Tyres are simply the only thing that connects your vehicle to the road which in turn makes them very important for a smooth drive and safety of any vehicle and it’s passengers.

Those four black round rubbers that stores air under pressure carry out some unique functions in vehicle operations.

Why do we need good tyres for our vehicles
It is very important to know exactly what the tyres under your vehicle that carries you around does. Tyres are not meant or part of a car’s design but have a significant role to play. These include;

Load Support
They are able to support the weight of the vehicle either when fully loaded or when the driver is alone in it.

Direction of travel
The friction between the front wheels of a vehicle and the road allows the steering wheel to turn vehicle to any direction without losing traction while the vehicle changes direction.

Soaking up Road Shock
The tyres are always the first to absorb the impact of bumps on the road surface, particularly at low speed.

Traction Transfer
Tyres have a lot to do with vehicle acceleration and braking. The braking system of every vehicle is efficient only when the tyre has a good grip and the same can be said from the acceleration of the vehicle too.

The above functions show that tyres are very important and they should be checked and maintain regularly. The entire control you have over vehicle from acceleration to braking and making a turn all comes down to those four black round rubbers that stores air under pressure.



What vehicle owners need to know about car tyres
Most people believe they have to put much air in their tyres which is not right at all because every tyre has its own maximum air capacity and its own expiring date as well. Tyres have up to about 5 to 5 ½ years to expiry after they are manufactured so either they are used or kept in a store once the 5 year period of manufacture is up they are expired and should be replaced. A clear example can be seen from a rubber band that’s been sitting around a long time that is stretched, you will notice some cracks in the rubber. Also every tyre has its own maximum pressure (PSI) it must contain and this is written by the manufacturer on side of each tyre. Different vehicle manufacturer ask for different maximum pressure (PSI) for their vehicle so if a manufacturer asks for 42 PSI on a particular vehicle you should not exceed the specified. If you go beyond the maximum pressure (PSI) for the tyres, it could burst the tyre when the vehicle is in motion.

If you have a tyre of size 205, 65, 15 and the maximum pressure (PSI) is 42.  The PSI the tyre should contain must not be more than 32 or 35 PSI because the minimum air space in the tyre must be 6 before the maximum PSI so that the air in the tyre can expand. If you have the right 32 PSI in your tyre and you are driving the PSI will increase from 35-41 so this space difference will make your tyres last.

Balancing of tyres
Every tyre whether new or old needs to be balanced because when you buy a new tyre and you mount it on a rim the weight on the left side of the inner side will be different from the outer side unless you balance it. When your tyres are not balanced properly you will be feeling a lot of vibration and the entire steering wheel will be shaking and this happens when you are driving between 60km/h and 100km/h. Tyres support only approximately 15% of the entire weight of a vehicle while the remaining 85% is supported by air.

Regular checks for motorist
Checking tyre pressure regularly can help you notice over and under inflation which if not adjusted to the proper gauge can make the tyre loss traction which can lead to losing control of vehicle. Selecting the tyres that suits your needs can significantly contribute to comfort and efficiency of your vehicle while in operation. Most motorist don’t pay attention to the health of their spare tyres which can get them stranded when they need it the most, so pay attention to your spare tyre regularly.

Source: http://www.carmudi.com.ng/journal

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