It has been crazy over here for the last couple of weeks. Between school speech nights and Christmas parties I haven’t had 2 seconds to sit down and write. So now that that’s all over and we are about to finish up for the year, I thought I might touch on the subject of tyres. Now I don’t really know all that much about tyres but thankfully my trusty sidekick Amanda used to work for a tyre shop and helps me out all the time.

So if you talk to real tyre buffs they will tell you there is difference with the tyre tread patterns and are very specific about what they want and need. Like I said before, I know very little about tyres, but my basic understanding is, if you are just driving around town the tread pattern doesn’t matter as much. What does matter is the quality of the tyre. Different tyres have different compounds that make them, which will increase or decrease the longevity of the tyre or the performance (so will the tread pattern).

Now, lets talk about when tyres need replacing (I actually know what I’m talking about on this topic). Tyres will need changing when the tread has worn down below the wear indicator or has bumps in them (more commonly known as being scolloped). When it is the whole tyre it is fairly obvious. However tyres can wear unevenly and you may not be able to see where they are worn.

These tyres are heavily worn on the inside edge that you can only see when it is up on a hoist. Don’t mind Michael photo bombing in the background 🙂

Tyres wear unevenly due to poor suspension or needing a wheel alignment. Shock absorbers hold the tyre evenly on the road, so if they are leaking or failing the tyre will bounce around (very minutely) and cause scolloping. This can give you a wheel wobble at higher speeds or increased road noise. Replacing the tyres will fix this, however it would just happen again so they would need replacing at the same time.

All of the suspension arms and bushes that help hold the tyre onto the car and steer can all have an effect on the wear of the tyres. Tyre pressure is another factor in premature wear of the tyres. You can see what pressure you need on the inside of either the drivers door or front passenger door.

Having your tyres at the correct pressure will help with fuel consumption, brake responsiveness and general handling of the car. It is good to check this at least once a month. I hope that helps with knowing when to change your tyres and how to look after them a little better.

The Author, Gabbi is a mum who helps to run a family owned car service workshop in Dianella WA. Gabbi also produces her own blog called Mechanical Mums