Replacing tyre? If you own a car, it is necessary for you to ensure that it is roadworthy. The overall safety and performance of your vehicle are determined to a large extent by the condition of the tyres. If you are wondering how much tread ensures for a roadworthy vehicle or want to know when to change tyres, the following guide will help.
It is recommended that tyres be replaced when the tread depth gets to around 2mm.
Unsure about how to check tyre wear? Most tyres have wear markers evenly spaced around their circumference. They usually look like small blocks in the tread. The tyre wear indicator can help you figure out when to replace car tyres. If the wear marker is flush with the tread it means the tyre is unroadworthy and you risk for a potential crash.
Tread depth isn’t the only factor to consider when replacing your tyres. Tyres contain moisture and oils that help keep them supple and assist in dispersing heat. As a tyre ages, it loses its suppleness as the oils evaporate out. Generally speaking, a tyre should be replaced after 5 years even if it still has sufficient tread depth.
These days all tyres are stamped with a date of manufacture although it’s not that obvious. It’s usually a 4-digit number where the first 2 digits represent the week of manufacture and the last 2 the year. For example, a stamp of “2107” means the tyre was manufactured in the 21st week of 2007.
