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What happens when you see your vehicle underperforming every now and then? The first thing you do is take your vehicle to the nearest garage for its engine check-up. How often do you inspect the tyres in such cases? Most probably, never. Relax, you are not alone acting in such an uninformed manner, there are numerous others in the league. Remember that (besides other aspects) the most overlooked component of your vehicle, i.e. the tyre, is also responsible for the right acceleration, braking power, and torque transmission. Hence, to assure you get the right performance out of your vehicle every time, you need to ensure the tyres are in top-notch condition. No matter how powerful your car engine is, if the vehicle doesn’t have tyres in the apt condition it won’t move ahead safely. So let’s check out the factors that indicate the need to swap your old worn-out tyres with a new set of rubber.
Tyre Tread and Contact Patch:
The tyre tread is the rubber material on the circumference of the tyre. It comes into contact with the surface of the road. There are different types of tread patterns such as directional, symmetrical, asymmetrical, etc. The tread aids in handling, stability and rolling of the tyres. Over time with usage, the tread part, which consists of grooves, deters resulting in the need for tyre replacement. Moreover, the area of the tyre that is always in contact with the road is called the Contact Patch. Though it’s a small area, decisive factors like effective cornering, easy steering, instant braking, depend upon its surefootedness. Hence, Tread and Contact Patch, work in tandem to ensure stability and traction.
Tyre Tread Inspection:
The basic function of the tread in a tyre is to scatter water between the tread and road surface for constant grip. With no water beneath the tread and ground, the chances of aquaplaning hazard are prevented. To encourage safety and awareness among the consumers every tyre is endowed with Tread Wear Indicators (TWI). The TWIs are found inside the tread grooves and as the name goes they indicate the intensity of tread wear as it ages.
For easy spotting, the visual markings/symbols within the groove are mentioned at 6 places on the tread circumference. As per ATMA (Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association), the tread depth for vehicles like cars/SUVs/trucks should be of 1.6 mm and tyres with lesser depth are considered unsafe for use. If you find that the tread indicator mark has vanished during tyre wear then it’s time to go for new tyres.
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Moreover, to check the tread depth more precisely you can take the help of tread depth indicator, which is easily available online or at any local tyre and equipment store in your city.
Cracks at the tread:
During tread inspection, you can also look for cracks/dry rot. If you witness any such thing on any part of the tyre an instant replacement is needed. The small cracks all over the tyre signify that the rubber is breaking down. This may lead to the crumbling of the rubber from the steel belt causing injury to the rim and the car exterior. So it’s suggested to check for dry rot prior to long-distance journeys and perform regular inspection of the car.
Uneven tread wear:
A periodic check of tyre tread for irregular wear leads to enhanced tread life. If you see the inner shoulder of the tyre worn more compared to the outer shoulder then its time you see a trustworthy mechanic at a nearby service station. This may be the symptoms of wheel misalignment or improper wheel balancing causing the uneven wear. Or else, the mechanic may also suggest you go for tyre rotation. Even after proper examination if you are not able to drive your vehicle in a straight line then this is another sign that begs for a tyre change.
Tyre damage:
Thanks to the bizarre road conditions in India, besides the occupants, the tyres are always put to test and tolerate most of the roadside anguish on the move. As a result, a timely inspection of the tyre, especially the sidewall, can be fruitful to ensure extended tyre life. However, if you see any odd bulge or bubble on the sidewall then it’s alarming. This kind of injury points toward serious damage on the internal frame due to which the air pressure is making way into the soft outer layers of the tyre.
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Any tyres with sidewall bulges should be replaced immediately, regardless of the tread status. This dent usually happens when you accidentally drive over a large pothole, abrupt speed breaker with low tyre pressure. Use of such tyre may lead to mishap and tyre burst. Hence, it’s strongly recommended to immediately replace the tyre.
Steering vibrations:
You drive at around 60-70 km/hr and sense steering wheel vibrations and as you accelerate, the judder levels also rise. Here you badly need tyre balancing service, and if, even after balancing the situation remains unmoved then for sure knowingly or unknowingly the tyre is damaged badly, and tyre change is a must now. You can also try aligning/balancing the suspension system of the tyres.
