Before you set off on your trip, check these tyre check tips
Tyre Pressure
You should check your tyres’ pressures at least once a month, before each trip, and each morning you drive during a trip. Ideally, tyre pressure should be measured when tyres are cold – before doing any driving on the tyres. Otherwise, your tyres may have heated up, increasing the air pressure inside them by several pounds per square inch (PSI). This is normal and as a rule never reduce the air pressure from a hot tyre, since this could result in under-inflation. Only reduce air pressure from a hot tyre when you need to lower pressures to drive on a particular terrain, but remember to re-inflate your tyres when you reach your destination, or return to terrain that requires higher pressures.
Tyre tread
There are two main reasons why tread depth is important. More tread left means more mileage and the further your tyres will take you, but also it gives you shorter braking distances that are essential in sudden change of conditions or in wet conditions.
Wheel alignment & balance
The regular care and maintenance of wheel alignment and balancing are crucial to the performance and wear of your tyres.
If you can feel that your vehicle is pulling to one side or the steering wheel isn’t straight, it means that your tyres need a wheel alignment and balance. You can also diagnose this by observing uneven wear of your tyres in the inside or outside
Spare tyre
The spare tyre is only spare when it’s not on your car. Before you head off, inspect your spare tyre to make sure it is free from cuts, nails and any evident damage. Also, make sure it has a safe tread level left and it’s properly inflated to the conditions you are planning to drive on.
Avoid overloading
The excitement of a trip in the horizon can easily lead to overloading your vehicle. Driving on an overloaded tyre is hazardous. When your car is carrying too much load, the weight can create excessive heat inside your tyres – with the potential to cause sudden tyre failure. Never exceed the maximum load rating of your tyres, which you can find on the sidewall of the tyre. When you replace a tyre, make sure the new one has a load-carrying capacity equal to or greater than what is specified on your vehicle’s placard.
Article taken from https://www.coopertires.co.nz/cooper-life/blog/2018/june/tyre-tips/
