Car tyres are unsung heroes. They don’t evoke the same kind of excitement as a purring engine nor do they attract attention like gleaming paintwork. But they provide the vital link between the car and the road and affect the car’s overall performance and safety.

With proper care, you can prolong the lifespan of your tyres, and be rewarded with greater safety, better road-holding, more comfort and monetary savings. Here’s what you should do regularly:

Monitor air pressure

The right amount of air pressure can make your tyres last longer, save fuel, enhance handling and prevent accidents. The correct air pressure can be found in the vehicle owner's manual or on the tyre sticker attached to the vehicle door edge.

Air pressure should be checked when tyres are cold. You can’t check air pressure accurately by looking at the tyre and judging the appearance of the sidewall. Use a small pocket tyre gauge to check air pressure every fortnight or so. Don't forget to check the spare tyre to ensure it can be used when needed.

Rotate tyres

Rotate tyres to achieve more uniform wear on all four sides. They should be rotated as recommended in the owner’s manual or at least every 8,000km to 10,000km.

It is especially important for front wheel-drive cars to have the tyres rotated periodically because the front tyres wear out faster than the rear ones.

Tyre tread

For optimum traction in wet conditions, tyres should be replaced before they reach the minimum tread depth. Check for a specific pattern of wear-patches on your tyres. This may indicate that there is a problem with the suspension, causing the tyres to wear out at specific points.

Wheel alignment

Wheel alignment is different from wheel balancing. Wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other.

Signs that your wheels are out of alignment are uneven or rapid tyre wear and a car that is continuously pulling or drifting away from a straight line.

Wheel balancing

Wheel balancing, on the other hand, allows the tyres and wheels to spin without causing vibrations. A tyre is out of balance when one section of the tyre is heavier than the others. Out-of-balance tyres cause a car to vibrate at certain speeds, which can lead to premature, irregular tyre wear, as well as unnecessary wear to vehicle suspension.

Tyre balance should be checked at the first sign of vibration. To balance a wheel, the mechanic mounts the car on a balancing machine, which spins the wheel to locate the heavier part. He will then compensate for the heavy part by attaching a lead weight on the opposite side.

Driving pattern

How you drive and where you drive also affect tyre performance and the evenness of tread wear. Tyres of vehicles used mostly in city driving will wear more quickly than those used mostly on highways because of frequent braking and acceleration and the greater number of corners turned.