Everything you need to know about your tyres

HOW TO CHECK YOUR TYRES

Making sure your tyres are in roadworthy condition is the best way to keep safe on the road, particularly for wet weather driving. Here’s how you can check your tyres to make sure they’re in tip top driving condition.

• How to check your tread - all you need to check your tread is a 20 cent coin. You’ll need to place your 20 cent coin in the tread of the tyre. If the tread doesn’t reach the bill of the platypus on the coin, it means that your tyre has less than 3mm of tread remaining. While the minimum legal tread depth is 1.5mm, it’s recommended that you replace your tyres at 3mm. If you don’t have a coin handy, all tyres come with a tread wear indicator (TWI) built into their tyres. They’re raised bumps in the grooves of your tyres and will become flush against the walls of the tread when your depth is at 1.6mm.
• Know your pressure - as you’ve probably noticed, you can check and change the tyre pressure at service stations. These machines should only be used as a guide as they can become inaccurate over time. Ideally you should check your tyres after your car has been stationary for a couple of hours. The best thing to do is invest in a good quality air gauge so you can check your pressure regularly and accurately. The recommended pressure for your tyres can usually be found either on the inside of your car’s door, or in your owner’s manual.
• Inspect your side walls - if much of your driving is in rural Australia, you and your tyres won’t be strangers to the dirt or gravel road. These roads can really damage and wear down your tyres, so make sure you’re checking for cuts, bulges or gouges, and if you find any, replace them immediately. 
• Your spare needs some love too - before long drives, you should also perform a safety check on your spare tyre. You should replace your spare when it’s 10 years or older.

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR TYRES

If you’re checking your tyres regularly, that’s the best way to look after them. But there are few things you can implement before, during and after driving that will also make them last longer, and keep you safer.

• Rotate your tyres - this is a sure way to avoid an uneven tread on your tyres and get more wear out of your tyres. Front tyres are under a bit more stress than the back two, so it’s a good idea to switch them. It’s important to get your tyres rotated professionally, and you should be doing it every 10,000kms. If you don’t drive regularly or for very long distances, this should be done every few times you take your car for a service.
• Keep on top of your wheel alignment - if you notice a wobbly steering wheel or your car drifting to one side, this could be a sign of wheel misalignment. Not only is this incredibly dangerous, it will also wear your tyres prematurely. This is one for the professionals as well.
• Avoid sudden and prolonged braking - if you can, try not to brake suddenly, and make sure you don’t “ride” the brakes too much. The way you drive significantly affects your tyres and wears down the tread.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYRES FOR YOU  

Making sure you get the right tyres to suit your car and your needs can be very overwhelming. It’s important to consider a variety of factors when you’re making your decision.

• Weather conditions - all season tyres should have you covered for anything, but if you’re in a climate that is particularly freezing, winter tyres are a good idea, and summer tyres for climates where it gets particularly hot.
• City driving - if you’re mainly driving in the city, you should be looking for tyres with optimum braking distance, longevity and a high fuel economy (they’ll have low rolling distance to save you fuel).
• Road or highway driving - for this kind of driving, you’ll need tyres that provide optimum braking distance at high speed. You’ll need to consider how much vibration they cause and the noise they make when driving, and they should have excellent handling, grip and stability.
• What size should you get - along with your recommended pressure, the preferred tyre size should also be listed in your manual or on your car door. The size of your tyre can affect your acceleration, braking distance, fuel consumption, handling and load of your car. It’s best to stick to the size recommended by your manual, but you can always ask a professional if you’re not sure.

HOW MANY TYRES SHOULD YOU REPLACE AT ONCE

Most of the time - but not always - you should be replacing all four of your tyres at once. It’s alright to just replace one or two if the tread discrepancy isn’t too large between the tyres, but if it’s too much of a difference, all four need to be changed. Seek the advice of a professional for this one. If you aren’t planning on changing all four tyres, make sure that you also stick to the same type of tyre, as this will also help to maintain balance and optimal handling.

However, while this approach is fine for 2 wheel drive vehicles, in 4 wheel drive vehicles you should always be replacing all of your tyres at the same. For these vehicles, because the driving power comes from all wheels, having the same tread and traction on each tyre is very important. If they’re not the same tread, you run the risk of damaging the drive train.

Understanding your tyres can be tricky. However, once you master the basics, you’ll be able to check them regularly and accurately, saving you money in the future and keeping you safer on the roads. (If you do need help with your tyres, contact our partners at Motorserve)

To find out more about NRMA Car Insurance, simply call us on 132 132 to get a quote or find us online 24/7 at nrma.com.au.

This content is intended to be general in nature and is not financial or professional advice. We recommend you obtain independent professional advice relevant to your circumstances, before making any financial or commercial decisions.