For a driver, words like rotation, balancing, convergence and pressure must always be kept in mind. Here are some essential aspects of tyre maintenance for safe and peaceful travelling.
When you own a car, you need to pay attention to a large number of factors to implement correct and complete maintenance. Among the elements that need to be monitored, there are those most subject to wear, primarily tyres.
Features Of Car Tyres
Vehicle tyres have numerous characteristics including the diameter, compound, grooves, seasonality, inner tube and the resistance to being deflated when punctured[these are the called ‘run-flat‘ tyres)].
The dimensions of a tyre depend on the type of vehicle it’s being used on; the larger and wider ones fit on larger cars (SUVs & off-road vehicles) and motorcycles. Whilecompact tires generally equip city cars, small cars and scooters. The compound varies depending on the presence of silica inside the rubber, which makes it more or less ‘soft’ (depending on the intended use). It is this characteristic that differentiates ‘summer tyres‘ from ‘winter tyres’.
The summer tyres are meant to be used during the hottest periods of the year as they have a better structure to withstand high temperatures. This is made possible by the low percentage of silica present in the compound, which makes the rubber ‘harder’. Hence,it ensures excellent grip and road-holding even in severe conditions. On the other hand, ‘snow tyres’ are softer in nature due to the higher concentration of silica. Therefore, they are suitable for use during colder periods, as they resist temperatures below 0. Furthermore, the surface is carved in a different way, so as to guarantee an optimal road holding even in the presence of mud or snow; this type of tyre is distinguished by the presence of initials MS on its shoulder, with a snowflake symbol.
On the market, there are also ‘intermediate’ tyres, which are suitable for use all year round. Hence, they are called ‘All Season’, ‘4 Season’ or ‘Four Seasons‘. Since 2010, Italy obligates to replace seasonal tires on an annual basis. Winter tyres are used from 15 Oct -15 April, and summer tyres are used in the rest of the months. Motorists are allowed a “tolerance” period of one month. To complete the range of tyres on the marketthere are ‘rebuilt’ or ‘regenerated’ tyres which are comparatively cheaper than the new ones but, still reliable.
Car tyre maintenance
Appropriate maintenance of your car tyres not only includes periodic replacement but,also taking care of other details. The motorist must direct his attention to variousaspects like the amount of wear, inflation pressure and balancing. The reason is simple: these parameters can affect the vehicle’s road-holding and consequently, the safety of the driver and the passengers on board.
In addition to that, where it comes to judging the wear of the tyre if the tread is not deep enough it is necessary to replace the tyres (the cost of a complete train is around 100 euros, labor excluded). The inflation pressure, which may be affected by atmospheric conditions, must be checked periodically and must always be the same as that indicated by the manufacturer to ensure the best working capacity of the entire rubber unit. In fact, a tyre that is too deflated causes more fuel to be consumed whereas the one with excessive pressure has less grip on the road surface. The latest generation car models are equipped with TPMS i.e. a tyre pressure monitoring system which represents a precise reference for the optimal management of tyre inflation.
