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. 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.
  3. Always replace tyres when they reach a tread depth of 1.6 mm, which is easily identified by the Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) built into the tyre’s tread grooves. Even if the tyre is worn unevenly, and only one side reaches the TWI while the rest remains above it, that tyre is considered illegal under South African law. Additionally, in the absence of tread wear indicators, it is illegal to drive with tyres that have less than 1.0 mm of tread remaining.
  4. 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 gauge.
  5. 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.