Many drivers don’t realise just how much wear and tear their tyres take. Depending on how well – or otherwise – you look after them can impact greatly on how long they will last.
Fail to care for them and you can expect your average cost per mile to rise since replacing tyres sooner than you really need to can contribute to the overall cost of motoring. From St Andrews to St Austell and from Dunfermline to Dover, caring for tyres better needn’t take too much time or cost very much. However, in the meantime, what should you be doing to keep your tyres in as good a condition as possible without spending a great deal?
1. Hang Back From Traffic
Far too many drivers are happy to sit on the bumper of the car in front. If you do this, then try to break the habit. Driving closely isn’t just dangerous but wearing on your tyres. This is because you need to brake harder and more often when you’re near to the vehicle ahead of you. By hanging back, you’ll just need to ease off the accelerator to maintain a safe distance. In addition, refraining from driving too closely means being able to spot debris and potholes, both of which can cause damage to tyres if you hit them by not being able to steer around in time.For instance if you are driving from St Andrews to St Austell and from Dunfermline Dover, caring for tyres better need not take too much time or cost very much. Fife Autocentre is a trusted retailer and you can buy your tyres in Glenrothes online – with the option of branch fitting or mobile fitting – if you need to replace them.
2. Pull Away in Second Gear
Wheel-spinning causes a great deal of damage to the tread of tyres. If you want to prematurely age your tyres, then the best way to go about it is to dump the clutch in first gear and pull away fast. Instead, why not use second gear to ensure you move from a stationary position with less speed and more control? Leave first gear for hill starts only.
3. Keep Your Tyres Pumped
You should reinflate your tyres every month or so. Get into the routine of repressurising your tyres every couple of times you fill up with fuel. If you maintain the right level of pressure in your tyres, then it will help to preserve them for longer. Over-inflated tyres wear down on one spot where most of the car’s weight is borne. Equally, flat tyres come into more contact with the road surface than they should, helping them to deteriorate quicker.
4. Check Tread Depth Yourself
You don’t have to pay for a mechanic to tell you whether you have enough tread on your tyres because all you need is a twenty-pence coin. Simply insert the coin side-on into your tyre’s tread and see whether or not the rim of it disappears from view. If it does, then you have enough tread depth left to drive. The only thing to bear in mind with this method is that you need to check all around each tyre and not confirm the tread depth in one place only.
5. Fit Winter Tyres
Finally, fitting winter tyres if you live or travel in exposed locations, such as Fife, the Pennines or North Wales, can help to preserve your normal set of tyres. By doing so, you can maintain better grip in sub-zero conditions, whether you’re on a country lane or a fast-moving dual carriageway. When the weather starts to improve in Spring, just have your old set fitted again to continue getting the most use out of them. Your winter tyres will be ready to fit again next time there’s a cold spell, after all.
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