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Our car maintenance tips and tricks
Nov 06

DO I REQUIRE NEW TIRES? HOW DO YOU CHECK THE TREAD ON YOUR TYRES?

It’s all too easy to take your car’s safety for granted, but the tread depth of your tyres is something you don’t want to overlook. When driving at 100 km/h in the rain, your tyres may have to distribute up to 9 litres of water each second. Their capacity to do so is determined by their tread; if it becomes too worn, water becomes trapped between the rubber and the road, and all grip is lost.

Fortunately, testing your tyre tread level is a straightforward procedure. Tread depth on new tyres is normally 8-10mm. Tread depth on bald tyres is 0mm. Tyre manufacturers recommend replacing tyres that have worn down to 3mm since performance is hampered below that point, especially in rainy circumstances. Your tyres are no longer roadworthy if the tread depth reaches 1.6mm.

There are two ways to determine the depth of a tyre’s tread.

Treadwear indication bars are installed on all tyres. They’re elevated rubber bumps that appear in the tread grooves of your tyres. When these bars are flush with the tread walls, your tread depth is 1.6mm, and the tyre has to be replaced. The disadvantage of indication bars is that if they are still resting below the tread walls, there is no precise means of knowing how much tread is remaining.

A treadwear gauge is the greatest tool for determining tyre depth. This easy-to-use gadget measures the tread depth of your tyres in millimetres, allowing you to see how much tread is left and, hence, how much life your tyres have left.

It’s crucial to know the depth of your tyre tread for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being safety. People frequently receive reports from their technicians stating that their tyres are in serious need of replacement, even though they still have ample tread! This is why you should always inquire about the tread depth of your tyres so you can make an educated decision and replace them only when they are no longer feasible.

The tread on your tyres is what keeps you stable on rainy roads. The tread directs water into the tyre grooves, providing you better control on the road.As the tread wears out, it becomes less effective, increasing braking distance and risk of skidding and aquaplaning. Once the tread becomes this low, it’s time to change the tyre. Visit Car Mechanics in Bishop stortford or Car Mechanics in Stansted to get your tyres changed.

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