10 TYRE SAFETY TIPS

Of the thousands of components in a vehicle, tyres are probably the most important. Your life literally depends on them one hundred percent of the time you are on the road.

1. Check tyre pressures and adjust at least once a month.
The leading cause of tyre failure is under-inflation.

Under-inflation can have many causes, including a gradual loss of pressure through membranes in the tyre itself. It is typical for pressure to drop approximately 1 psi per month and 1 psi for each 8-degree loss in ambient temperature.

It is imperative to check and adjust tyre pressure at least once a month and before every long trip (over 400 Kilometers). Recommended pressures are printed on a label located on the driver's door-frame or in the glove box.

2. Inspect tyres regularly for abnormal wear or damage.
To ensure maximum tyre life and safety, give your tyres a visual inspection at least once a month and before long trips. This is easily done at the same time you check pressures.

Look for:

• Excessive or uneven tread wear.
• Cracks or bulges on the sidewalls or tread;
• Chunking of the tread or any indication of tread separation from the carcass;
• Signs of puncture, or nails, screws, glass, pieces of stone or any foreign object imbedded in the tyre.
• Check the valve stems for leakage, as well as the tyre itself.

3. Rotate tyres every 9600 kilometers or according to owner's manual.
tyre rotation is essential to achieve even tread wear and maximum tread life. On front-wheel-drive cars, for example, most of the braking, steering and driving forces are carried by the front tyres, which inevitably wear much faster.

4. Maintain tyres in proper balance.
An out-of-balance tyre can be detected by a severe thumping, usually most pronounced at highway speeds.

If such a condition occurs, have your tyres dynamically balanced as soon as possible.

5. Maintain steering and suspension in proper alignment.
If you feel the steering "pulling" in one direction or another when traveling straight ahead on a flat road with no crosswind, or if you notice uneven wear on the tyres, particularly front tyres, you should have the alignment checked and adjusted as soon as possible.

Alignment should also be checked after a vehicle has been involved in a collision or if it is used continuously on rough roads, particularly those with large potholes.

6. Never overload a tyre.
Overloading is the second leading cause of tyre failure, next to under-inflation.

All tyres are designed to operate within a maximum load range designated by a code on the tyre sidewall. Exceeding this can result in both excessive wear and reduced tyre life due to structural damage, including the potential for sudden failure.

In most vehicles, the maximum passenger and cargo load for which the vehicle and tyres are designed is printed on the same label that designates recommended tyre pressures. It is critical that the maximum allowable load never be exceeded.

When determining the actual load in your vehicle, don't overlook the tongue-weight of a trailer if you are trailer towing, since it also acts directly on the vehicle's tyres.

7. Avoid overheating tyres.
Heat, like load, is the enemy of tyre life. The higher the heat it is subjected to, the shorter the tyre's life-in terms of both tread wear and structural resistance.

High speeds, high loads, under-inflation, coarse pavement or concrete, and aggressive driving, including high cornering loads and hard braking, all contribute to high tyre temperatures. Combined with high ambient temperatures and continuous use, they can create extreme circumstances and cause sudden tyre failure.

8. Replace tyres when required.
Your vehicle's tyres should be replaced if:

• Any portion of the tread is worn to the "wear indicator bars"-lateral bars molded into the tyre grooves at about 20 percent of their new tread depth-or to a depth, as measured in a groove, of 1/16th inch or less.
• Tread wear is severely uneven (in which case have the wheel alignment checked) or the center is worn much more than the edges (be more vigilant about tyre pressures).
• The tyre sidewalls are severely cracked or there are bulges anywhere on the tyre.
• There is any indication of tread separation from the tyre carcass.
• The tyre has been punctured and cannot be satisfactorily repaired.

9. Install tyres in matched pairs or complete sets.
Installing different tyres on the left and right sides can significantly upset the handling balance of a vehicle-not to mention its ABS operation. For that reason, it is imperative that tyres be installed in front or rear pairs, or complete sets.

Those pairs should be the same construction, size, brand and type, with approximately the same tread wear. In most cases, if you have to buy one new tyre, you should buy a pair.

If you replace only two, the new tyres should generally go on the rear wheels, regardless of whether the vehicle is FWD, RWD, or AWD. It is important to maintain maximum traction at the rear wheels to ensure stability.

Under no circumstances should you have tyres of different construction (radial and bias ply) or different classification (all-season and winter) on opposite ends or sides, since handling can be adversely affected.

10. Select the right tyres for your vehicle and driving environment.
Most drivers are happy just to know they have "all-season" tyres, and that is the way most new vehicles are equipped. These are a benign compromise, sacrificing exceptional capability in any one area of performance for acceptable capability in all.