Roll On Down The Road With These Tire and Wheel Car Tactics

When it comes to car safety wheels are important. Not only are they only part of the vehicle that touches the road, but many accidents are caused by poorly maintained wheels and tires. Of course, this means taking care of your car’s tires and wheels is one of the most important things you can do. The good news is you can find out all about how to do this in the detailed post, below. 

Check your treads and replace when necessary 

The ability of your wheels to grip the road in the correct way is largely dependent on the tread of your tires. This means checking that there is adequate tread regularly is vitally important for safety and economy. To be safe make sure to check the tread on your tires every few weeks and before any long journeys. Also remember that while the la=egal Uk road limit for tire treads is 1.6mm, most car manufacturers suggest replacing when tires get to 3mm tread depth for optimum safety and performance. 

Fortunately it’s pretty easy to check the tread of your tires yourself. In fact there are several methods you can use. The first and most well known method is to use a 20p coin. All you need to do is get a 20p coin and then insert this into the treads in your tire. Look to see whether you can still see the outer band of the coin. If you can then the tread is too low and the tires need replacing. 

The second option to consider is using a tyre tread depth gauge. These are the most accurate option because they are specifically designed to gauge the depth of each groove. You can get them online or in car maninece stores for around £5. 

Lastly, some tires come with specific indicators that show you when your tread is getting low, which makes it even easier to see when your tires need replacing.   

Stop overloading your vehicle 

While it can be very tempting to load up all your home comforts and modern conveniences when heading off on holiday, or to visit family, you could be damaging your wheels and endangering yourself, your passengers and other road users. 

With that in mind, keeping the weights you transport in addition to passengers to a minimum is a good idea. That means checking the weight limit in your manufacturer’s manual, and keeping luggage limited to only the boot rather than stuffed into every spare nook and cranny.  

Keep your wheels in the best condition

Maintaining your wheels and keeping them in the best condition possible is useful too. Indeed, when your wheels are cleaned regularly it allows you to spot any issues that could be dangerous. 

The first and most simple way to keep your wheels in the best condition is to take the time to wash them on a regular basis. Indeed, this is a task that you need to complete yourself as even in hand washing car washes they don’t get into all the areas that will need cleaning. 

Happily, cleaning your wheels doesn’t need to be a tough job. All you need to do is find the right kind of soap for the type of wheels that your vehicle has. Then apply this to the wheels and use a (soft!) bristle brush to scrub carefully. After you have done this rinse with water and then buff with a microfiber cloth, as this will dry and shine at the same time.  

Additionally, if your wheels are looking tired and worn, you may wish to opt for restoration to return them to the past glory. Be sure to pick an alloy wheel specialist like SMART Repairs for this task. This is because  they will be able to remove scuffs and return them to their factory finish. 

Maintain the correct tire pressure 

Finally when it comes to your tires maintaining the correct pressure is also essential. This is because too little or too much pressure will make it hard for your tires to properly grip the road, something that at best could mean you are using up more fuel than necessary and at worst could put you and your passengers in danger. 

Different cars and tires have different tire pressure requirements. This means you will need to check these in your manufacturer’s guide and ensure that your tires are maintained at the correct level, regularly.