Page 34 - BRIDGESTONE PR REPORT - JULY 2025

7/3/25, 10:28 AM The most common mistakes in the care and use of your car's tyres
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

One last piece of advice: remember the great forgotten item, the spare tyre, or failing that, the puncture kit. Regularly check
that it is in perfect condition and at the right pressure.

'From Bridgestone, taking into account these recommendations, we want to highlight the importance of preventive
maintenance of all the elements of our vehicle, especially the tyres. These, together with the braking system (ABS), stability
control (ESP or ESC), traction control systems and power steering, form part of the key elements of the vehicle's active safety.

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