Page 31 - BRIDGESTONE PR REPORT - JULY 2025

7/3/25, 10:26 AM The most common mistakes in the care and use of your car's tyres
Front and rear tyres are subjected to different work and loads, so wear is very uneven. Rotation is essential to
achieve more even wear and thus increase the service life of all tyres. Even and regular tyre wear on both axles of
the vehicle contributes to increased safety on the road, the axles react

in a balanced way and the driver has better control of his vehicle. It is advisable to rotate them between axles every
10,000 kilometres (or as stipulated by the manufacturer).

Excessive or uneven wear

Regardless of a tyre's service life, its tread depth should be checked from time to time. According to the law, it must
have a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm, a legal limit that is referenced by the wear indicators, marked by an indicator
in the shoulder area of the tyre. One trick to check for wear is to insert a euro into the tyre tread: if you can see the
gold edge, it is time to change it.

Equally important is to check that the wear is even. Front axle tyres, because of the configuration of the vehicle,
usually show uneven wear between the outer and inner shoulder. A tyre that is in good condition on the outside may
be ‘eaten' on the inside.

Other irregular tyre wear, resulting in a less than optimal contact patch, can be caused by incorrect balancing and/or
alignment, or poorly maintained shock absorbers. In these cases the tyres are the messengers of the problem, telling
us what the cause may be and what needs to be rectified.

Faulty alignment, axle parallelism and balancing

Correct vehicle alignment, maintaining axle parallelism and wheel balancing (adjusting the wheel-tyre assembly by
means of counterweights to avoid imbalances) are essential to avoid irregular wear, vibrations and even steering
wheel trajectory problems (safety), apart from the risk of mechanical breakdowns. According to First Stop, tyre
distribution company, alignment should be

carried out when tyres are changed or rotated between axles, once a year or when between 15,000 and 20,000
kilometres have been driven.

Deformed or damaged tyres

It is also crucial to check the condition of tyres and rims from time to time, as they may be deformed, damaged, cut or
torn (as a result of impact with kerbs, potholes, etc.), which can compromise their safety. If they are damaged in any
way, a professional should be consulted for possible replacement. If it is necessary to do so, remember that it is not
advisable to install tyres with different characteristics or levels of wear on the same axle.

Aging tyres

Although tyres do not have an expiry date as such, depending on many factors, including maintenance, exposure to
oxidising agents, conditions of use, etc., they can lose some of their performance over time. So, even if they still have
tread, it is advisable to check the appearance of the tyres at least once a month. From the 5th year onwards, we
recommend an annual check by a specialist, and in any case replace them when they are more than 10 years old.
Cracked, aged, cut rubber, etc. on a tyre can affect road safety.

To find out the date of manufacture of a tyre, simply look for the DOT code on the sidewall marking. The last 4 digits
of the DOT code, for example 1024, tell you the week and year of manufacture.

Spare tyre

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