Amy's Amazing Auto Service and Repair Blog

Top Tips for Improving Car Tyre Performance

by Derek Davidson

Most car lovers are obsessed with the performance of their vehicles and spend a significant amount of time, effort and money fine-tuning the engine, exhaust system, and body to achieve peak performance. Unfortunately, few car owners realise that tyres also play an integral role in overall performance. Notably, keeping car tyres in optimal shape and understanding how to take advantage of their design goes a long way in improving performance. This article highlights tips for achieving top-notch tyre performance.

Use the Same Brand

Multiple tyre brands are available for car owners to choose from; hence, it is crucial to make the right choice. Since different tyres boast varying advantages as far as performance goes, ensure all the wheels on your car are the same brand. Most motorists are unaware that mixing tyres from different manufacturers affects car performance. Different tyre brands have varying specifications; therefore, mixing them creates an imbalance. As a result, tyres find it difficult to cope with each other, making car handling difficult and compromising safety. Besides, mixing different car brands leads to premature wear and tear.

Rotate Your Tyres

Do you know that rotating tyres is another way to ensure top performance? The reason is that each tyre position requires a specific compromise. For example, the front tyres take a larger portion of the friction needed for braking. However, many motorists do not know that such differences can cause uneven wear, affecting tyre effectiveness and performance. Tyre rotation refers to the periodic repositioning of each tyre on a vehicle. Usually, tyre manufacturers indicate the right time to rotate their tyres. Therefore, if a manufacturer recommends that you rotate car tyres after every 10,000 km, do so without fail. Most importantly, it ensures even wear across all tyres and maximises tread life.

Stay Within Recommended Weight Loads

There is a common misconception that overloading a car puts pressure on the tyres, increasing friction between the rubber and the road. Presumably, such force allows a vehicle to wade through difficult terrains, such as muddy or snowy roads. However, nothing could be further from the truth because overloading does nothing but affect tyre performance. Notably, loading tyres beyond the recommended weight reduces the overall service life, mainly because of friction between the inner tube and the tyre. It might explain why overloaded vehicles often suffer from tyre blowouts. Stay within the specified load index for short and long trips if you want to get the most from car tyres.

Share