An often ignored aspect of your vehicles overall maintenance -- the upkeep of your tyres or tyre maintenance is actually a lot easier than it sounds. Here's a list of the four tyre maintenance processes you must try and accommodate in your regular vehicular check-ups:
Wheel Balancing
The tyre and the wheel of a vehicle together form the complex structure that supports the weight of the vehicle. These tyres and wheels thus have to be very symmetrical not only in structure but also in weight distribution. Any difference in the distribution of mass in the wheel and tyre combination will result in vibrations due to periodic changes in force and torque while the wheel rotates.
Such vibrations can cause ride disturbances that definitely get worse as you increase the stress on the tyres. Thus, the more the speed and the load, the larger will be the effect of the asymmetry on the ride and the axle.
Tyre balance can be easily checked in car workshops and service stations by using balancing machines. Usually, there are two types - road force balancing and traditional spin balancing. Once the balancing is done, The machines are able to point out the heavy points in the tyre which help the operator to determine the weights to put to counter balance the imbalance.
Wheel balancing should be done at regular intervals of around 5000 kilometers simply because as tyres wear, the weight distribution changes and the prior balance becomes useless.
Imbalanced car tyres sound loud and produce vibrations, at speeds higher than 80 kmph. They also wear unevenly and may damage the suspension parts, as the wheels bounce constantly. Tyre imbalance is the presence of stiffer spots anywhere on the tyre. Weight distribution around the tyre has to be even, so every item has to be balanced when they are new. From then on, the procedure is necessary every 5,000-8,000 kilometers. This is because when tyres wear, the weight distribution changes, and the prior balance becomes useless.
Tyre Rotation
A lack of tyre rotation could be the very reason why your car tyres become noisier over time and wear out faster. Tyre rotation is the process of rotating or interchanging the tyres to different wheel locations on a vehicle. The procedure evens weight distribution between the tyres, as it's usually irregular. Front tyres have more weight on them, due to the engine and other parts placed there. In the US, front-left tyres also travel more, due to the right-hand side traffic, so they wear at a faster rate.
We recommend that you rotate your tyres atleast once every 8,000-10,000 kilometers.
You can also rotate the tyres yourself, but make sure you check the wear of every tyre, and the alignment, etc. There are several rotation patterns that depend on the severity of wear, tyre size, direction, and other factors. Some drivers also choose to include their spare tyre in the chosen pattern. This is a good idea if you have a full-sized functional spare, not a temporary one. This will prolong tyre life for about 80,000 kilometers as the fifth tyre adds mileage.
Also See: 8 Key Factors That Can Make Or Break Tyre Life
Wheel Alignment
A cars wheels are supposed to be exactly perpendicular the road. There are basically three angles which help us to achieve this.
These are :
- Camber - The camber angle is the angle the tyre makes with the centreline when viewed from the front of the car. The camber angle can be either positive or negative in nature.
- Caster angle - The caster angle refers to the angle of the steering axis when viewed from the side of the vehicle. If there exists a positive or a negative caster, the steering access will be tilted to the front or back of the vehicle. Positive caster exists when the steering axis is tilted towards the rear of the vehicle at the top while the negative caster is when the steering axis is tilted to the front.
- Toe – Toe alignment refers to the extent to which the tyres are inclined inward or outward when looking from the top of the car. Tyres angled inward towards each other are said to be in toe-in alignment and tyres inclined away from each other are in toe- out alignment.
Misaligned wheels make car tyres sound louder and wear unevenly, as they aren't parallel to each other or perpendicular to the ground. As a result, car tyres sound loud due to the wear patterns, and from the increasing sound of the air chamber. The car may also tilt to one side, which may make controlling the car more difficult and the suspension too can wear prematurely when any of the settings are out of proper alignment.
Regulation Of Tyre Pressure
Regulating tyre pressure is extremely crucial for prolonging tyre life. Over inflation or under-inflation both can cause uneven tread wear on tyres that can accelerate ageing considerably. You can see in the picture above how incorrect levels of pressure can affect the contact patch and performance of the tyres.
Many vehicle owners feel that over pressurizing the tyre is good as they can carry heavier loads and get better mileage in return. However, a high tyre pressure increases the tyre rigidity and reduces deformation which leads to a distorted shape and contact area. Too much pressure reduces the tyre's contact patch which expedites central tread wear. This seriously affects the performance, life and comfort offered by the tyre. Just a 25% increase in pressure over optimal levels can reduce about 30% of your tyre life!
Under-inflation, on the other hand, leads to a bigger contact patch. A bigger contact patch means more heat and more friction for the tyre, which essentially leads to accelerated ageing. Under inflating tyres also leads to a distorted shape and contact area, with the tyre witnessing rapid wear around the edges. It also leads to an increased load on the tyre as a whole due to lack of air pressure to support the weight of the vehicle. There is less cushioning and the shock-absorbing capability of the tyre reduces which leads to more pressure on the sidewalls.
Image Credits: turnology
