Regarding tyre care and maintenance, you’re well-versed in the big four: pressure, alignment, rotation, and tread. But amidst your diligence with these aspects, one often-overlooked tyre deserves your attention-the spare tyre concealed in your boot.
The Neglected Spare
Spare tyres need care & maintenance, and their requirements depend on the type you have. First, please check with your vehicle manual to ensure you know how to look after your spare tyre.
1. Checking Spare Tyre Pressure
Regularly monitor your tyre pressure at least once a month. If you have a spare tyre, spare a moment to check its pressure too.
For Full-Size Spares: These match your regular tyres. Inflate them to the pressure specified on your tyre information in your vehicle owner’s manual.
For Temporary Spares: These smaller tyres often require higher inflation pressure. Refer to the tyre information in your vehicle owner’s manual for guidance.
2. Spare Tyre Alignment
Thankfully, spare tyre care is simpler than you thought. Alignment concerns only the tyres been used on your vehicle. .
3. Spare Tyre Rotation
Most car manufacturers recommend tyre rotation, which involves periodically switching a tyre’s position on the vehicle to ensure even wear.
For Full-Size Spares: Include a full-size spare in your vehicle’s recommended tyre rotation pattern. It’s typical to move the spare tyre to the rear-right position, replacing the tyre that was there before, which becomes the new spare. Always consult your owner’s manual for specific instructions.
For Temporary Spares: Luckily, no rotation is needed. Temporary spares are hassle-free in this regard.
4. Assessing Spare Tyre Tread
Now, the final step in tyre care and maintenance, ensuring the tyre itself remains in good shape. After all, a tyre is only as reliable as its tread.
For Full-Size Spares:
1. Treat a full-size spare like your regular tyres.
2. Incorporate it into your tyre rotation to ensure even wear.
3. Replace it when it’s worn out.
Yes, this might mean purchasing five tyres instead of four, but consider this: If you stick with an old spare after buying four new tyres and then replace a flat tyre with the spare, it won’t match the other three tyres in size, potentially causing handling issues.
For Temporary Spares: Since these tyres are only used as needed, they don’t wear down like full-size spares. However, the rubber on a temporary spare tyre still deteriorates over time, so eventual replacement may be necessary.
Maintaining spare tyres may seem intimidating, but it’s relatively straightforward. Keep them properly inflated, rotate them if they’re full-size, and replace them when they’ve served their time. Not too challenging, right? What type of spare tyre do you own? Do you give it the care it deserves or rely on a tyre repair kit or run-flat tyres instead?
Disclaimer
This article is about how to care for a vehicle’s spare tyres.1
So, now you know more about caring for your car’s spare tyre. How do you take care of your car regarding insurance? Are you looking for affordable car insurance with benefits such as fixed premiums* and a reducing excess*. T’s and C’s apply.
Please get professional financial advice from a certified financial advisor to ensure you select the appropriate financial services product.
• Source:
1 https://simpletire.com/learn/tire-maintenance-safety/maintain-care-spare-tire
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.