How Long is the Lifespan of a Car Tire? Here's How to Check It!
When the age of the car tire is old, the tire must be replaced immediately to ensure safety. In car components, tires are very important to pay attention to.
Not only the driving components, tires also play a role in safety, fuel efficiency, and passenger comfort. In fact, tires also have a role in the car's suspension and other components.
Therefore, the condition of the tires is something that must receive special attention from vehicle owners. Usually, the question often asked by vehicle owners is when should the car tires be replaced?
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How Long Should Car Tires Be Replaced?
Made from rubber, it is certain that the flexibility of the rubber in these tires will change over time.
Over time, the rubber will lose its flexibility, eventually becoming brittle.
The tire rubber becomes brittle because it has lost its flexibility. This is caused by the many activities of the vehicle, resulting in a short lifespan for the car tires.
So, what is the standard lifespan of car tires? Ideally, the lifespan of car tires is about 3 years. Therefore, you should replace the tires after reaching this age, even if the tread still looks thick because it has never been used, the tires still need to be replaced. If the replacement is done after more than 3 years, the tires cannot provide comfort because they have hardened and are no longer flexible.
To replace car tires, make sure to choose the best and quality tire brands. The cost of replacing car tires will depend on the brand you choose.
Signs That Car Tires Need to Be Replaced
In the discussion above, you have learned about the age of car tires, which is about 3 years. In addition to reaching 3 years, here are various signs that tires need to be replaced, including:
1. Mileage Reaching 40 Thousand Kilometers
Even if it hasn't reached 3 years of use, it's better to replace the car tires if they have traveled a distance of 40 thousand kilometers.
For example, if you often take long trips within 2 years, the average mileage of the car has reached 50 thousand.
Even if the tires still have good flexibility, if the mileage has reached that number, the tires will wear out, generally tires will cover a distance of 15 thousand to 20 thousand kilometers per year.
Read Also: 8 Ways to Properly Replace Your Own Car Tires
2. Tread Thickness Has Reached TWI Limit
Basically, every car tire has a TWI or Tread Wear Indicator limit. This mark indicates the allowable wear limit for continued use. If the tire tread has reached the TWI, it means the tire must be replaced immediately.
There are 2 positions of the TWI indicator on the tire, namely on the edge and in the middle of the tread. On the edge, you will see a small triangle under the tread. However, for the middle part, you will see a small bump that is not as high as the tire tread.
3. Tire Balding in the Middle
In addition to the 2 conditions above, a sign that tires need to be replaced is when the tire starts to bald in the middle. Several other conditions caused by driver habits can also lead to the need for immediate tire replacement.
For example, if the tire is bald in the middle but still good on the edges. If this happens, it is better to replace the tire immediately, as this indicates that the tire is no longer uniform.
4. Balding Tires on Specific Edges
There are also tires that start to thin in certain areas, such as on the outer edge or the inner edge. If this happens, the tire should also be replaced immediately.
Many may wonder, is it okay to replace only 1 tire? Or should all 4 tires be replaced? The answer is, not necessarily all. It depends on whether the edge and middle of the tire are already bald or not.
In addition to knowing the age or maximum lifespan of car tires, you also need to understand when to replace tires based on the signs mentioned above.
Make sure to replace tires at an official workshop or the nearest Daihatsu dealer, so you can obtain quality tires and have them replaced by professional technicians.