This article is taken from a slide show presented by one of the oil company at their HSC weekly general safeety meeting...
Happy reading
Most of us operate motor vehicles on daily basis and hardly ever pay any attention to one of the most vital parts of the vehicle – our tires
Unfortunately very few of us change this bad habit until it is too late
Did you know that tires expire 4 years after the date of manufacture and this date is stamped on the side of the tire?
This number indicates that the tire was manufactured on the 7th week of 2007 (Feb 2007) and that the expiration date in February 2011.
Expired tires are likely to burst and result in a very serious or even fatal accident. A good practice will be for us to checks our vehicles tires and make sure they have not passed their expiry date.On the side of the tire, you will also find the maximum allowable inflating pressure for specific tire, some tires have a maximum pressure of 32 PSI, some are rated at 44 PSI and some even at 50 PSI. A few pounds below maximum allowable pressure is acceptable but not too much ( ? please check your car specification for tire pressure – check with you friendly foreman?). Different tires are designed for different pressures and you will find your maximum tire inflation pressure on a small number next to the rim on the side of the tire, NEVER exceed this pressure.
Lower pressure increases tire heat, infrared photography of tires tested at high speed shows that damaging heat increases as pressure drops.
Another important point to consider is the load we put on our tires..
Exceeding the maximum rating on a tire may lead to tire failure that could result in an accident.
The speed rating that a tire is designed for is indicated by a letter next to the load index ( T -in the above picture). Table below shows the speed rating in km/h & mph. Exceeding that speed limit also may hasten you to place you do not preferred to be ;).
Many of us when we go and buy tires , we just read it from the old tire and gave them to tire shop, but what do those number mean?
There are few other things that are good for you to know especially if you are buying imported second hand car.
Have a safe and successful day.
16 comments:
Ayah Wang,
thank u for the tips/info. What a coincidence, only on Tuesday I was told by my bro's mechanic in KT that my front tire had more pressure(?) than it should and caused my car to "felt heavy" when driven by them.
I was glad thou b'cos I thought something had broken down there when I almost "flew over" big road bumper..hehe..
:-)
Ayoh Wang,
When Mama bought Kimi, the car came with Michelin tyres. After five years of under use, the tyres began to show fine hairlines. So, Mama and Dad went to the nearest tyre shop to get new ones. Guess what the tyre shop manager said? "You all are obviously not Aussies." Why? They'll wait until the tyres burst, then only they'll change with new ones. har har har...anyway, to cut the story short, the Michelin tyres were all traded in (some suckers will want these 2nd hand ones, the manager said) and we got new tyres at a cheaper price. purrr....meow!
Salam Ayoh Wang,
This reminds me that a change of my car tyres is overdue.
Just as an aside, let's have a look again at the tyre numbering... we can see that tyre width is measured in millimetres but the radius is still in inches. Seems that imperial units will never die...
tqs for sharing.. kadang dah tau tp selalu buat tak tau.. sbb tengok macam ok je lagi.. pheww.. kami la tu..
Thanks ayoh wang, I am so going to get my husband to read this. He's not one who pays attention to these 'little' things. I used to be the one who checked his minyak hitam and tyre pressure regularly for him and filled up where necessary. Now sudah 3 anak... where got time already? It's a blessing that we're in Miri cause tyres don't wear out as fast as they do in KL due to the 3km distance between home and office =)
Hi Wan Sharif, only last week I changed my tires, as Winter is almost with us, and lots of ice and snow.
I had Michelin Hydroedge put on my Lincoln.
My tires here last easy 6 years, but I change them at 5 years. I have been using Michelins past 45 years too. Even though still very good as I don't drive much.
Yes, most people do not know much about tires...
For me, nothing but the best, if I can afford it.
When I slam my brakes, I want my car to stop!
Last year a teen girl chatting on her h/phone crossed the road not noticing the lights against her.
And there I was doing 60kph.....
Holy Smoke! I practically stood on my brakes...
My Lincoln weighs about 2 tons!!
I knew I was going to smash into her, kill her too....
Very rarely I use God's name in vain, not being a religious person, that instant I called HIM!
My car stopped just about 6 inches from her!
God and Michelin helped her live.....
And she? Gave me a dirty look! Continued chatting.
I will not print here what I told her, for frightening 5 years out of my life, ha ha.
Have a nice day.
Lee.
Dear Cheqna,
You are welcome.. It is my pleasure to see my blogging friends comfortable and safe ..non?,
If your car's tires have more pressure.. Driving your car would be lighter on your arm.. And that's can also be the reason for your car to fly over the bump.. Do drive slowly over the bumps though.. It is good for your urat saraf.. Not to forget your cars suspension system! Ewah menulis macam orang yag sangat pandai.. Sebenarnya ayahwang pun cuma tahu drivr, isi minyak, isi angin, tukar tayar dan minyak hitam aja.. ;))
Dear CfS,
Michelin tires are probably not very good for our weather.. Do check the specs for weather.?. Your mama is sure one smart mama cat to be so meticulously aware of the condition of them tires and the willingness to part with her hard earned money for safety of her cats. ;)).
When I was a bit younger (read poorer) I used to buy less than 2 years old second hand tires especially those exchanged by people who want to upgrade their tires one size bigger and one size thinner ;) but then I was using 25 + years young vehicles that I do not use to race with anyone;(
Wa'alaikumussalam Oldstock,
I am glad to know that my posting did remind you of your need... Honestly I am equally glad to know that you are very sensitive to the rampant mix of imperial and metric system in that numbering system..
That reminds me of old imperial system still widely used by Pulau Duyong folks.. Hoon.. Eight hoons are equivalent to one inch..
Imagine the scenario where old folks playing checkers in the kampung gazebo and someone in the group mention.." ho kurang se hoon lagi. Kalu tidok gesek doh kereta tu dengan dinding kedai tu!" imagine the looks on the youngsters faces should they hear this kind of measurement ;)).
Mulan dearest,
Hehehe.. Honestly I believed you are better than what you have implied by your comment.. Anyway I am glad that the reminder will always be here InsyaAllah if anyone needs to refer to it ;)).
Nin dearest,
Wow you are the one looking at all the detail.. Wah looks like somebody have it rather easy.. Now that you know where to look for the little detail.. You can always refer him to this posting if you do not want to make a paper copy of this entry;)
Hopefully this tire safety post tak menimbulkan ketegangan antara you berdua ..;)
Dearest Brother Lee,
When I was about to post this entry I was of two minds.. I want to put a statement that I am sure my Canadian blogging friend would have known all that is written here.. I am glad that you have added a life threatening or in this case a life saving experience to spice up my entry.. That is one tremendous experience to be shared in your precious comments, thank you, thank you.. Really appreciate that;)).
Psssst that Mandarin writing can be found at http://minyakgaz.blogspot.com/2011/10/15-minutes-exerciseanyone.html
Dear Ayoh Wang,
I will get Rudy to read this immediately. On the other hand, maybe not.
He is always reminding me to wait til certain lights go on before starting up the car, drive slowly over the bumps, to switch off everything (radio, aircon - headlights! etc ) before switching off the car. Obviously, I am the one who just drives and go.
Maybe this time I will impress him with my new found knowledge. Show off a bit.
Heh heh heh.
Seriously, I will show him this posting. We are ggoing back to Pahang today for Hari Raya.
Thanks again.
Ninot,
I am delighted in finding that you found this entry is useful for you and Rudy. We went back Trengganu as per next posting ;)).
Obviously Rudy is a very careful and knowledgeable driver, whereas i am no better than you, whatever I know more is probably because I have nobody to turn to :D
This is a very interesting and informational read! These are some of the most important things to consider when it comes to tire safety. Sadly, many neglect making sure they have the right tire pressure before they go out, or if the tire has reached its expiration date. Tire maintenance is an important aspect of vehicle ownership, and learning when and how to assess the condition of your tires will significantly reduce the risk of blowouts and decreased traction when you are on the road. :)
Regards,
Rita McCall
Just like any other product, tires also have their end dates. These are constructed with rubber and fabric, both of which will lose strength over a certain time frame. Basically, experts will tell you that you need to replace your tires after six years to ensure traction quality.
[Tyra]
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