Sure the oil price has been dropping lower then a static Vw, but unfortunately our rand/dollar decline negates almost any savings!  Tyres are a typica product that will see a price hike due to our poor currency performance.  So lets look at some tips to ensure you protect get as much mileage as you can out of your tyres!

A maintenance point of view do the following to get the max life out of your tires

  • Monitor tyre pressure regularly, at least once a week. Try to measure/top up air on cold tires (basically at the start of any trip not at the end of it.)
  • Wheel balancing – tires tend to wear out unevenly sometimes which is natural, bad roads can add to unbalance too by deforming the rim. As a result the center of gravity of a wheel shifts from the center of rotation gradually. This stresses the tyre at particular points. Imagine ur tyre jumping rather than rolling perfectly. Correct this by wheel balancing.
  • Wheel alignment – any car’s steering geometry can go out of alignment over a few thousand kms of driving. This needs to be corrected periodically to wear the tyre uniformly. Generally alignment and balancing is recommended every 5000 kms if general road conditions are bad, can be extended up to 10000 km if on good roads.
  • Nitrogen filling in tyres instead of compressed air.
    Compressed air is your tire’s worst enemy. Air is about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other. Nitrogen is inert, noncombustible and non-corrosive. Oxygen, on the other hand, is immensely destructive to rubber and other tire materials. As soon as a tire is manufactured and exposed to air, the effects of “oxidation” begin to deteriorate the rubber. Over time it loses its elasticity and strength, just like an old rubber band you’ve probably found around your home. This same process occurs in tires inflated with air as the oxygen attacks the rubber molecules, working from the inside out, until the oxygen, and its destructive properties, permeates the tire structure and ultimately the tread.

    It also has many other advantages like temperature levels and a less bumpy ride