Whether you are driving along a canyon, a coast, or along a hillside, tyres are critical in ensuring a proper handling drive. Worn tyres have less grip on wet surfaces and when cornering, making them more susceptible to hydroplaning during rain and increasing the braking distance at the same time. The vehicle stability control and all-wheel drive systems become less effective when worn-out tyres are used. So, the question is: When should old tyres be replaced with new ones?
Usually, the tread depth of the tyre is measured in 32nds of an inch. When bought new, the tyres have a tread depth from 9/32” to 11/32”. Even though the tread depth at which tyres are considered unsafe is at 2/32”, it is recommended that you start looking to change your tyres when the tread depth is 4/32” as you might notice slipping on slick or wet roads. For winter tyres, you should change even earlier as they are useless in icy and snowy conditions even with 4/32” tread depth.
tyre tread depth: How to measure?
You can measure your tyre’s tread depth every time you get an Autoservice Utrecht or you can do it yourself. The most common method to measure the tyre tread depth is using a tyre tread depth gauge. Hold the foot of the gauge across the tyre grooves and measure the depth by lightly pushing the scale down. Many of the tyres have wear indicators. These are rubber bars that are built as part of the construction of the tyre treads. Once the wear reaches certain levels, these tread wear indicators start showing, alerting you to change your tyres.
When you go to get an oil change for your vehicle, the mechanic usually checks the tyre tread depth and updates the findings in the inspection report. It is much easier to measure when the car is in a hoist in a lifted position as opposed to a drive-by oil change.
Other reasons for tyre replacement
tyre tread-wear is not the sole reason why you might have to replace the tyre. Sometimes, tyres might have to be changed if there are cuts, budges, cracks, sidewall punctures, or any other damage that might be deemed unsafe. If you ended up driving the vehicle after the tyre got a puncture, this could potentially damage the tyre and need to be replaced. Other common instances that require tyre replacement are when the tyre wears out unevenly when nails stick to the sidewall and rubber shavings are present on the inside.
You might then ask the question: If none of the above reasons for tyre replacement is present, should the tyres be replaced just because they are older? The answer is Yes! Even if the tyre tread depth is in good standing, the material used to make the tyre degrades over time. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) recommends changing tyres once they become more than 6-10 years old, even if wear has not happened. To tell how old your vehicle’s tyres are, check the tyre Identification number or DOT. For tyres produced after 2000, the last 4 digits of the Identification number denote the weak and year.
Can you use different tyre brands?
Yes, you can opt for different tyre brands than the ones your vehicle came with. You can customize your tyre selection according to the terrain and conditions that you are planning to drive. This way you can optimize the tyre choice to suit the intended usage. For instance, for drivers wanting to go on a spirited drive, switching to tyres with better handling is preferred. For more information Banden Utrecht.
