5 CRITERIA FOR TIRE SAFETY | LATEST BLOW-OUT CONCERNS !!
When your vehicle operates in all kinds of road or weather condition, it’s your tires that absorbs the direct impact. Before commencing your road trip, Fixcarkwik advice you ensure your tires are fit to adapt to all types of adverse conditions and safely deliver you to your final destination.
Road trips are great because it’s packed with loads and loads of sight seeing unlike air travel. While planning your trip; what clothes to pack, which hotels to book, it’s important to make sure your tires are ready for the trip. Here are five major considerations, you can use to get your tires ready to travel.
Tire Types: Winter (Cold weather) tires, having mountain snowflakes symbol on the sidewall, are used during the winter to provide additional traction. All-season tires handle well during summer, spring and autumn. I would advise you take out your winter tires after winter ends to preserve them against next winter. Airless Tires though already in use on bicycles, they are still a concept for automobiles. If you have ever seen the sight of an accident resulting from a blow-out, then you will appreciate why this is such a big deal. Michelin is already at an advance stage and has proposed 2024 as launch date.
Expiry: Most tire manufacturers warn vehicle owners to replace their tires after six years. Embossed on the sidewall of the tire is a DOT (Department of Transportation) code, check the last four digits. The first two (of the four) represent the week number while the last two refer to the year the tire was manufactured. Add six (6) to the last two digits and you have your expiration date. Replace tires if date is passed.
Inflation Pressure: Check the air pressure of your tires. It’s advisable to do this once a month. Under-inflated tires easily get punctured while over-inflated tires are even worse as they can cause blowouts due to rise in road temperature. Use the inflation pressure guide on the Door frame or owners manual to appropriately guage your tires.
Since you can’t be too careful avoiding all the sharp objects on the road, it’s highly recommended you have a tire inflator in your trunk.
Visual Inspection:. Now you are looking out for hair cracks, pinch shock, and wear bars indicators. Or even loose wheel nuts. Vigilance is essential here. And be sure to replace your tires if you find any of the aforementioned concerns.
Pinch shock is a bulge on the sidewall of your tire resulting from slamming into a pot hole or other road obstacles which could have damaged the rim.
Wear bars are tread wear indicators moulded into the grooves. They are 2/32 inch in height. When the treads wear down to the same height as the wear bar, the tires should be replaced.
Check Alignment: Misalignment of your wheels would lead to accelerated, irregular or uneven tread wear. At least once monthly visit to the service center is your sure bet to preventing damage to your tires. And when you are on a straight road and you take your hands off the steering, if your car pulls to the right or left, its certain your car needs an alignment job.
If it’s time for professional tire maintenance or your car needs a repair from a trustworthy mechanic, the experts at Fixcarkwik are here to help. To learn more about our offers, visit www.fixcarkwik.com.
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