Some tips for extended tyre life Do you know properly used tyres can last as long as 40,000km in active use? This might sound vaguely true for vehicle owners that pay very little attention to proper tyre care. Tyres significantly take up most of the road stresses induced on the vehicle; this explains why inflated rubber remains the best option for this purpose. Tyres can be broadly categorized as tube tyres and tubeless tyres which both have treads and groves in common. The fact that the poor state of roads in Nigeria heavily affects average life of tyres-which is between 15,000km-30,000km-is quite debatable as the effect of bad roads on tyres is just one out of several contributory factors like poor driving, improper applications etc. Based on observations, some factors which speed up tyre deterioration have been spotted and will be further discussed to help vehicle owners squeeze out as much life as they can from their tyres. Avoid Over speeding: the major down-side of vehicle over-speeding is primarily the inevitable loss of ‘thinking time’ which results in making forceful decisions in a snap. Anti-lock braking systems(ABS) which come standard in almost every car you find on the road prevents wheel locking in occasions where drivers are forced to brake harshly; nonetheless, if you don’t over-speed you may never have to contend with harsh braking which results in speedy tread wear. Avoid Overloading: common sense should tell you that when excess weight is exerted upon a vehicle, the tyres primarily suffer and the suspension system is rendered inflexible. Road traction may be maximum in such instances but this will be the case at the expense of experiencing higher rolling resistance which doesn’t just affect the tread’s structural integrity but also results in higher fuel consumption. Maintain proper wheel geometry: simply put, maintaining proper wheel alignment reduces the likelihood of uneven tread wear-relative to other wheels- and also helps in smoother driving with lower levels of road noise and vibrations. For this to be possible suspension and steering components and even adjoining components like bearings and final drives components have to be in top shape. Keep your tyres balanced: tyre balancing isn’t a collective activity as it concerns wheels independently; what this means is that one imbalanced tyre can affect the whole vehicle dynamics. Hence, ensure your wheels are balanced. Inflate properly:what is the correct manufacturer stated tyre pressure limit for your car? If as a driver you can’t answer that question it means you simply go with what your ‘vulcanizer’ suggests. This may be right, but the chances of it being wrong are looming all over the place. So get your facts right and inflate your tyres correctly. Rotate your wheels: most Nigerian vehicle owners don’t even recognize the need for periodic wheel rotation. If I am to summarize the explanation on why this process is necessary, I’d simply say it’s an added measure to ensure even tread wear of all the tyres. This process entails switching the positioning of tyres periodically. Use correct wheel sizes: to avoid any abrupt explosions, use the right rim-size for tyres as stated by your car manufacturer. Shop wisely: stay off sub-standard tyres; especially tokunbo tyres wrapped in shinny wraps. Remember these tyres are cheap for two reasons-1) they don’t last 2) such can disappoint without any notice whatsoever.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 21:06:26 +0000
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