Tyre Life: the unavoidable Vs the avoidable.
Tyre Life: the unavoidable Vs the avoidable
Tyres are the only link between your vehicle and the ground. The humble tyre does a lot for a hollow piece of rubber: it transfers forces from the vehicle to the road, provides grip at considerable speed and benefits of handling, while maintaining safety and stability.
At the most basic level there are two factors affecting your tyre life – the unavoidable and the avoidable.
Unavoidable factors are typically uncontrollable environmental and task related factors- some of which you may not even consider, such as:
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Example
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Climatic conditions and air temperature
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For every decrease of 1 degree Celsius, tyre pressure drops by approximately 0.19 PSI. Cold weather means less tyre pressure than hot weather. Lower pressure increases the amount of tyre surface in contact with the road, and makes the sidewalls of the tyres more flexible - compromises grip and handling. It also means that the tyre deforms more due to the weight of the vehicle and this causes heat build-up in the rubber, reducing its life.
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Nature of work and road surface
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The kinds of roads frequented, as well as the types of surfaces covered are significant determinants of tyre life. Vehicles used across on/off road haulage, quarries, country roads or mountainous routes will have a different shelf life to a vehicle used for urban delivery work or long stretches of smooth highways.
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The reprieve from these factors are those that are avoidable or at the very least, manageable. Take a look at some of these factors below, and see if you’re doing everything you can to get the most out of your tyres:
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Example
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Maintenance
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Alignment
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Balance
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Under-inflation
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Over-inflation
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Driving Habits
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Fitting
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