when you have a flat tyre?)

Expert Maintenance (VAR)

To ensure optimum safety and ultimate tyre performance and lifespan, ensuring that your tyres are regularly inspected, rotated, aligned and replaced as needed as part of a regular scheduled service is essential. You can take care of the basics such as checking the tyre pressure every other week, however when it comes to the bigger stuff it is better to leave this to the experts.

Feel free to contact us at any time, or fill out one of our online booking forms and let us take care of your tyre servicing needs.