Back to Latest News
Our top tips for tyre maintenance.
Tyre maintenance is as important as regular vehicle servicing.
You can maximise the safety, wear life and fuel consumption of your tyres through these 4 regular checks and services, which will keep your tyres in their best possible condition.
Donnellans The Tyremen are your local experts in tyre fitting and general maintenance queries, but there are also some simple checks that you can do at home to maximise the life and safety of your tyres.
Tyre Pressure
Keeping a good quality tyre pressure gauge in your car is a handy and inexpensive way to monitor and maintain your tyre pressure. A simple check performed once a month will ensure optimal air pressure.
Your tyre pressures can be found on your vehicle placard, but if you’re unsure, turn to your owner’s manual. The right pressure means that your tyres will perform and have control under pressure, as well as wearing correctly and evenly, which saves you dollars in the long run.
Tread Depth
Initially, you can do a visual inspection to check the tread depth of your tyres. Take a moment to have a look at your tyres the next time you step into your vehicle. Most tyres have what’s called a tread depth bar, which is located in the grooves of the tyre. These bars are simply slight bumps in the rubber and indicate when a tyre is nearing replacement.
In Australia, the legal limit for tread depth is a minimum of 1.5mm. It’s best to look into getting a new set of tyres before your tyres have reached their legal limit.
If you can’t see tread depth bars, and you think your tyre’s tread depth is at an unsafe level, simply get a 20-cent coin and place it in the longitudinal grooves. If your tyre tread doesn’t reach the bill of the platypus, you’re in need of replacement tyres.
Wheel Alignment
A wheel alignment can often be overlooked as an unnecessary part of a vehicle’s service. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however - a wheel alignment is key to ensuring that you get even wear and good performance out of your tyres.
A professional wheel alignment corrects the direction, caster, camber and toe of your vehicle’s wheels and will ensure the vehicle drives in a straight line with no pulling to either the left or right.
A wheel alignment for replacement tyres ensures that your vehicle’s steering, suspension and other mechanics are in line with the new tyres. Other things that can put your alignment out are potholes, hard cornering, braking, gutter clipping and accidents.
To maximise the life of your tyres we recommend a wheel alignment every 10,000km or a regular 6-month check. This will increase your safety, the life of your tyres and provide better fuel consumption saving you money down the track.
Tyre Rotation
A tyre rotation is done systematically, in a way that aims to achieve uniform tread wear. Your vehicle’s tyres wear differently left to right, front to back, which is why it’s important to switch them up.
It’s recommended that you rotate your tyres every 10,000kms. There are exceptions to the standard rotating pattern, however, where a vehicle may have different size front and rear axles. There are also some asymmetrical tread patterns out there that cannot be rotated and its best to take these into consideration when purchasing new tyres.
Here at Donnellans the Tyremen, we are expert tyre fitters and specialise in wheel alignments. If you are experiencing wheel pull, drift or vibrations in the steering wheel, it’s best to get your car checked for a wheel alignment.
With 5 stores across Melbourne there is one near you.
Drop in today or give us a call:
- Blackburn – (03) 9894 1223
- Collingwood – (03) 9417 5527
- Preston – (03) 9480 0044
- Prahran – (03) 9510 3199
- Balwyn – (03) 9816 9900
