The monsoon season is upon us as we take a look at useful maintenance tips for the car tyres.
Monsoon season calls for extensive maintenance tips, especially for the car tyres. We often don’t think about it but tyres are extremely crucial components in an automobile. Generally, we think that maintenance is related to engine, transmission, electronics, fluids, etc. While that is true, we must remember that the only direct contact a car has with the road is via tyres. Hence, it becomes critical to ensure that the health and condition of tyres are up-to-date. Let me share with you some important parameters which you can implement to ensure your safety and the safety of your cars.
Car Tyres Maintenance Tips For Monsoon
Proper Inflation Pressure
The most important practice concerning tyres is the appropriate pressure. This is true and imperative not just for the monsoons, but for every scenario. In the monsoon season, the main challenge lies in wet conditions. The rubber and road surfaces are drenched in water. In some areas, there is even an accumulation of water. Hence, if the tyre pressure is not right, the vehicle could be a victim of water logging. As a result, the car could skid off the road leading to an accident. Sticking to the carmaker-suggested tyre pressure will ensure maximum traction at all times. Keeping the tyre pressure as per the recommendation of the car company also prevents excessive wear and tear. Therefore, it is the most important and easy way to ensure safety.
Tyre Tread Health
Many people take the health of the tyre tread for granted. In a bid to save some money and prevent expenses, they drive their cars way beyond the life of the tyre tread. Note that once the tread of a tyre wears out completely, the surface becomes flat. It is susceptible to losing traction on just about any surface. Things only exacerbate during wet conditions. Hence, this is certainly a recipe for disaster. You must keep checking the wear and tear of the tyre treads regularly and replace the tyres as soon as necessary. There are ways to measure the depth of the grooves in the tyres. Once it goes below a certain percentage, you should consider replacing the tyres. The tread depth is a useful parameter to know when to get new tyres.
Rotate Tyres
One of the easiest methods to ensure equal wear and tear of all tyres is regular rotation. We know that, generally, the front tyres wear faster than the rear tyres for front-wheel-driven cars. This is due to the fact that they must handle the propulsion, steering and braking systems. Hence, they often wear out quickly. But to ensure relatively uniform wear, you can rotate the tyres after regular intervals. For instance, a common number is around 8,000 km – 10,000 km. In this manner, every tyre deteriorates at a relatively constant rate with respect to the others and you are able to keep track of rotation easily.
Wheel Alignment and Balancing
I feel wheel alignment and balancing are two of the most underrated tyre maintenance tips out there. People often don’t take this aspect seriously. When the wheels are misaligned, they can cause the vehicle to steer in one particular direction without any input from the driver. While this in itself is a problem at high speeds on highways, it also causes uneven wear and tear of the treads. You would often find heavy damage on the tyre even if it has not been driven for long distances. That is a common testament to the fact that you might be driving your car with misaligned wheels. If you live in the mountains, you must visit the tyre shop frequently to get your wheels aligned and balanced. The constant curves of the twisty roads often cause the vehicle’s tyres to stress, especially if driven at high speeds. Therefore, a regular check-up becomes crucial.
Driving Mannerisms
Finally, the biggest power lies in your own hands. Driving a car requires direct input from the driver. Hence, in any situation, everything depends on the way you drive. This is true for summer, winter, monsoon, rain, off-roading, highways, mountains, sands, etc. Ultimately, your driving mannerisms determine the condition and health of your car in general and the tyres of your cars in particular. We see so many people getting stranded on roads during winter or during off-road tracks. In certain extreme cases, it is advised to not drive through water. For instance, if you are not able to see the road ahead, you should never drive there. Oftentimes, small pebbles or sharp objects could be present there. These can cause the tyre to puncture. Hence, you must ensure that you drive carefully in every situation to ascertain maximum safety of your car. These are the top car tyres maintenance tips for the monsoon season.
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