From changing car tyres to maintaining them: your basic guide to understanding tyres.

 Do you worry about being stranded on a highway with no help? If you do, then this is a more common fear than you would think. Almost every vehicle owner and driver is worried about such situations. Now, a car breakdown could be a result of various factors. An outdated battery, engine issues, and worn-out tyres: all of these could lead to a sudden halt in your journey. But, how do you avoid these incidents? However inevitable a car breakdown might seem, it is often preventable. The best way to protect yourself from such situations would be to regularly maintain and service your car. Similarly, for car tyres Warrington, maintaining them goes a long way in your safety and comfort on the road. This is why, in our guide to car tyres, we have elaborated the most common reasons for a decrease in your tyre mileage. You will learn simple tips to enhance your tyres’ longevity, and in case need arises, a step-by-step method of changing tyres. 

 

What affects your tyres and how to prevent them? 

 

Your car tyres are the only point of contact with the surface. Due to this, they are easily worn-out and damaged with frequent usage. There are multiple factors that determine the mileage performance of your tyres. Recognising them could help you in preventing the damages and prolonging your tyres’ lifespan. 

 

Depending on the factors, we have classified them into low impact, medium impact, and high impact. These determine the severity of tyre damage. In the following table, you will also find tips on what you can do to improve your tyres’ longevity. 

 

Impact	Factors	Preventive measures
Low Impact	Tyre Width: Wider tyres have greater contact area with the surface. This reduces the ground pressure and therefore, lessens tyre wear.  Overinflation: Higher air pressure increases ground pressure too. This leads to greater tyre wear around the contact area.	For higher mileages, avoid aggressive turning or cornering. Avoid rapid accelerating and decelerating too.  Check your tyre’s air pressure after every two to four weeks. Follow your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended air pressure for your tyres.
Medium Impact	Driven Axle: The driven axle of your car experiences more damage than the free-rolling one. Especially in front-wheel drive cars, the front tyres suffer from greater wear.  Terrain Conditions: Rough surfaces are bound to damage your tyres. Rocks and pellets or roads filled with potholes make tyres wear out faster.  Temperatures: Not using tyres that are designed specifically to handle critical temperatures will lead to more wear and damage.	To maintain tyres, regularly rotate your tyres. Cars with front-wheel drive should have their front axle tyres moved to the same position at the rear, while the rear tyres are changed to the opposite sides of the front axle.  Avoid rough surfaces and poorly maintained roads. If avoiding them is impossible, fit tyres with dedicated tread patterns for rocky surfaces.  Use tyres appropriate for the weather conditions. This not only prolongs tyre life but also ensures safety.
High Impact	Tyre Compounds: Manufacturers often design tyres with conflicting features, strengthening one at the expense of another. For instance, wet grip, rolling resistance, and durability are some significant features, but they are often conflicting.  Driving style: Sudden braking, fast driving, strong accelerations are major contributors to tyre wear.  Pressure and load: Poor inflation, both underinflation and overinflation leads to tyre wear. On top of that, exceeding maximum load capacity adds to your tyre damage.	Before buying tyres, spend time on researching your tyres thoroughly. This will help you understand the materials and compounds used in construction, so tyre damage does not surprise you.  A balanced driving speed and less aggressive acceleration will ultimately reduce the amount of tyre wear.  Maintain proper inflation and weights. Follow your car manual to ensure appropriate tyre inflation and load capacity.

 

Often the tyre damage becomes irreparable, and even our skilled technicians could not fix them. So, in such cases, replacing the damaged tyres is the most efficient solution. So, 

 

How do you change tyres yourself? 

 

Changing tyres is a simple 10-step process, as we have explained below: 

 

1. Preliminary Checks: For your safety, start by ensuring you are parked on a flat surface and not on a slope. Make sure no one is inside the car and hand brakes are applied. 
2. Remove the wheel cover or the hubcap. This might be optional if your car doesn't have one. 
3. Slightly loosen the wheel nuts, without removing them fully. In case the nuts are too tight, use your foot by applying pressure on the wrench in a horizontal position. 
4. Raise your car by placing a jack under it. Consult your car’s manual to know the right position of placing the jack. Lift your car about 15 cm off the ground to easily change tires. 
5. Fully remove the wheel nuts and place them in a safe place. 
6. Pull the wheel to remove it from the axle. Roll it to the side. 
7. Place the new tyre for replacement. Lift the wheel up to the wheel bolts. 
8. Slightly tighten the wheel nuts by hand. They must be tightened particularly in the diagonally opposite order. This means you will tighten one first and then the one diagonally opposite to it. 
9. Tighten the wheel nuts fully after lowering your car. 
10. If your vehicle has one, refit the wheel cover or hubcap. 

 

Changing or replacing tyres is not as challenging as it seems. With our simple steps, you can easily replace your tyres. To avoid such hassles, visit our centre to maintain your car tyres Warrington, efficiently and within affordable prices.