There are a few fundamental things you must consider as a car owner in terms of car maintenance, and one of them is the life of a car’s tyres. What is the maximum life of a car tyre? There is no such specific number for the lifespan of a car tyre as so many variables affect the life of your car tyre. For example, the design of a tyre, the driver’s driving habits, road and weather conditions, as well as carefulness, are all the factors that influence its longevity.
You may have undoubtedly heard from a friend or family that tyres should be replaced regularly, possibly every 3-4 years or every 30,000 kilometres driven. Though it may appear reasonable, your tyres do not need to be replaced at a set time or frequency! You might need to change them before the set time or even after that depending upon the following things:
When Do You Need To Change Your Car Tyres On An Urgent Basis?
Your car will automatically show some signs which will tell you to change your car tyres:
Tread depth and Treadwear
In order to retain adequate gripping when the roads are wet, tyre tread is intended to extract and spread water between the tyre and the road surface. The tread depth on your tyres should never be less than 1.6 mm. You can use a gauge to verify the tread depth or insert a coin into the tread to see if it is less than the acceptable depth. If you see that the depth is decreasing, replace the tyres immediately, since this may affect the vehicle’s handling.
Treadwear refers to the patterns on your tyres that create friction while driving on roadways to keep you safe from losing control of your vehicle. When tread wear becomes too shallow, it indicates that your tyres are severely worn. This is a signal that your tyre should be instantly changed.
Frequent punctures
A puncture is more likely to happen in the car tyre when the tyre is worn down. The rubber tread wears down over time, allowing sharp things such as nails, metal or glass pieces, etc. to puncture your tyre. Hence, if you notice punctures on a regular basis, now is the time to replace your tyres.
Cracked surface of tyres
Cracks are commonly caused by older tyres, extreme weather conditions, or even consistently lower than required tyre pressure. When a tyre cracks, it indicates that it is decaying, just like any other rubber. So, if you see cracks in your tyres, take them to the nearest car tyre replacement centre to have them checked and changed.
Sidewall damage
Severe impacts on the rough road or driving over potholes frequently cause bulges in the tyre’s sidewalls. A leak in your tyre could be indicated by cracks or cuts in the sidewall. So, if the sidewall cracks are becoming more serious, visit a car tyre repair shop as soon as possible and get them replaced.
Excessive vibration
Unnecessary vibration while driving even on smooth roads can be a sign that something is wrong with the car tyres. The vibration could be caused by a variety of factors, including misaligned or unbalanced tyres, but it could also signal an internal problem with the tyre. Even if the vibration is not caused by the tyre, it can harm the tyre, and you may soon envision any issue. Check the tyres and if you find any damage, deflate the damaged tyre and replace it with the spare one. Take the car to a car tyre replacement centre for a comprehensive inspection if you do not detect any tyre damage and can’t figure out what is causing the vibration. Tires maintenance is one of the most important things you should do as a car owner. Not only would this prolong the health of your vehicle, it will also contribute to your safety on the road.
Imbalanced driving even after wheel alignment and wheel balancing
You have just had your tyres and wheels aligned and balanced by a professional mechanic, but you still can’t drive your car in a straight line? This might be an indication that your tyres need to be replaced. Have your vehicle inspected by a reputable mechanic or a car tyre repair shop.
Other than these reasons, you should go for car tyre replacement services if you are driving in extreme weather conditions and have rough driving habits.
Climate Conditions:
- Rain or snow
- High temperatures
Driving Habits:
- Rough driving with excessive speed
- Instant braking while still in speed
- Driving on damaged road or oil, grease, or other chemicals
- Failure to seek professional advice even when something unusual happens
Parting Thoughts:
Along with the warning signs listed above, if your car tyres are more than 5 years old, you should take extra precautions and inspect them more frequently. If it needs to be changed or fixed, do not put it off because it could endanger your safety. When checking your tyre pressure, a brief visual evaluation of the tyre condition will help you spot deterioration early, decreasing the risk of tyre failure. As they say, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Furthermore, it is a good idea to change all four tyres of the car at the same time when replacing any of the tyres. This removes any grip discrepancies between fresh and semi-worn tyres, which could result in less-than-ideal handling qualities, potentially leading to an accident. Have safe driving!
