Looking after your tyres when your car isn’t being used
With all but key workers staying home, many cars are being left unused. A tyre expert has some advice on how to keep yours working.
BODYWhile you might think one of the few benefits of this lockdown situation is that your car is sitting unused, not accruing extra miles wearing out tyres and brakes or costing you a fortune in fuel, cars don’t actually like to sit still.
That’s why tyre expert Jonathan Benson has put together his top six tips for keeping your tyres safe for when you do venture back out onto the road.
Check out the video for more in-depth explanations to the summarised points below.
Prepare and inspect your tyres
Use your new-found free time to give your tyres a clean and dressing to protect from road grime or UV light that might eat away at the rubber. While you’re down there, give them a quick check for damage and tread life, too.
Lift your car
Tyres, in particular, don’t like sitting in the same position for too long, because the weight of the car on the tyre can cause a flat spot. If you can, lift it off the ground on a car lift or axle stands. That’s not always possible, so if you can’t lift it…
Over-inflate your tyres
Normally, you don’t want to over-inflate your tyres because that reduces grip. However, doing so reduces the risk of flat spots, just don’t go over the recommended limit.
Move your car
If you have space and it’s safe to do so, you can also push your car forwards or backwards occasionally so the weight isn’t on the same spot. Don’t use the engine to do this, though, because you’ll drain your battery.
Keep it in shade
Tyres don’t like being exposed to UV light, so if you can park the car in the shade or hide it in the garage, that’s great.
Buy trainers for your car
You can buy small foam ramps that you can drive your car onto, which alleviate some of the pressure on the rubber and help regulate changes in temperature, reducing the risk of damage to the tyre.