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Top Ten Tyre Safety Tips

When, how and where to change your tires?

In theory, all four tires should be changed at the same time in order to maintain balanced behavior of the vehicle. However, for reasons of cost, uneven wear between the different axles, the tires are generally changed two by two. In this case, it is advisable to place new tires at the rear for all vehicles (traction, rear-wheel drive or 4 × 4).

When to change tires?

Tires are essential parts of vehicle safety. It must therefore be changed as soon as the signs of wear become obvious or they are damaged.

The law on tires in the UAE was issued by the Emirates Standardization and Metrology Authority (Esma). One of the regulations is that tires must be able to withstand temperatures of up to 50° C for use in the UAE. Another regulation stipulates that tires must not be stored in temperatures excess of 25° C and that tires cannot be placed on top of each other while in storage.

Esma has clearly defined the legal limits for the different categories of vehicles.

Vehicle Category Legal Tire Tread Depth
Light 1.6 mm
Medium Sized 2.4 mm
Buses and Trucks 3.2 mm
Motorbikes 0.8 mm

To check the depth of the tread, the tires have wear indicators placed at the bottom of the engraving and distributed all around the tire. They are located by the “TWI” marks engraved on the sidewall of the tire. The wear indicators start to show flush with the tread surface when the tread depth has reached 1.6mm.

All vehicle tires must be procured, fitted and maintained properly, considering the taxing climate of the UAE.

High temperatures can become a serious problem for tires, especially if they are not properly maintained. Incorrect inflation pressures, poor wheel balance and alignment also contribute to a reduction in tire life and safety.

Driving with tires in poor condition can cause the vehicle to immobilize, plus a fine.

Good to know: a tire 50% worn means 20% less grip on the road.

Where to change your vehicle tires?

When it comes to changing their tires, motorists are spoiled for choice. He can turn to his dealer, his mechanic, a classic or discount auto center. He can also buy his tires on the Internet. In the latter case, it is necessary to ensure that the seller’s site offers a solution for the assembly (for example, the ordered rubbers are delivered to a partner garage which will then be responsible for installing them). Whichever course you take, do not hesitate to let the competition play. For the same reference, the prices displayed are rarely the same from one point of sale to another and the differences can be significant. From one brand to another, there are also many promotions regularly offered (for example, two tires for the price of one). The installation and balancing package is even sometimes offered. When not, it is frequently billed around AED 25 each tire.

How should they be mounted?

First of all, it is advisable to choose tires which meet the dimension criteria (width, height, etc.) of the vehicle. Editing cannot be improvised: you should always contact a specialist.

Identical tires must be fitted on the same axle. And if you only change two of the four tires, the new tires (which have better grip) should preferably be fitted to the rear of the vehicle, which will avoid spinning, especially during sudden decelerations in a corner. .

Changing tires necessarily involves balancing the wheels in order to avoid vibrations once the vehicle reaches a certain speed. In addition, a lack of balance can result in premature wear of the shock absorbers and the front axle ball joints of the vehicle. As this operation is very often included in the “assembly packages”, it is normally carried out without the customer even having to claim it.

Important:

We totally advise against the use of second-hand tires. Indeed, it is impossible to know if these tires were the subject of incidents which could have affected their performance in terms of safety.

 

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