New Year, New Tyres?

Your on-road safety is of vital importance and the condition of your tyres matters a great deal as four contact patches the size of your hands are all that connect you to the road. To ensure that you start the year off safely, here’s what you need to know when assessing your tyres…

Check Your Tyre Pressures

You can check your tyre pressures yourself with minimal fuss. The vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressures can be found in the owner’s manual, or on the vehicle placard which is typically located in the driver’s door jamb. Maintaining the recommended tyre pressures will improve your vehicle’s on-road safety and performance, as well as tyre longevity.

If you don’t already check your tyre pressures once a month, make the new year the time to develop the routine! And remember, you should also check the pressure of your spare tyre if you have one.

Look for Possible Tyre Damage

At the same time as checking your tyre pressures, it’s a good idea to complete a quick visual inspection of your tyres. This is a simple way to keep an eye on their overall condition and will potentially assist you in finding minor issues that need addressing before they become bigger issues.

When completing a visual inspection you should thoroughly inspect both the sidewall and tread for signs of damage. Be on the lookout for:

• Cracks, bulges or gouges: these can cause a slow leak in the tyre, increasing your chances of a tyre blowout
• Nails, rocks or sharp objects: that may have become imbedded in your tyres
• Cuts and sidewall damage: this is caused by hitting a sharp object or even scraping against a curb. This can be harder to identify, so if in doubt, speak with a trusted professional.
• Uneven tread: this may indicate that your car is in need of a wheel alignment or that the tyre pressures are incorrect.

If you find any concerning signs of tyre damage, contact us. Our qualified technicians can assess both the internal and external condition of your tyres and advise you if new tyres are needed.

Assess Your Tread Wear

If the tread on your tyres is too shallow (the legal limit in Australia is 1.5mm) your car may lose traction and suffer from extended braking times. It can also make it harder to control your vehicle in wet weather.

You can assess tread levels several ways. One way is to look at the wear bars that are located on the tread of the tyre. These become increasingly visible as the tread wears down. Once the tread is worn level with the wear bar, you will need to replace your tyres. You can also measure the tread using a tyre tread depth gauge, which you can purchase at your local car parts store for a few dollars.

Check How Old Your Tyres Are

Do you know the age of your tyres? Simply because your tyres appear to look alright doesn’t mean that they are. The rubber compounds in a tyre will deteriorate over time from exposure to the elements. Once tyresreach the 5 year mark it is a good idea to monitor their condition and have them inspected by a professional.

Finding out the age of your tyres is as simple as taking a look at the tyre sidewall. Here you will find a 4 digit build date. This indicates the week and year of manufacture, for example 2120 would indicate that the tyre was manufactured on the 21st week of the year 2020.

Is it Time for New Tyres?

Perhaps the time has come to buy new tyres for your car. If this is the case, Marks & Wallings supplies and fits a great range of tyres that are suited to a range of vehicles from passenger cars to SUVs, 4WDs, sports cars and more.

Located in West Ryde, our knowledgeable team will assist you in finding the right tyre for your vehicle, budget and driving style from across a range of quality brands including Falken, Pirelli and Michelin.