About Car Tyre Care

By Bhadresh Bundela

GOOD TYRE CARE

Proper tyre care and good driving habits will extend the life of your tyres by about one third, saving you money and protecting the environment as well. Here are a couple of ground rules to check for your tyre's optimum performance.

Check inflation: You can save on fuel, help prevent accidents and ensure that your tyres last longer when they are properly inflated. Under-inflation reduces tread life, increases fuel consumption and can lead to sudden tire failure.

Check tyre pressure: Check the pressure of your tyres at least once a month using a good quality tyre pressure gauge. Do this when the tyres are cold, before driving your car. Don't forget to check the spare.

Rotate your tyres: Rotate your tyres at least every 10,000 km. Check your owner's manual to find out how tyres should be rotated and how often. Keep a record of your tyre maintenance.
Re-tread worn tyres: Tyre re-treading can significantly extend the life of a tyre. Re-treading also conserves energy. Re-treaded tyres can give the same mileage as comparable new tyres, at a lower cost.

A TYRE BLOWOUT? DON’T PANIC

A puncture on the move, or a blowout, can be scary. The first rule to remember if you suffer a blowout is not to panic when you hear the loud bang of the tyre bursting. You should be secure in the knowledge that modern cars possess what is known as negative scrub radius steering geometry. What this simply means is that even if it is the front tyre that’s punctured, your car will tend to continue in a straight line. What can happen, though, is that in a state of panic you may be prone to snatch the steering wheel violently to the near side. That could prove disastrous. If the front tyre bursts, the vehicle will tend to pull towards the side of the punctured tyre. Steering will become heavy. And when the rear tyre bursts the vehicle will vibrate.

What to do• Do not use brakes.
• Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and foremost, try to steer straight ahead.
• Make sure that you do not over steer to correct the pull.
• Close throttle.
• Hold the handlebar firmly and maintain balance as the vehicle slows down gradually, then pull over your vehicle to the side of the road.

8 SIMPLE STEPS TO CHANGE A FLAT TYRE

Getting a flat tyre with no mechanic in site is a driver’s nightmare. The 8 steps will help you handle the situation better if ever you were to get a flat tyre.

1) Steady the car: Apply the hand brake and use a block of wood behind the wheel diagonally opposite the one you are going to change. This ensures your car doesn’t roll off while you try to change the wheel.
2) Spare Wheel and Jack: Take out the spare wheel and jack. Consult you car manual for their locations. They are usually located under a cover in the trunk.
3) Removing the bad tyre: Now using the right spanner, loosen the bolts on the tyre without completely removing it. Loosen each bolt to approximately the same extent.
4) Positioning the jack: Slide the jack into position next to the affected wheel and raise it till it is sufficiently off the ground. Use your judgement here. If you feel you can slide out the wheel without any effort, you have raised it enough.
5) Placing the spare: Now loosen the bolts completely and remove the bad wheel. Slide in the spare wheel and start tightening the bolts.
6) Tightening the bolts: Tighten one bolt and then the bolt diagonally opposite it. In this way tighten all four bolts.
7) Replacing the tools: Remove the jack and replace the jack and the affected wheel in the car. You will need them if you get another flat.
8) Repair the wheel: Get the affected wheel repaired immediately, or you won’t have a spare wheel you can use the next time you get a flat tyre!

These simple steps can help you change a flat tyre without anyone’s help.

WHEN YOUR CAR ACTS FUNNY...

Here are a few common symptoms and what you can do about them:

The steering wheel vibrates at speeds usually between 50 and 70 kms per hour.
This usually happens by a front wheel out of balance. If you feel the vibration only in your seat, it's probably a rear wheel. In either case it pays to have all four wheels balanced at the same time. You will be surprised at the difference it will make in the way the car will ride.

The car drifts to the left or to the right when I let go of the steering wheel on a straight and level road.
First, check the air pressure in all your tires, then try driving it again. If your car drifts to the right in the right lane and to the left in the left lane, it is probably normal. Make sure both front tires are the same size, type and brand. If not, take both front tires and switch them side to side. If the car now drifts in the opposite direction, you've found your problem.

When I drive down a straight road, the spokes of my steering wheel are not centered.
This is also a wheel alignment problem, but one that is easy to correct by doing a wheel alignment. However, make sure the mechanic checks for worn or damaged parts. If the problem appeared suddenly, possibly after you hit a pot-hole or curb or something like that, then you've most likely have sustained some damage which should be checked as soon as possible to avoid serious tire wear.

There is a humming noise coming from my tires on a smooth road.
If you have a front wheel drive car and you haven't rotated your tires in a while, check the rear tires. Run your hand around the edge of the tread, first in one direction, then the other (Note: be careful not to injure yourself on debris or exposed steel belts on the tire). You are looking for a "saw-tooth" wear pattern between the tread blocks. If the tread is smooth in one direction but jagged in the other direction, you may have found some of the noise. Try rotating the tires using the car manufacturers recommended procedure. You want to make sure that the rear tires are crossed over to the other side of the car and placed on the front. This wear pattern is common on front wheel drive cars with tires that are designed with grooves on the edges of the tread.

When I drive over a speed bump or a dip in the road, my car bounces 2 or more times before settling down.
This condition is usually caused by worn or broken shocks. This condition happens gradually over the life of the shocks and it is hard to notice the change, but when they are replaced you should notice a big difference in the ride and stability of your car.

TEN TYRE MUST-KNOWS

Maintaining the life of your vehicle tyres is fairly easy. Here are the top 10 ways you can use to your benefit.

1. Ensure that tyre pressures are maintained as per manufacturer specifications. Over or under inflated tyres would mean better mileage or better handling respectively but will drastically reduce the tyre life.
2. Adjust tyre pressure when the tyre is hot, i.e. when the vehicle has run for 15 to 20 km. Hot air expands if tyre pressure is regulated, and when cold you will mostly have excess air in the tyres.
3. Try to fill fuel in the mornings, as specific gravity of fuel is high in the morning.
4. Try to keep the fuel tank above the half mark in city driving conditions so that a proper pressure is maintained. Also this will ensure that the fuel lines are always clean and are not clogged by the gum like residue of slow flowing fuel. The fuel tank too will not catch rust.
5. Get the vehicle serviced at regular intervals from authorized service centers to ensure that the vehicle is in tune at all times.
6. Use recommended fuel additives to keep the fuel system clean. (Please note these additives have recommended instructions and applications).
7. Drive your vehicle smoothly and avoid sudden acceleration or braking. Anticipate stops to avoid harsh braking.
8. Switch off your vehicle if you need to stop for more than three minutes.
9. Avoid clutch riding. i.e. make sure that your foot is not resting on the clutch pedal while driving. This will reduce both your clutch life and your mileage.
10. While cruising at high speeds, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal just enough to maintain the speed while not keeping the accelerator pedal on the floor. This will ensure that excess fuel is not being burnt unnecessarily.


DEALING WITH A FLAT TYRE

This may sound funny, but practice changing a tyre. Know where all the things required are (the wheel nut spanner, its extension, the jack and, yes, the spare tyre). Also, make sure you inflate the spare tyre every time you check the air pressure of your regular tyres at the petrol pump.

Changing a tyre the first time is never easy. It’s even more difficult at night. You might find the jack, but will you be able to discover how it works? And will you be able to locate the jacking points in the dark? What’s more, don’t think that unscrewing the wheel nuts is easy. Yes, it all calls for practice.

Another tip when changing tyres: leave the car in gear, apply the handbrake, and block at least one of the rear wheels with a stone if your vehicle is on a slope. You wouldn’t want to get run over by your own car, would you?

CHECK YOUR TYRE PRESSURE

If your tyres are under-inflated, you could face several problems. For instance, cars pull dramatically to the left or right if one of the front tyres is under-inflated. Similarly, a heavy steering, which becomes most obvious when parking, may be a result of incorrect tyre pressures. Not enough air in the tyres also gives you less grip on the road, reduced braking power and results in greater tyre wear.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE TYRE

• Non-skidding: Your tyre should have a good grip over the surface. It should not skid or slip.
• Smooth rolling: The tyre should create minimum noise when driving.
• Uniform WESR: It should get worn evenly over its circumference.
• Load Carrying: It should carry the vehicle plus passenger load with ease.
• Cushioning: It should be able to absorb vibrations providing a cushioning effect.
• Power Consumption: It should consume the least power while driving.

THE RIGHT WAY TO ROTATE TYRES

Tyre rotation is very important it helps maintain a uniform wear of all tyres. Tyre rotation is to be done in the following pattern:
F/L-FRONT LEFT TYRE
F/L- REAR LEFT TYRE
F/R-FRONT RIGHT TYRE
R/R-REAR RIGHT TYRE
S-STEPNEY

For radial tyres, the pattern to be followed is:
S -> F/R , F/R -> R/R, R/R -> F/L, F/L -> R/L, R/L -> S

TYRE CARE

• Here’s a series of 14 do’s for Tyre maintenance:
• Check tyre pressure regularly i.e. weekly.
• Check wheel alignment regularly/periodically i.e. atleast twice in a year.
• Use only recommended tyres only.
• Rotate tyres periodically.
• Drive the vehicle carefully (i.e. especially over rough roads/bumps)
• Use good and balanced wheels.
• Brake smoothly.
• Drive your vehicle without jerks.
• Load your vehicle evenly.
• Steer your vehicle smoothly.
• Use equal tyres.
• Use same brand & tyred in all wheels.
• Have your brakes checked / set periodically.
• Maintain vehicle suspension in a good condition

WHY SHOULD I BUY RADIAL TYRES?

There is a basic difference between radials and conventional tyres (known as cross-ply tyres) that makes radials gain an upper edge over their more `conventional’ cousins:

Radials have cords inside the rubber, which go across the wheel's edge, not along it. The benefit of this being better control.

Besides a better grip on road, radials also improve on vitals like mileage, speed, comfort and safety thanks to better braking performance.

Radials are known to have a longer life thanks to upgraded technology.

HOW CAN I AVOID TYRE WEAR-OUT?

There are plenty of reasons why tyres die before their age, but some of the most common ones are:
• Incorrect Inflation
• Excessive Braking
• Sudden(Violent) Acceleration
• Incorrect Wheel Alignment
• Worn Steering Mechanism
• Imbalanced Wheels
• Overloading
• Defective Brake
• Incorrect Rotation Of Tyres
• Careless Driving
• Unequal Tyres

ALIGN - TO ENHANCE TYRE PERFORMANCE

• Alignment is all about ensuring that the wheels are operating parallel to one another. Secondly, the tyres should be placed at the correct angle to the road. Does that sound complicated? Well, tyre alignment is much simpler than most people think.
• Every car model comes with specific alignment recommendations made by the maker of the vehicle. The tyres should be aligned keeping these specifications in mind, and the best possible compromise has been achieved among minimum rolling friction, maximum tire mileage, stability of the car on the road, and steering control for the driver.
• Be aware of the fact that your daily road shock and general wear and tear of the vehicle can cause the alignment of the tyres to go haywire. So you need to get them realigned every once in a while.
• A wheel alignment is essential for tyre wear. It will give your tyres a longer life and should be done once a year or every 20,000 kilometres. Although the tyres are not the fault (they are set at the wrong angle to the road) it can be corrected and will add kilometres to your tyre life.

For More Information about Car Maintenance!!!!!! Kindly Visit…….
http://carmaintainwebs.blogspot.com/