Tyres are one of the bigger running costs of a car, and simple habits can add thousands of miles to their life, without compromising safety. Most premature wear comes down to pressure, alignment and driving style. Here's how to get the most from every set.
1. Keep pressures correct
Under- or over-inflation wears tyres faster and unevenly. Check monthly against the recommended figure, it's the single biggest factor in tyre life.
2. Sort alignment and balancing
Bad alignment can ruin a tyre in a few thousand miles. Get it checked after kerb or pothole impacts, and have new tyres balanced.
3. Rotate your tyres
Rotating evens out the faster front wear (on front-wheel-drive cars) so the set lasts longer and you replace less often.
4. Drive smoothly
Hard acceleration, heavy braking and fast cornering scrub off rubber. Smooth, anticipatory driving is gentler on tyres (and fuel).
5. Avoid kerbs, potholes and overloading
Kerbing damages sidewalls and alignment; potholes cause bulges; overloading overheats tyres. Mind all three.
6. Store seasonal tyres properly
If you swap summer and winter sets, store them clean, cool, dry and out of sunlight so they don't perish.
We'll help you get there
We check pressures, wear and balance on every visit and advise honestly on what your tyres need. Book a check across London and Birmingham.
