How to check tyre wear?

Did you know that excessive tyre wear could place you in danger? Check out these simple pointers for more on tyre wear:

  1. Shallow tread grooves make it harder to control the vehicle in wet weather and the chance of aquaplaning increases.
  2. The legal limit for a tyre tread grove shouldn’t be below 1mm across the tread surface at any point.
  3. To ensure your safety, measure the tread depth as part of your regular vehicle maintenance. Tread is the rubber on the tyre that touches the road surface.
  4. Most tyres have a tread wear indicator built into the tyre tread pattern. What this means is that tread wear indicators are spaced evenly through the main grooves in the tyre tread. If they are flushed with the level of the tread, then the tyre must be replaced.
  5. To ensure that you are driving on roadworthy tyres, get your tyre measured at a DUNLOP TYRE DEALER. They will measure the tread wear using a tread depth vernier.
  6. Tread wear patterns generally indicate signs of suspension setup. A good balanced setup will allow for even tyre wear. Also note that a mis-aligned suspension will caused irregular wear on tread surface and reduce tyre life.

What to watch out for (tyre damage):

  1. While measuring the tread, look for cupping, or scalloping. These are small scoops, or divots, carved from the tread. They can indicate misalignment or other problems with your vehicle. Take your car to a service centre immediately.
  2. Also, watch out for bulges in the tyre tread or sidewall and this indicates that they are not safe.