Introduction

This is not a trick question and yet it is one. Tyres are expensive to replace and it does help many a time if we can push them for another month or two, so that you can spend your moolah on something that is higher on the priority list. The right time to change car tyres is unique to every user, the environment, the driving patterns, road conditions, and of course, the tyre wear. But how do you really know when your tyres need to be replaced? We tell you the points to look out for.

What is the right time to replace tyres?

1. Tread wear: Tyres come with tread wear indicators. The easiest way to find these indicators is to look for a triangular arrowhead on the sidewall. You will find rubber bridges between treads parallel to the marker. If the tyre tread has worn out to the level of the bridges, it is time you went to a tyre dealer as soon as possible.

2. Asymmetric tyre wear: Sometimes, misalignment or a damaged suspension member means that a particular tyre might wear out unevenly. Even though the tread on one side might look perfectly alright, the other edge might have reached its limit, which means you need a tyre change sooner than later, along with realignment or repair of the assembly.

3. Hard/Cracked tyre tread: If you don’t drive your car often, the rubber tends to harden up. Look for visible cracks on the tread surface. There will always be a few of those, but if you can see surface cracks on the side walls as well, the tyre rubber has already hardened up quite a bit. You can still run on these tyres if your car does nothing more than weekend errands but if you are going to venture out on highways or if you like driving at good speeds, it is better to go in for new tyres.

4. Damaged sidewalls: More than 80 per cent of the tyres used in passenger vehicles are radial tyres and for this type of tyre construction, the integrity of the sidewall is of prime importance. Bad roads and sudden potholes can damage the sidewall resulting in bubbles on the sidewalls or sometimes cracks. While tyre repair shops offer you side-wall patches to reinforce the damaged part, you have to know that the repair is not fool-proof. Replacing the tyres is rather a much safer bet.

5. Tyre age: As we know, tyre rubber tends to harden up with age. As it hardens up, it loses tractability due to its inability to flex and grip the road surface. If you have opted for soft compounds, the tyre surface does not crack up all that easily, but it definitely loses its effectiveness. As a thumb rule, do not buy tyres that are more than six months old and use them for more than three years or 40,000kms.

6.Environmental parameters: These criteria are hard to define but they do affect the efficiency of your car’s tyres. For example, it would be ideal to change your tyres at least a week before monsoons if you know they are nearing replacement. If you prefer driving fast, your tyres might wear out faster and would be rather unsafe near the end of their life.

Know more about tyres here