During operation, car tires will lose durability quickly if not properly maintained. A good set of tires will help the car always operate smoothly and safely. Therefore, car tire maintenance is one of the important stages in vehicle maintenance. Let’s refer the car tire maintenance notes below to know more.
The importance of car tire maintenance
Car tires are an important part of the car, playing the role of supporting the entire body and helping the car move. After a period of use, the tire is often worn, and the pressure inside the tire also changes. At this time, car owners need maintenance to keep the tires in the best condition, to help the car operate smoothly and to ensure safety when participating in traffic.
According to experts, car owners should check their tires every 2 months and have proper maintenance.
10 Notes on Car Tire Maintenance
Here are 10 notes drivers should know when performing car tire maintenance:
Check tire pressure
Tire pressure is the tension or underinflation of the tire. If the tire pressure is reduced (underinflated), it will cause the most area of the tire to contact the road surface and the car will run on 2 tires. When this happens, the tires will wear out faster than usual. At the same time, reducing the grip of the wheel with the road surface, the braking distance is longer, reducing safety, even causing a dangerous tire explosion.
Conversely, when the tire pressure is too large (inflated), the area of the tire in contact with the road surface is less than normal. The middle part of the tire will wear out faster, which is very dangerous, not ensuring the safety of the people on the road when traveling on the road.
The ideal tire pressure in traffic is said to be around 2.1 Bar (equivalent to about 30 – 50 psi, 2.2 – 2.4 kg/cm2). This pressure can be easily checked through the pump equipment that comes with the current gauge.
Tire age check
Any part of a car has a lifespan. Tires are the same, if left for a long time, the quality will decrease even if you leave the car idle. Because, over time, the rubber layer will be worn out and easily cracked and broken.
According to the world’s two leading tire manufacturers, Continental and Michelin, the life span of a tire is 10 years. However, users must check the tires every 5 years. Some rubber manufacturers’ associations have a different assessment. The quality of the tire will be affected by many factors such as temperature, car tire maintenance mode, usage process. Therefore, it is not possible to know exactly when to change tires.
When choosing to buy tires, you should look at the time the tires were manufactured. Don’t be greedy and buy new tires that were manufactured a few years ago. The wear and tear of rubber tires takes place continuously over time. Therefore, you should choose a tire manufactured as close as possible to long-term and safe use.
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Check tread depth
The tread depth, or the depth of the grooves in the tread. These treads create friction when the tire is in contact with the road surface, helping the tire to grip the road better and prevent slipping when moving, especially on steep, difficult roads.
According to the tire manufacturer’s recommendations, car owners need to change tires when the tread is 1.6 to 3 mm to ensure safety.
Dynamic balance
When using the vehicle, you will experience wheel imbalance when the center of gravity of the plate is not on the axle. When the wheels are turned, the inertial centrifugal force causes the wheels to swing around the shaft and cause them to vibrate.
Dynamic balancing is the act of adjusting the balance of the wheel. When the wheel is balanced, it will ensure that it does not produce vibrations that affect the driving feeling. When driving, the greater the vibration, the more the tire’s center of gravity is deflected.
To maintain dynamic balance car tires, car owners need to take the car to a reputable garage. The technical staff will add a certain amount of lead to the wheel to adjust the center of gravity and bring the tire to a balanced position.
Tire rotation
During the operation of the vehicle, due to the load, the road surface, the tire wear is not the same, affecting more or less the balance of the vehicle, reducing the tire life as well as affecting the safety. .
The solution to this situation is to rotate the wheel positions to help the wheels have uniform wear. Tire rotation should be done after 8,000 – 10,000 km or every 6 months.
Tire rotation is very important, they help to prolong the life of the tire and make the driver safer. Tire rotation also needs to be combined with the tire lever as well as checking the wheel placement angles to bring the highest efficiency.
Check the wheel angle
During operation, worn tires also cause a deviation of the wheel alignment from the original standard.
This is what causes the situation: the car is towed, swerving, the steering wheel does not return after turning, the steering wheel is not straight from its normal position when traveling in a straight line.
Therefore, the wheel needs to be adjusted to the steering wheel to ensure the correct angle of the wheel according to the standard. Checking the wheel alignment angle can be according to the following criteria:
- Wheel pinch: calculated by the difference between the two rear tires and the two front tires. The three levels of wheel alignment are:
+ Positive pinch: the distance between the front tires is smaller than the distance between the rear tires.
+ Negative precision: the distance between the two front tires is larger than the distance between the rear tires.
+ Zero precision: the two wheels will be parallel to each other.
- Camber angle: the angle of the wheel formed by two lines passing through the center of the wheel and the line perpendicular to the road surface. As standard, the camber angle must be zero, i.e. the wheel must be placed vertically, perpendicular to the road surface.
+ Positive camber angle: the wheel tilts outward, wearing down the outer tire surface.
+ Negative camber: the wheel tilts inward, wearing down the inner tire surface.
+ Camber angle is not: the wheel is vertical, both sides of the tire are equal.
- Caster Angle: Angle formed by the line through the center of the vertical axis and the line perpendicular to the road surface. The caster angle helps to assess the stability of the vehicle’s straight movement, the ability to return to the steering wheel after the driver changes direction.
Valve test
Due to the rubber material, the tire valve quickly degrades and ages after a period of use. Bad tire valves also make tire pressure unstable, causing pressure leaks and can lead to dangerous breakdowns.
To ensure safety, car owners should check and replace the valve as soon as there are signs of cracking, bending or breaking.
Correct tire patching
A car with a flat tire while moving is inevitable. To fix it quickly, car owners only need to patch the tire. The current types of tire patching include: inner patch, mushroom patch, outer patch …
In which, patching mushrooms is considered to completely overcome the disadvantages of inner and outer patches. Proper tire patching technique will help prevent harmful agents during the vehicle’s transition.
Nitrogen pump
Nitrogen tire inflation is a method to help stabilize pressure, reduce friction and the influence of ambient temperature on tires, thereby increasing tire life.
Experts recommend: Nitrogen pump can prolong tire life by 10-15%, reduce air loss per tire by an average of 0.7psi/month (compared with air pump, which has a loss of about 2.7psi). /month); limit pressure rise; reduce the risk of tire explosion…
Install sensor valve
The sensor valve installed in the wheel helps to warn when at least one tire does not meet the standard pressure. Warnings are displayed through the display system inside the vehicle. Thanks to that, the driver actively monitors tire pressure and makes quick and timely adjustments, limiting dangerous incidents.
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When do You Need to Change Car Tires?
According to many car manufacturers, users should change their tires after about 60,000 – 100,000km. However, some car tires allow users to travel up to 130,000km or only 50,000km. When this limit is reached, owners need to replace the tires with new ones to improve vehicle performance.
Users should also pay attention to the life of the tire. Accordingly, car owners should change tires after 5 years to ensure safety as well as optimize vehicle performance. In the event that after 5 years, the tire is still in normal condition, the car owner can keep it and continue using it. However, users need to make sure to check the tires at least once a year. When the life of the tire has reached the 10-year mark, the car owner is required to replace it. This also applies to the spare tire.
Signs to Know When You Need to Change Car Tires?
After a period of use, car tires will be degraded such as worn, cracked … potential risks when moving. Knowing the following signs helps users have a timely repair or replacement plan.
Tire pressure drops low
Car owners should check tire pressure before each journey to ensure safety. Accordingly, users can monitor standard tire pressure parameters in the instruction paper pasted on the position of the driver’s seat door frame. If the tire pressure is too low, users need to replace it because this is a sign that the tire is leaking air.
Tire tread is worn
As standard, the tread depth of 1.6 mm or more allows the vehicle to reach the safe limit for use. For vehicles that move a lot and often apply emergency braking… car owners should pay attention to daily inspection. If the tread groove is less than 1.6mm, the car owner should quickly replace it to avoid risks when moving.
Tire is punctured, many cuts appear
Sharp objects or crushed rocks on the road are the cause of tire cuts. In addition, the side of the tire is a position under a lot of pressure when the entire weight of the vehicle is pressed to the road surface and slightly pushed to the sides. If a collision occurs, the sidewall will be punctured and a cut will appear. At this time, users should quickly repair or replace to ensure safe operation.
Tires are inflated, deformed
The surface of the tire wall is the position in direct contact with the road surface. After a while, the tire will swell, peel and deform. At this time, users need to quickly replace it to avoid possible risks.
Tire is “eaten screws” a lot
Tires “eaten screws” is a condition that occurs often when traveling on the highway because of the “screws thief”. When encountering this situation, car owners should not arbitrarily remove the screw from the tire. This will cause a sudden drop in tire pressure, making the vehicle difficult to move and potentially dangerous. If this is the case, the owner should bring the vehicle to the nearest garage/showroom for repair or new tires.
Steering wheel is shaking
Steering wheel shake often occurs when the vehicle moves on uneven, rocky roads. After a period of control, the driver can recognize and reflect the cause of steering wheel vibration.
If steering wheel vibration is caused by uneven tire wear, the driver should take the vehicle to have the tires checked and balanced. In case the driver still feels the steering wheel vibrates after rotating the tires, proceed to change the tires.
Expiry date of tires
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that consumers change their tires every six years. When the tires have been used for 5 years, vehicle owners should conduct inspection at least once a year.
In addition, on the tires there are floating icons and indicators to guide the user when to change. Vehicle owners should actively monitor to ensure safety and prolong the life of the vehicle.
Experience in Changing Car Tires
After knowing the signs when it is time to change car tires, users need to be equipped with more standard tire changing experiences. Accordingly, to ensure the performance of the vehicle, car owners should use the original tire to replace all 4 wheels. As recommended, when the vehicle travels about 10,000km, users should perform the tire rotation according to the principle of cross-changing: left after, up right first.
When the car has traveled a distance of 50,000km, the owner of the TV needs to replace it. In particular, in case the tire appears punctured or cut, the owner should bring the car to the garage/showroom to be handled.
Users should choose tires suitable for daily travel to optimize costs and ensure safety. Specifically:
- Traveling on inner city roads: Should choose tires with smooth, small treads with good pressure resistance and high noise resistance.
- Traveling on flat highways, high operating speed: Should choose tires with good traction and braking distance.
- Moving on rough and complicated roads: It is recommended to choose tires with large contact surfaces, large treads and good traction with high durability.
Conclusion
Tires are the most important part of a car that determines the safety of travel. Regular maintenance of car tires will keep the tires in the best condition. And when necessary, you need to change your car tires
Above, we have introduced to car owners 10 notes about car tire maintenance to increase the life and safety of tires as well as notes when changing new tires. Wishing all drivers safe driving.
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