Knowing when to retire car tyres is essential to good road-handling of the vehicle, which is vital when it comes to ensuring optimal driver and passenger safety and comfort. With that said, here is a breakdown of some common reasons why car owners require tyre replacement.
Aging
Like several other parts of a car, tyres have a limited lifespan. Tyre lifespan depends on a myriad of factors including design and construction, road conditions, prevailing weather conditions and driver habits. With each mile travelled, the depth of the tread on tyres will become shallower, and after years of service, the tread depth will fall below the legal minimum.
When this happens, the aging tyres will need to be changed. At this point, the old tyres are said to have reached the "end of their useful life." Most of today's tyres come with a tread wear indicator so that car owners can keep track of how much tread depth they have left.
Impact damage
While tyres are designed to withstand road obstacles such as potholes, curbs and speed bumps, they may not be able to hold up against sudden impact damage caused by road hazards such as gutters. Usually, visual signs of damage to the tyre may reveal that impact has happened. If the damaged tyre is inspected by a qualified mechanic and it is deemed unfit for continued use, it will have to be replaced.
Improper use of tyres
Many car owners don't usually get maximum service life from their tyres. The main reason for this is because they often fail to use the tyres correctly. Running on under-inflated or over-inflated tyres, skipping wheel alignment service, vehicle overloading or not fitting the right tyres on the vehicle are all potential causes of premature tyre wear, thus leading to early tyre replacement.
Personal preference
Some car owners change their tyres simply because they prefer to ride on new tyres. For the most part, the new set of tyres are favoured by the car owner because they offer certain desirable qualities like greater ride height, better traction, improved aesthetics, etc.
Now that you are aware of some of the likely reasons why car owners require tyre replacement, you should start planning for your new tyres before you need them. Getting the right replacement tyres requires careful consideration, so it is a good idea to start shopping ahead of time so you won't be caught off guard.