Tyre Care Tips for Cars, 4x4s and Vans
A guide to keeping your vehicles tyres in good condition
The tread is the part of the tyre that makes contact with the surface of the road. And if you take a look at different tyres on the market, you’ll notice a great deal of variety in their tread patterns.
Why are they so different? Because a tread pattern is a unique design that enhances a vehicle with grip and handling for specific driving conditions. Just like in a detective novel, you could identify a make of tyre by the tracks it leaves on the road.
Every tyre tread has four constituent parts:
- Ribs are the raised section of the tread pattern, made up of tread blocks;
- Grooves are deep channels that run circumferentially and laterally around the tyre;
- Tread blocks are the raised rubber segments that make contact with the road surface;
- Sipes are small, thin slots moulded into the tread blocks.
Contact us for all your tyre requirements
Proper Tyre Inflation
Checked your tyre pressures lately? Bring it to any ORIZEN store for a free tyre pressure check!
We’ll make sure your pressures are correctly matched to your vehicle. Pressure’s should be checked monthly to enhance the performance and lifetime of your tyres.
To find the proper air pressure for your tyres, look in the vehicle owner’s manual, on the sticker on the driver’s side doorjamb or in the glove box. If unsure, bring it in to us and we’ll let you know.
Wheels out of Balance
Incorrectly balanced wheels often cause the steering wheel to vibrate at certain speeds. At ORIZEN we will correctly balance each of your new tyres, this ensures your tyres contact with the road is distributed evenly.
Tyres should be balanced when they are mounted on wheels for the first time or when they are remounted after a repair. We recommend rebalancing your tyres at the first sign of a vibration or ‘shimmy’, and to be rebalanced at least once a year.
Regular Tyre Rotation
ORIZEN recommends regular tyre rotations to prevent excessive wearing.
Tyre rotation is the process of changing the position of the tyres on your vehicle, often done by swapping front and rear tyres. Ideally, tyres should be rotated at intervals of 10,000 kms for cars and around 6500 kms for 4×4 vehicles, unless the manufacturer states otherwise.
Often tyres will wear purely because of their location on the vehicle, rotations promote even tyre wear for your whole vehicle.
Tyre Sidewall Damage
Look out for cracks, bulges, kerbing damage and splits in the sidewall of your tyre, as they are potentially dangerous and could be illegal.
Ask your local Orizen shop for advice and to examine any tyre conditions to assess whether they are repairable, or whether you should replace the tyre.
The Spare Tyre
At Orizen we always recommend to check your spare tyre! Check its pressure regularly and ensure it’s not damaged or too badly worn. We may even be able to bring the spare into rotation with the other tyres on your vehicle.
