Everything you need to know about tyres

When buying a vehicle, it's important to choose new tyres that are compatible with your vehicle. Usually, you can find the size of a car's tyre written on your vehicle's manual. However, if you somehow lost it or you don’t remember where you placed it, don’t worry, the door jamb of your vehicle would have a sticker that presents the measurement of your car tyres. It is crucial that you follow the measurements stated and seek professional help if you wish to modify any of your tyres that are not the default measurements.

Bigger does not mean better. In general, the tyres of a car must be able to support the weight of the vehicle, this capacity is known as load index. Why is this important? Well, the load index directly affects the speed of your vehicle or at least increases the maximum speed of it. While you may think having large tyres is better because of the higher speed, for city folk and those who only drive leisurely, it is a waste of money. The faster your driving speed, the more wear and tear your tyres will suffer. Not to mention, the cost of maintenance would leave a huge dent in your bank account. However, if you insist on changing the size of your car tyres, be sure to follow the strict accordance with the vehicle documents and tyre manufacturer’s recommendations. If the combined wheel and tyre diameter are incorrectly matched, there may be drastic differences in ride height and speedometer readings.

Tyre pressure should be checked monthly through the use of tyre pressure gauge. It is important to have the correct amount of tyre pressure as the handling and steering of the vehicle are dependent on it. Under-inflated tyres would cause the handling to be sluggish while over-inflated car tyres would lead to faster wear and tear of tyres. So with that, how do you know how much air pressure your tyre needs? Similar to how you check which tyre is suitable for your car, the vehicle’s manual and the sticker by the side of your door would state the measurements needed for your tyres.

Tyres are designed to endure harsh conditions and elements, however, even these sturdy wheels have limits. The tread patterns of the car tyre are responsible for the traction between the car and road, worn-out tyre treads may lead to hydroplaning during rain and can result in serious accidents. The big question, then, is how often should you change your tyres? Under proper conditions with good driving habits, tyres have an average lifespan of 5 to 6 years. The more accurate way to identify when your tyre needs a change is looking at the Tread Wear Indicators (or TWI) which are present in all tyres. The TWI will gradually appear as the tread wears down. Once they become fully visible, it indicates that your tears have 1.6mm of tread depth remaining (the min. depth for tyres) and you should change them immediately.

You may be wondering what the markings and the letters mean on your tyre, and no, they are not some form of cryptic message, but actually useful information that speaks volumes for your tyres. Starting from left to right, the following measurements are as follows:

• Tyre width
• Aspect ratio
• Construction
• Rim diameter
• Load index
• Speed rating
• Additional markings (Year of manufacture, compliance with road and safety regulations)