When To Replace Those Car Tyres?  Buying a car comes with its many perks but it also comes with a number of maintenance activities too. Simply buying a car isn’t enough. You also need to keep track of how it is doing over the years. The tyres are one part that need close observation. Since they are stacked below the car, you do not always give them a good look. They night even look fine on the surface but internally they might be on the wane. Besides a flat tyre or a blowout, there are other issues to those good old Bridgestone tyres in NZ or any other for that matter, that you must keep track of. Tyre Health Check There are a couple of factors that help you understand if the tyres need replacement. These are tread depth and the manufacture date. • When the tyre tread gets worn down, the former loses out on traction as you perform braking. In this case, the tyres won’t grip on the road well while you drive in rain, ice or snow. In fact, if there is ample tread left, the tyres must be replaced once they become too old. The average span is around every six years. This is because over some time, tyre rubber will dry up and have cracks. This coulf possibly lead to a blowout and even a flat tyre. • Here is how to quickly check up on the tread depth to help you find if the tyres are safe. You can also determine when the tyres have gotten manufactured to see if they are still within a recommended time frame for use. The tyre wall will have an imprint of the manufacturing date. • Since you will have to check on the tread as well as read on the tyre sidewall, using a pair of hand gloves is a good idea. You will have to kneel beside the car too. Therefore, you must make sure you have parked it safely and in a good place. Measuring Tread Depth The easiest way to measure the tread depth is to use a penny along with a quarter. • Start with inserting a quarter into the tyre tread into the center of a tyre. The head part with George Washington showing must point toward the tyre. When the top of Washington’s head is even with the tread, then the tyres are safe to keep driving with. However, you need to start looking around for a new tyre soon • If you are inserting a penny, ensure that it is also head-down, in the center of the tyre tread. If this is even with Lincoln’s head, it means the tyres need immediate replacement. Summing Up Sometimes you might have to replace tyres based on tread depth alone instead of waiting six years from date of manufacture. This could be because of heavy usage, fast wear out or driving on bad roads over time. Keep track of tyre health and replace before there is too much damage.
