Looking after your wheels is an incredibly important part of your car maintenance, which a lot of people seem to neglect. A decent set of wheels will improve driving quality, and reduces the risk of getting a puncture. Looking after your wheels doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated either, so we’ve come up with a quick three-step guide to help you get the most out of your wheels.
And if you’re not confident carrying out any wheel maintenance yourself, then you can bring your vehicle down for car servicing in Blackburn, to get professional treatment.
1. Tread
The tyre tread refers to all the grooves on the rubber of your tyres, which gives your car the grip it needs on the road. However, the tread will wear over time, so you’ll need to keep an eye on it and change your tyres when needed. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but for best performance you’ll want to swap your wheels out before then.
A simple way to check your tyre tread is to do the 20p test. Place a 20p coin in the grooves of your tyre at 3 different places around the wheel. If the outside band of the coin disappears, then you’ve still got enough tread left. Try and do this once a month.
2. Pressure
When it comes to tyre pressure, you don’t want your wheels to be over or underinflated. Overinflated tyres will make your ride bumpy and uncomfortable, and they’ll wear much faster. Under-inflation will affect the handling of the car, increase fuel costs, and up your chances of getting a puncture.
You can measure your tyre pressure by using a pressure gauge to test the result. You can then inflate your tyres with a pump at home, or at a petrol station. If your wheels are overinflated, you can simply let out the air through the valve.
3. Alignment
A lot of people completely forget about alignment, but it’s a hugely important part of keeping your car running smoothly. The alignment (or tracking) is the angle and direction that your tyres are set at. Perfectly aligned wheels should keep wheels parallel to each other, and ensure that your car drives in a straight line, and help you get the best performance out of your wheels. If your tyres are aligned properly, you can get better fuel economy and increase the life of your tyres. Misaligned tyres will wear fast and unevenly.
If you can feel your car pulling to one side when driving, then your wheels may be misaligned. Alignment can be affected by everyday hazards such as potholes and curbs. Worn suspension springs may also cause misalignment over time. If this is the case, you can bring your car in for prestige car servicing, to get the alignment checked out by a professional. This will save you a lot of time and money in the long-run, as well as help to keep your car in the best shape.
