How to maintain your Tyres

The condition of your tyres has a huge impact on the performance and safety of your car. While your yearly MOT should highlight any major problems, good tyre maintenance habits help you stay safe for the other 364 days in the year. Keeping your tyres in good nick also lets you extend their life and avoid expensive repairs and replacements, saving you a lot of money.

Don't know much about cars? No problem. These quick and simple tips will help you maintain your tyres with ease to keep you, your passengers and your vehicle safe.

Top 7 tyre maintenance tips

1) Regularly inspect your tyres

It’s recommended that you check your tyres for wear and damage once every two weeks.

Keep a lookout for cracks, cuts and bulges in the sidewall. If you leave them to grow, they can weaken your tyre and increase your risk of a blowout. This puts you at serious risk, especially when driving at high speeds. 

Cracks in particular are a rare but significant sign of structural damage that needs immediate attention. They’re typically caused by exposure to changing temperatures, UV rays and moisture. Whenever possible, park your car in a garage or shady space if you expect it’ll be there for a while.

If you spot any cracks, cuts, bulges or other signs of serious wear while inspecting your tyres, contact the fast-fitting tyres specialists at Ablefit right away.

2) Keep your tyres clean

A build-up of dirt and debris puts your tyres at greater risk of corrosion and punctures.

Once a month, or when your tyres are particularly dirty, give them a good scrub with warm soapy water and a wire brush. Removing dirt and stones from the tread also makes it much easier to inspect your tyres for wear.

3) Practise good driving habits

Accelerating or braking too quickly increases wear and tear on your tyres. This lowers the handling of your car, and makes it more likely for one of your tyres to burst. The same applies to taking bumpy, uneven roads or driving over hazards.

Where possible, try to accelerate and brake smoothly, and use roads that you know are well kept. If you're experiencing a comfortable drive, that means your tyres are too.

4) Ensure good wheel alignment

Driving over speed bumps or potholes at speed can cause your wheels to fall out of alignment. As well as making your car more difficult to control, misaligned wheels cause uneven wear on your tyres. This makes you more likely to experience a puncture.

Whenever you visit your local garage, ask the mechanic to double check your wheel alignment. For wheel alignment in Bristol, drop by an Ablefit Tyres & Exhausts Ltd on Longwell Green or Muller Road. We use precise laser alignment technology to correct your wheel alignment at lightning speed to protect you and your tyres from harm.

5) Check your tyre pressure regularly

Under or overinflated tyres make it very difficult to control your car while steering or braking. So, we recommend checking your tyre pressure once a month to make sure you're within the recommended range for your vehicle. You'll find the optimal pressure for your tyres listed in your vehicle manual, or you can search for it online.

It's easy to check tyre pressure at home using a handheld pressure gauge. You can pick one up very cheaply online, and the whole process takes less than two minutes.

6) Measure your tyre tread

The tread of a tyre grips the road as you drive. If it's too shallow, your car loses traction. That means it's harder to control while driving and it'll take you longer to stop while braking, especially in wet weather.

The legal minimum tyre tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm. Going below this limit isn't just dangerous, but also highly illegal. If your tread is less than 1.6mm, please arrange a tyre replacement service right away.

7) Rotate your tyres

It’s generally recommended that you rotate your tyres every six months (though your particular vehicle’s handbook may recommend a different timeframe).

Rotating your tyres helps spread the wear more easily. This lets you keep your treads above the legal minimum. As well as keeping you safe, it ensures your tyres last longer, saving you money on replacements.

Get fast-fit tyre repair and replacement in Bristol with Ablefit

Staying safe while driving is a top priority. That's why we offer fast tyre fitting and puncture repair services in Bristol and South Gloucestershire with no booking to appointment required. All our tyres come with a lifetime manufacturer guarantee, and we never sell low-quality part worn tyres.

Contact us today to check our best prices on tyre repair and replacement, and drive away with confidence.