- It is recommended to check and, if necessary, adjust the front wheel alignment every 10-15 thousand km. These are important parameters that determine the stability of the car, the comfort of control and the durability of the tires. Wheel alignment should only be performed when the suspension and steering are in full working order. Wheel alignment needs to be done for several reasons:
- the car will not pull to the side after the wheel alignment is adjusted;
- the car will be easier to control and more maneuverable;
- having the correct wheel alignment parameters saves fuel and increases the life of your tires.
- Be sure to balance your wheels in the following cases:
- after every 15 thousand km of mileage or during seasonal tire change;
- when assembling a wheel onto a tire;
- after the first 500 kilometers of "rolled" after installing new tires on the wheel rim;
- after suspension breakdown (a strong blow with a wheel).
Wheel imbalance can lead to the destruction of steering components, shock absorbers, wheel bearings and other suspension components can also fail. All this happens because of vibrations that spread throughout the entire body of the car if the wheel is unbalanced. But the main danger is that the overall controllability of the car becomes significantly worse and, as a result, the driving process becomes unsafe.
- One of the most important suspension elements are shock absorbers. Shock absorbers absorb excess energy generated by the springs and tires, limiting the bounce of each wheel. By keeping the tires in contact with the road under all circumstances, the shock absorber ensures impeccable grip, reliable steering and effective braking. Shock absorbers lose their characteristics gradually, so it is difficult for the driver to notice a deterioration in their performance. The simplest way to check the serviceability of the shock absorbers is the "wiggle" test: press lightly on the wing and release. If the car returned to the top point and stopped, the shock absorber is in good condition; if it continues to swing or remains at the bottom point, the shock absorber requires replacement. If the shock absorbers are faulty, the car will bounce and the wheels will fly through the air more than they will travel along the road. And when the wheels don't touch the ground, the car doesn't accelerate, turns poorly and brakes almost imperceptibly. Moreover, faulty shock absorbers lead to rapid wear of other suspension parts, so by putting off the solution to the problem for a long time, you risk eventually getting into a suspension repair "in a circle", that is, entirely. Replace shock absorbers in pairs (on both sides of the axis), to maintain the balance of the vehicle and ensure traction in emergency braking situations. If the shock absorbers have different characteristics, the car may begin to suffer from understeer or, even worse, oversteer, and the car's behavior will become unpredictable.
- Check the condition of your tire tread periodically and change your tires in a timely manner. Although the minimum tread depth for passenger cars is 1.6 mm, the critical level from a safety point of view is 4.0 mm. Therefore, we recommend replacing tires when the tread depth falls below 4.0 mm. Further reduction in tread depth leads to a significant increase in braking distance on wet roads. Such tires are highly susceptible to the "aquaplaning" effect, when the car literally floats above the road and becomes uncontrollable, thus endangering the lives of the driver and passengers.
- At least once a month (and if you travel a lot, then once a week) it is recommended to check the tire pressure using a pressure gauge. The pressure must comply with the recommended standards in the vehicle's operating manual. The air pressure in the tires affects driving safety, driving performance, fuel consumption and tire durability. If the pressure is too high, the tires do not provide a comfortable ride and the load on the vehicle's suspension increases. Too low tire pressure reduces safety. The braking distance is lengthened, the car reacts slowly and reluctantly to steering wheel movements, and moves unsteadily in a straight line. In addition, a tire with low pressure overheats significantly and the risk of its explosion increases. Both under- and over-inflation of tires leads to premature wear. When the pressure is too low, the edges of the tire wear out, and when the pressure is too high, the middle wears out.
- Replace summer tires with winter tires in a timely manner. If the average daily temperature drops to (or below) +5 +7 C*, summer tires lose their properties, become "stiff", their grip on the road deteriorates significantly, and the braking distance increases. If the air temperature drops below 0 degrees and the road becomes covered with ice, driving on summer tires becomes simply dangerous. You should also not rush to replace winter tires with summer ones. An exception may be studded winter tires, which, when driving on clean asphalt, firstly, lose some of their studs, and secondly, do not have sufficient grip on the road surface, which may be unsafe during emergency braking.
- Do not use winter tires in the summer, even if they have no studs left and the tread is deep enough. Winter tires are softer, their composition is not designed for use in harsh summer conditions, they wear out quickly. When using a car in summer on winter tires, directional stability, controllability and braking properties deteriorate, the car reacts sluggishly to steering wheel turns, and the braking distance increases. Using winter tires in summer is unsafe.