Your tyres are made to last but how long?

Tyres have to meet a lot of different, and sometimes conflicting, requirements. Tyres designed for long life are made from harder compounds, but these may make more noise. Tread pattern can affect noise too. Tyres made from softer compounds will give a quieter ride but will wear out more quickly. First fit (original equipment) tyres often last longer than replacements.

Performance, particularly wet grip, gets worse as the tread wears. This is more marked as the tyre wears below 3mm of tread and approaches the legal limit. Check tread depth more often once it gets down to 3mm and aim to replace tyres before the tread wears below 2mm. This is more important as autumn and winter approach better new tyres now than struggle through the cold and wet with tyres approaching the legal minimum tread depth.

As well as wearing out in use, tyres degrade naturally through exposure to heat, sunlight (Ultraviolet/UV) and rain. The amount of damage depends on the exposure and the severity of the weather. Damage through ageing is more common with caravans, trailers and other vehicles only used occasionally. Tyres will normally wear out before they become unserviceable due to ageing.

Check for signs of cracking on the sidewalls of tyres four or five years old if your car is parked outside and get them replaced if cracking is severe. But if you’re unsure of how to do all these checks yourself, fret not.

Simply call your friendly neighbourhood BC Tyre & Battery Services Sdn Bhd and the experts there will do it for you and recommend a tyre based on your needs.