4 Must-Know Tyre Fitting Tips for Stress-Free Adventure Travel

If you’re about to head out and explore the world, no matter if you’re staying local to your native Hertfordshire and its environs (perhaps visiting Knebworth House, popping to St Albans or going to see (and smell) the lovely lavender at Cadwell Farm in Hitchin) or going further afield, you should first make sure that your car is in good condition to make the drive. Nothing spoils a day out more than suddenly losing your methods of transportation and having to make back-up plans that then consume all your spare time and cash… And your tyres are one of the most important parts of your car, especially as they are the only part of the car in contact with the road’s surface. Let’s check out four must-know tyre-fitting tips to make sure that you enjoy stress-free travel on your adventures.

It’s A Time-Sensitive Process

Tyre fitting must be done in good time when your existing tyres start to show signs of wear and tear. This means that you should keep an eye on your tyres throughout their lifespans so you can easily tell when they begin to lose condition. When they begin to show fine cracks and crumbles or any sign of damage in the tyre’s sidewall, you should take immediate steps to replace the tyres as soon as you can. Your tyres are not a car part that you can leave until you can afford them, or can be bothered to see what can be done about them: without good quality tyres, you are in danger on the UK’s roads, and perhaps more importantly, you are a danger on the UK’s roads too, putting others at risk should you break down at speed in their proximity… Don’t risk becoming a statistic: book tyre fitting with Ecotyre Services as soon as you feel your tyres are past their best-by.

Know Your Inflation Range

Modern tyres must be kept with a fairly narrow range of optimal inflation in order to work at their best. This is so important to the correct operation of your tyres that it has, as of 2018, been included in the MOT test, which is, broadly speaking, a checklist of items to ensure your car is roadworthy and legal to drive on the UK’s public roads. If tyres are not correctly fitted, they cannot hold the right level of inflation, putting you and your passengers at risk, so do be sure to opt for professional fitting for every tyre change.

Check Your Tread Depth

Your tread depth, likewise, is legally mandated to not fall below 1.6mm over three-quarters of the tyre’s contact area. In fact, most garages caution against allowing your tyres to fall much below 3mm over the entire surface area – this gives you more safety on the roads, ensuring that even quite heavy rainfall cannot overwhelm the sipes and grooves that whisk the water away, allowing the tyres to retain their hold on the road and prevent skidding and hydroplaning. Once your tread falls below a level with which you are comfortable driving, it is time to get your new tyres fitted as soon as possible.

Choose the Right Tyres

But finally, the most obvious and also the most important tip: make sure you fit the right tyres to your car. Your car-owner’s manual will have the details of the tyres you can fit to your car, your mechanic will be able to guide you, or you can find the information online with minimal effort. And it is important to make that effort in order to remain safe and sound while travelling in and around Hertfordshire and beyond.