A Complete Guide on Tyre Condition & Tread Wear
A tyre is a marvel of science and an important part of a vehicle. The tyre is also the first line of defence for a vehicle that is why it is vulnerable to various hazards on road. A tyre in a good condition can deliver unparallel driving experience whereas tyres in bad condition cannot only ruin a driving experience it also becomes a loophole in road safety.
Beyond any doubt your tyres are a critical piece of your vehicle, they can influence mileage, yet they can likewise ensure road safety.
You should be able to realize when it is an ideal opportunity to rotate your tyres or supplant them. That is the reason for understanding a tyre and its conditions.
Now and again, tyre wear can likewise be characteristic of a mechanical issue. It is not always the tyre, your wheel alignment & shocks can influence the tyres. So even if remarkable tyre like Bridgestone Potenza S001 starts complaining, remember, it’s not only the tyre and even if you replace the tyre the next one will turn up the same if the problem is with your vehicle mechanics.
Overage tyre
In terms of tyre safety, the age of the tyre is the most important aspect. Always be sure that you are not using overage tyres. To determine the age of your tyre, check the last four digits (the date of manufacturing) of the DOT code on the sidewall of the tyre. According to standards, a tyre cannot function properly if its old than 6 years.
Hydroplaning
Worn tyres can be destructive on wet streets, where the notches are not profound enough to channel water out from underneath the track. The outcome is hydroplaning, where the track skims the water’s surface and the vehicle does not respond to the steering wheel or the brakes. Hydroplaning can cause dangerous accidents.
Tyre valve
Worn out valve seal, soil and coarseness in the valve, missed threads on the valve itself can compromise the safety of the tyre at speed. Indeed, even an ineffectively fixed valve can cause genuinely steady under swelling of the tyre, which will diminish the life of your tyre by up to quarter of its lifetime. As it is difficult to supplant the valve without expelling the tyre packaging that is why the valves should be supplanted EVERY time a tyre is supplanted.
The tyre valve is frequently the most dismissed and disregarded part, yet a productive valve is significant for the safety of the tyre. So always make sure your tyre valve is in good shape.
Tread Depth
These days assessing tyre tread depth is simple for most of the tyres since there are convenient tread wear markers incorporated within the tyre. These tread wear markers indicate the time for replacement of the tyre, whenever they are in level with the outside of the tread at multiple spots. In the event that there is an abnormally significant change in the tread wear than its always a great idea to visit the closest tyre centre.
In the event your tyre does not have any tread wear marker or tread wear marker is at very few spots of the tyre thus making it hard to evaluate the tread wear you can utilize a tyre depth gauge, penny test or a depth card.
Following are the standard depth readings and their respective meanings.
| Tread Depth | Meaning |
| 2/32’’ or less | Replace tyre immediately |
| 3/32’’ – 4/32’’ | Consider replacing the tyre soon & keep checking the tread depth regularly |
| 5/32’’ or more | No need to replace the tyre but keep checking the tread depth occasionally |
Tyre condition and its causes
Following are symptoms of a bad tyre and its possible remedies:
| Issue | Reason | Correction |
| Worn out the tread in the centre of the tyre | Either the tyre is inflated over the recommended limit or oversized tyres have been installed | · Re-adjust the tyre pressure as per the recommendation of the manufacturer
· Check the rim size as per owner’s manual to see if you have installed the appropriate tyre |
| Worn out the tread on both side of the tyre | The tyre is underinflated or the vehicle is overloaded against the load rating on the tyre | · Re-adjust the cold tyre pressure as per the recommendation of the manufacturer
· Make sure you are not overloading your vehicle by re-adjusting the load according to the vehicle specifications |
| Worn out the tread on one side of the tyre | The wheel alignment is off or the suspension is in bad shape | · Fix the wheel alignment
· Replace any damaged parts in the suspension |
| Irregular cupping on the tyre | The steering system or the suspension on the vehicle is loose.
This can also be caused if tyres and wheels are out of the balance |
· Adjust the balance of the wheels and tyres
· Replace the defective parts in suspension, shocks and steering system. |
| Bubbles are appearing on the sidewall of the tyre | This could occur if the inner liner has been damaged during the manufacturing | · Dismount and investigate tyre for inside harm, see if the warranty applies |
| There are cracks on the sidewall of the vehicle | The reason for cracks on the sidewall of the vehicle tyres being exposed to the sun or hazardous chemicals | · Park your vehicle under shadows and away from hazardous chemical. |
| wearing on both sidewall of the vehicle | This occurs if the vehicle is driven on a flat tyre or when the tyre has very low air pressure | · Dismount and investigate tyre for inside harm and supplant tyre if the impairment is found |
| Cuts on the tread of the tyre. | This might happen if the tyre is in contact with vehicle hardware such as bumpers, mud flap brackets, etc | · Observe if the cuts are only on the surface transition to the dual position
· If the cuts are deeper then consider retreading or rebelting · Remember if the damage is severe, replace the tyre · Make repairments to your vehicle if needed |
Conclusion
The better you are at observing issues with your vehicle, the better you will be at diagnosing and fixing them. Never only eyeball your tyres for any issues, always do a proper inspection of the tyre for issues stated above in the article.
If at any point you are unable to diagnose an issue with your tyre or vehicle, it is always a great idea to consult a specialist. Never ignore any issue even if it is a minor one because it can cost you your life. Being a little bit more conscious about your vehicle safety can mean safer roads for you and everyone.