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Tyre care tips for long journeys

ByDave Stopher

Feb 18, 2020 #North East

Whether you are travelling for fun or for business, there are a number of checks that you should always undertake: do you need a visa or vaccinations, what weather should you expect at your destination, and is your transportation in good condition? It is the latter question that we are looking at in this piece: you will not be going anywhere if your car is in poor condition, or your tyres are lacking in some way. The beauty of this is that it can be easily fixed: Visit Tyre Point and buy Tyres in Maidstone from a wide range of tyre brands available. You can also reserve tyres online with no upfront payment required or get your tyres fixed within just a few minutes.

Maidstone is well served, and you will soon be driving along, confident that your vehicle is in good shape. It is better to check your tyres than to risk an inconvenient breakdown at a later date.

When you know you have a long journey coming up, here is what you should do:

Check your tyres

Maidstone is well supplied with good mechanics, but you can always start this checklist yourself. Get a torch, or position your vehicle so the tyres are well-lit, and examine them by eye, slowly and carefully working your way around the whole road contact surface, looking for cracks, crumbles of rubber, or the subtle sign of a puncture – or the less subtle indication that is a nail embedded in your tyre! Next, look over the sidewall. While this part of the tyre is not directly load bearing, any weaknesses can cause a flat tyre, or worsen other issues that otherwise would not be too much of a problem. Should you find anything to be concerned about; a mechanic can be your next port of call for advice or repairs. Or you could skip this step and go straight to buying a new set of car tyres to be as safe as possible.

Wheel Balancing and Alignment of Car Tyres

Maidstone garages and mechanics are fully trained in the latest technology, and far from being the lengthy and rather ‘guesstimated’ processes that they used to be, wheel balancing and alignment are now very precise, computer-controlled tasks that can be completed in just a few minutes. Having your wheels balanced properly means that the weight of the vehicle sits evenly over all four tyres, making the ride more comfortable, but also ensuring the even wear of the tyres. Alignment, which refers to ensuring that all the tyres are pointing in the exact same direction, has the benefit of making the vehicle a better performer: more efficient, less friction and less wear and tear on the wheel nuts, axles and chassis.

Any time you know you have a long trip coming up, you should set aside some time to ensuring that your vehicle is in great condition: it will not take long nor will it cost too much compared with the peace of mind that such simple checks and actions will provide.