Time for a change! 5 ways to tell when your vehicle needs a new set of tyres

Tyres take a beating every time you drive. Here's how to know it's time to replace them...

Published: January 16, 2020 10:28 Imran Malik, Assistant Editor

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1 - Vibration: If you suffer a tyre blowout while driving at speed along the highway, suffice to say, it can be extremely dangerous. You can lose control of your car and cause a pretty bad accident. To avoid such a scenario, you need to pay attention to the health of your tyres – but how? Sure, a qualified mechanic can look at your car periodically and let you know if the tyres need to be changed, but there are several things to look out for yourself which will let you know that it’s time for a new set such as vibration. Sure, a certain amount of vibration is inevitable while you are driving often due to poor road surfaces however if you still feel this on a smooth road then there can be any of a number of other causes for this to happen such as misaligned or unbalanced tyres. It could also indicate that there's some sort of internal problem in the tyre itself. Get this seen to asap. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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2- Bulges and blisters: When the outer surface of the tyre begins to weaken it often can result in a bulge or blister and this weak spot can cause a sudden blow out. The good news is, you should easily be able to spot a tyre with a bulge or a blister on it and if you have one, then you better get it sorted quickly. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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3- Cracks in the sidewall: It is pretty easy to do a visual check for cracks in the sidewall of your tyres – just crouch down next to them and take a look! Keep an eye out for cuts that are distinct enough to be visible to the naked eye and if you have any then it could be a sign that your tyre is developing a leak and if it’s really deep well then it could easily blow out while you are driving. That is something you definitely want to avoid happening. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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4 - Tread wear indicator: Most new tyres today feature a handy tread wear indicator bar that is built into the tyres and these bars become visible when the tread wears down. So, if you can see some of these on a tyre, it means the tread is getting low and it’s time to change the tyres. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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5 - Tread depth: The depth of the tread of your tyres should never be less than 1/16 of an inch (1.6mm) but you need twice that if you drive a lot on wet surfaces. To check your tread level you need nothing more than a penny; grab a Dirham and insert the coin into the tread and if you can see the entire jug it means you do not have enough tread. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Time for a change! 5 ways to tell when your vehicle needs a new set of tyres

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Time for a change! 5 ways to tell when your vehicle needs a new set of tyres

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