Tyres can have a significant effect on the performance of your vehicle. They influence many aspects of your driving such as the safety of the vehicle and your fuel economy. In order for your car to perform at it’s best, it is vital to have good quality tyres that are replaced when necessary. Bald tyres pose a serious risk to your safety and other road users which is why it is illegal to drive with bald or damaged ones.
How Long Do Tyres Last?
Knowing the lifetime of tyres can be difficult due to so many different variables. Depending on the brand and quality, they can vary in durability significantly. Their longevity can also be minimised due to your driving style or whether they have been damaged at all. Typically, they will last anywhere between 20,000 – 40,000, especially rear tyres.
For your front ones, they will tend to wear out faster due to braking, accelerating and steering all taking a toll on them.
Signs That Your Tyres Need Changing
As we’ve mentioned, in theory, tyres should last between 20,000- 40,000 miles, the other variables mean that more often than not, they don’t. Your driving style combined with the typical environment in which you drive will mean they last a lot less than expected.
The important thing is knowing the main signs that your tyres might need changing so you avoid any risk of accidents.
Tread Depth Is Too Low
The most common sign of your tyres wearing out is their tread depth. New units have an average tread depth of between 8-9mm in order to achieve maximum traction on the road surface. Tread depth is also vital to the free movement of water away from your vehicle in wetter conditions which means a higher level of control in bad weather.
The tread of your tyre will deteriorate over time through wear and tear which will mean they will lose their high level of performance. Because of this, there is a legal limit of tread depth you can drive on before they are deemed no longer roadworthy.
This limit is 1.6mm; if your tread is lower than this then you could face large fines. The reason this is the legal limit of tread is because of the level of grip your tyres have deteriortating past a safe limit, making it more difficult to take corners or brake.
It is important to make sure that you have enough tread regularly and have them replaced by us when they diminish down to the legal limit.
Often you might notice that your car is becoming much more difficult to control when turning a corner. This can be one of the signs that the grip of your tyres has deteriorated. Worse still, if you start noticing that your braking distance is increasing significantly then this can also mean a lack of grip. A key indication that poor quality tyres are dangerous.
You may also notice that the comfort of the journey is affected. This can be due to the bumps and vibrations of the road being carried through your vehicle much more easily. Visually inspect your tyres, if they look smooth or bald then it is paramount that you have them replaced as soon as possible.
As the roads are littered with foreign objects, potholes and other items such as glass or stones, it becomes apparent that our tyres take the brunt of all of it, constantly. Because of this, often you may find that you have a hole or puncture.
Sometimes a hole in your tread may not be too much of a problem however, if the hole is more than 5-6mm then we recommend getting your tyres changed immediately. Holes that are generally 6mm or larger have the potential to impact the overall performance of your vehicle as the hole may get bigger.
We recommend checking your car tyres regularly for holes in the tread and especially before long journeys. This will ensure no issues are caused whilst driving and if a hole is found, you can get it replaced by us before it causes more issues later on.
The fundamental cause of a blown out tyre is cracking in the sidewall. A blown out tyre whilst travelling can be a very scary experience that is only made worse when travelling at speed. With cracked sidewalls being the main cause for blow outs, it is important to identify it early. Cracks most often appear due to over exerting the tyre. This can be done when your tyres are underinflated, thereby causing stress on the sidewall.
Contact Us For More Information On New Tyres In Newton Abbot
If you have successfully identified that you need new tyres then call our team of highly skilled mechanics so we can book your vehicle in for tyre replacements. Our team can supply and fit brand new tyres to your car to ensure that you are safe and that your vehicle is performing as well as possible. Call us to book in.
