One of the aspects that most concerns drivers is car maintenance, and that is that a vehicle requires that we pay special attention to check-ups, oil changes, filters or brake pads, and also tires.
Every how many kilometers change the tires
With good maintenance, care and proper attention, the useful life of quality tires is approximately 5 years, or between 40,000 and 50,000 kilometers. However, this general calculation may vary depending on factors such as the state of the terrain through which we drive daily, the use we make of the car or our type of driving, and the more efficient it is, the less wear the wheels will have.
The first step to know how often to change tires is to be clear about how old they are. After 5 years or 50,000 kilometers have elapsed without changing the tires, it is important to check them to ensure that they are not worn out and that they can continue to be efficient. Remember that the front wheels suffer more wear than the rear ones, so it is important to rotate them every 6 months if you use the vehicle frequently.
Of course, tread doesn’t always wear evenly, especially if your tires are misaligned, under-inflated, or otherwise out of balance. So be sure to test tread depth in multiple places, check for patch wear, and inspect the center and outside edges of each tire to make sure the tread is wearing properly. uniform.
How to know if the tires are worn
All tires have a wear band that allows us to measure their degree of use, indicating when it is time to change them. The depth of the wear line can never be less than 1.6 millimeters, if so, it is important to change the wheels immediately, as they are not suitable for driving. In fact, the ideal is to make the change before the wheels reach maximum wear, in this way we guarantee our safety.
Reasons to change your tires immediately
Even if your tires have not reached 5 years old or 50,000 km traveled, there are some reasons to change them immediately:
- When the wheels have a depth less than 1.6 mm in the wear line, indicating that the useful life of the tire has been exceeded.
- When a puncture or rupture occurs in the tire.
- If when comparing two wheels that are mounted on the same axle there is a difference of 5 millimeters or more in the grooves. This can put your safety at risk, so in that case it is important to replace the most worn tire.
- If the tires show any obvious breakage damage that affects their operation.
caring for tires
In some cases, simply paying attention to your car when driving can detect tire problems sooner.
For example, if the car vibrates excessively, the wheels may be out of balance or out of alignment.
If you start to feel that the car is not responding to handling as it should, check to see if the tires are inflated. If the car makes you feel more unevenness with small jumps, the tires could be over inflated.
Correct alignment, balance and pressure can greatly improve your car’s handling and extend the life of your tires.
To further extend the mileage you get from your tires, they should be rotated every 11,000 miles or so. Rotating the tires will ensure that they wear evenly, to get the most out of them.
But what happens when you have a tire with a lot of life, good tread, and you happen to run over a sharp stone or nail on the road?
The answer depends on several factors. If the puncture is on the sidewall of the tire, you are NOT in luck, you are going to need a new tire. If it is found in the tire tread, however, it is safest to take the tire to a professional who will patch the rim from the inside and plug the hole. This option might be a little more expensive than buying a kit and doing the work yourself, but the repair will be much stronger.
Considering how much is at stake with tires, a couple of tickets is a small price to pay for a safe ride.
