Wheels and tyres – Whether running a busy vehicle service workshop or just maintaining your own car, there are many steps to ensure everything is in tip-top shape.
In this blog, we have done the thinking for you and created an easy to follow checklist of the six steps that are key to keeping your wheels and tyres safe and performing at their best.
Wear and tear on our tyres can certainly “creep up on you” if not checked regularly. It is important to visually check the condition of your tyres regularly for signs of damage and tread wear.
Remember to inspect the surface of your tyres for cracks, debris, and foreign bodies such as embedded nails and stones.
Bulging, cuts and cracks in the side walls of your tyres can lead to tyre failure, which can be very dangerous. Should your visual inspections uncover any of these issues, you should seek the assistance of a professional to repair or replace them immediately.
The tyre tread depth is of utmost importance and should never fall below 1.6mm. This article discusses the best way to check tyre tread so that you’re always satisfying safety standards and Australian laws.
Keeping your tyres clean is more important than you may realise! By ensuring debris such as mud and leaves are not lodged in your tyre tread, you guarantee the best possible traction on the road. Additionally, removing built-up mud and dirt means you have a clear view to inspect your tyres and notice when things have deteriorated, or damage has occurred.
Of course, we all know how important it is for aesthetics to have gleaming shiny rims too!
Each time you wash your car, clean your wheels, rims and tyres using a soft brush and finish off with a shiny black tyre dressing. The tyre dressing not only looks good but protects the rubber too.
Ensuring each of your tyres has the correct and appropriate air pressure will extend the life of your tyre. It will also improve your fuel efficiency and assist you in difficult to navigate situations (such as when four-wheel-driving on soft sand).
Your owner’s manual will outline the most appropriate tyre pressure for your vehicle. On some models, there may also be a label attached to the inside of your front doors.
The NRMA recommends checking your tyre pressure each time you refuel your car to maintain good habits and avoid unexpected surprises.
Wheel balancing and wheel alignment are critical to getting the most out of your tyres and maintaining safe operation.
The balance of a tyre refers to the weight distribution across the tyre. Uneven weight distribution or imbalance results in uncomfortable vibrations both up and down or side to side, depending on the type of imbalance. Occupants travelling in the vehicle can feel the uncomfortable vibrations, and they can cause your tyres to wear unevenly and to wear out prematurely.
When your wheels fall out of alignment, it can result in significant safety issues (as steering and control are affected) and increased tyre wear and wobble.
Specialist equipment is required to balance and align your wheels accurately. It should always be carried out by a qualified professional.
You should conduct wheel balancing and wheel alignments with every regular car service and every tyre change. It is also good practice to have them done when an obstacle such as a gutter or speed bump has been hit with force.
Yes, we know your wheels rotate every day! But their position should be rotated too!
We recommend that you rotate the wheels after every 10,000kms travelled. It involves swapping the positions of each tyre on the vehicle so that they move around the vehicle – for example, moving the front wheels to the back and vice versa. This assists in creating even wear across all tyres and lengthens their life.
Each car has different tyre wear rates, and your owner’s manual will explain the best process to rotate them.
During your regular visual inspections of your wheels and tyres, if you notice that there is damage, deterioration and low tread, you should act immediately to rectify this. Do not wait until a dangerous situation occurs. Be proactive in your tyre and wheel maintenance to ensure occupants’ safety and keep it performing well.
Even if your tyres do not exhibit the typical signs of age or tread wear, exposed rubber can become weak and brittle over time. When put under load, this can cause the steel belts in the tread to separate from the tyre. Therefore, if your tyres are nearing ten years of age, you should replace them.
If you’re already an automotive professional, your workshop will have its own checks and balances to ensure no detail is overlooked. You may not need our handy checklist, but your customers will!
Feel free to print it out and share it with your customers – they will know you have their best interests at heart and that they’re in safe hands!
And, of course, the key to productivity is having the right tool for the job! We stock a full range of wheel service equipment and workshop accessories designed to increase your workshop’s efficiency, versatility and safety here at Genesis Equipment.
Reach out today, and our team will provide you with advice and products that set the benchmarks for quality and safety standards globally.
