The wear of your tyres: how to recognise an issue
Your tyres are the only component that keeps your car connected to the road while driving. They ensure your safety by gripping the road and also by avoiding excessive braking distances. That is the reason why it is necessary to inspect their condition on a regular basis. If you are wondering, “How do I check tyre wear?”, here are some tips to help you recognise if something is wrong.
HOW TO CHECK TYRE WEAR?
Point S tyres or whichever brand possess tyre wear indicators. They become noticeable when the tread is thinned to 1.6mm or 2/32" thick. When those tyre wear indicators are showing, it is time to replace your tyre.
Another way of checking the tread wear of a tyre is the "sub-black test". Insert a one-cent coin into the most worn grooves of your tyre. If the tips on the edge of the coin are clearly visible, you must replace the tyre.
Whatever technique you prefer, you should inspect each of your tyres at least once a month.
TYRE WEAR CAUSES
Tyre wear can originate from two main reasons:
- On the one hand, it can be a "natural" wear due to all the kilometers they have been through. There is no number of kilometers to give as it depends on your driving habits.
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On the other hand, the wear can alarm you on the deterioration of another component of your car that affects your tyres.
For these reasons, it is essential to assess regularly your tyre wear indicator.
INTERNAL TYRE WEAR CAUSES
If you notice internal tyre wear, you should know that this issue can come from:
- Tyre alignment troubles
- Suspension problems
EXTERNAL TYRE WEAR CAUSES
There are different kinds of external tyre wear, each one with different causes.
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Early wear on the extremities: Could be from an insufficiently inflated tyre
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Wear in the center of the tread: The tyre could be too inflated or damaged due to excessive speed
- Wear of a single shoulder: Could be from a deficient parallelism
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Uneven wear: Could be from a deficient parallelism or certain driving parts (dampers, steering) that need to be adjusted
In summary, checking the wear of your tyres improves your safety on the road. If you are unsure or have any of the listed problems, make an appointment with our experts or visit your nearest Point S center !
