Tread Carefully

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The condition of the treads on fairly used cars’ tires are ignored at the peril of the owners. Tires, whose treads have worn down to the point where they are bald, barely discernible at all, are prone to hydroplaning in wet conditions and have barely any traction whatsoever. The result can be accidents that have a possibility of being fatal. A car owner and those looking to buy affordable cars have to pay close attention to the condition of those treads because it really can be a matter of life or death on the road.

New tires ordinarily have a tread depth of 0.31 inches. The danger comes when one or more tread groups have worn down to the point where they are 0.06 inches deep. A rule of thumb for people owning Nigerian cars is to purchase new tires when the tread depth reaches 0.12 inches.

The traditional way of checking a tire tread is to use a small coin. The more of the head that is seen, the more worn the tread has become. However, that old rule is now being changed so that a larger coin needs to be used. The tread depth can also be determined by the tread wear indicator molded into the tire, and can be found in several areas on the tire itself. When a people are looking to buy used cars, should these bars become visibly flushed to the adjacent ribs of the tire, then warning flags should be flying and it’s time to get a new tire. The car seller needs to be made aware of this and lower the price accordingly

Tread depth should be checked on a routine basis, and there are ways to slow down the deterioration. Simply rotating the tires every 8000 – 10000 Km means that the tires will wear down at the same rate, and no one tire will bear the brunt. Taking a look at the inside and outside edge of the tire will determine if the tires are wearing down at an even rate, and whether or not an alignment is in order. Tread inspection can also be part of a routine checkup or oil change at the local maintenance center for cars in Benin or other places. The good thing about that is if excessive tread wear is noted new tires can immediately be placed on the car, saving the owner the inconvenience of having to schedule a separate appointment.

It is a fact of life the tires will wear down with use and eventually have to be replaced. Routine inspection of the tires can give a good indication of when the replacements have to be made. It is ordinarily recommended that a full set of tires be ordered at one time rather than just buying one tire only. If the tires are advertised as having a certain lifespan, perhaps 40,000 or even 60,000Km, the owner would be wise to note the number of miles on the odometer at purchase and use that to help determine when a new set of tires is needed. Tread safety habits are a means of being sure that the tires are dependable and that replacements are made when necessary, and not after a serious accident has tragically occurred

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