When Should You Change Your Car Tyres in Dubai

Car tyres ensure safety and quality of your ride, which makes them one of the most important parts of your vehicle. Regular maintenance of car tyres can reduce the risk of premature wear and adds more miles to a tyre’s life. Bad weather continues to hit the UAE throughout the year and such weather conditions that include heavy rains, sandstorms, dense fog in winters and intense heat in summer can expose the vulnerability of poorly maintained or old tyres. Along with proper maintenance, it is also important to get your car tyres changed at the right time in order to avoid a dangerous road situation caused by old or worn out tyres.

Following the tyre maintenance protocols as per the advice of a mechanic or the car owner’s manual can potentially add to the life of tyres, but even that doesn’t guarantee that the tyres will not face a sudden tyre burst situation in challenging weather or road conditions. In the summer season, roads absorb intolerable levels of heat, which makes old and poorly maintained tyres vulnerable to a dangerous blowout. A tyre blowout can even be deadly, which is why motorists must take safety precautions to avoid such a situation. 
 

Let’s explore the signs that can clearly tell whether it’s the right time to change your car tyres.

If you can see even a glimmer of metal in your car tyres, it is a clear sign that you need to buy a new set of tyres. If delayed, this can be dangerous and puts the safety of the car’s occupants at a serious threat, especially while driving in the summer season. Such a damage can result from exposure of car tyres to uneven roads or due to a contact with a sharp physical object that can damage the rubber surface badly. This damage can intensify at a rapid rate and have a bad effect on the tyre tread. If tyres are not changed in time, it can lead to a sudden tyre blowout on a busy road that can have dangerous consequences. 
 

Note: If your tyres have been damaged to an extent that you can see the metal through rubber, it indicates that you have already waited for more than the safety limit and it is time to replace your car tyres.

SEE ALSO: Simple Car Fixes That You Can Do Yourself! 

The Dirham Coin Test can be conducted to check the tread depth of tyres. Tread depth must not be decreased to a dangerously low level as tyres with poor tread depth are vulnerable to a sudden blowout. The tyre tread depth can also be measured with a “Tyre Tread Depth Gauge” that is easily available in the market, but Dirham Coin Test is something you can do with ease anywhere. 
 

 

For this purpose, you need to place a Dirham Coin between the ribs of tyres (the slightly raised area on a tyre) and its tread. On placing the coin like this, if you can see the Arab Teapot clearly, it’s a sign that your tyre tread depth has weakened to a dangerous extent and you must have your tyres changed without wasting any time. 

 

Note: Make sure that you wear gloves while conducting the Dirham Coin Test and don’t touch the tyres with your bare hands when they are hot.

If your car pulls to one side while driving, it’s an indicator of poor wheel alignment that mostly occurs because of the uneven wear and tear experienced by all tyres. The uneven wear of car tyres results from lack of basic tyre maintenance, delayed rotation of car tyres or because of not replacing all tyres at the same time when buying a new set of tyres. Rotating car tyres is critical, especially for front-wheel and rear-wheel drive vehicles. In front-wheel drive, the front tyres wear quickly and in the rear-wheel drive, the rear tyres face the maximum wear and tear. Rotating the tyres equals the level of deterioration on all tyres, which means you can get the tyres replaced together when they deteriorate beyond a safe limit. 
 

Car tyres should be changed if you observe your car being pulled to one side while driving or this should at least raise an alarm for you to take the car to an expert mechanic for a thorough inspection of tyres. 

Note: Rotate the tyres as per the instruction of an expert mechanic or follow the instructions mentioned in the car owner’s manual. If the wear of tyres is uneven, it can substantiate the tyre tread damage which can result in poor alignment of wheels, causing the car to pull to one side.  

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There is no legitimate criterion to judge the health of car tyres based on their calendar age, but the rule of thumb suggests that the older the tyres are, the more is their vulnerability to a blowout in challenging road or weather conditions. Normally, tyres can be safely used for a period of five to six years, but as they grow older than six years, they are bound to have more weak spots than the relatively newer tyres. This is how age can be taken as a criterion to know the right time when you need to change your car tyres. 
 

Note: The lifetime of car tyres can be extended with better maintenance and careful driving habits, which involve avoiding aggressive driving and driving at slow speeds on uneven roads. 

If one or more tyres of your car have suffered repetitive damage from frequent punctures because of exposure to sharp objects like rocks, nails or by striking against potholes or speed bumps, it becomes imperative that you get your tyres inspected and don’t delay the tyre change if necessary. A tyre that has sustained multiple damages over a period of time becomes vulnerable to even the tiniest of road challenges, poor driving style or adversities of extreme weather. 

Note: Drive carefully and try to take an alternate route from roads that are under construction. This is how you can save your tyres from frequent damages.  

Old and worn out tyres put the safety of passengers at a risk. Regular inspection of car tyres can keep you informed of your car tyres’ current condition, which can help you decide when to opt for replacement of tyres. Getting the tyres changed at the right time can keep you from a dangerous tyre blowout situation and ensure the safety of your ride.