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Why Are There Cracks in my Tyres? Mobile Tyres in Oxfordshire

We're forever harping on about the IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING YOUR TYRES – during your monthly inspection of your tyres, you may have noticed cracks in your tyres… but what do they mean? Cracks appear in your tyres over time due to simply ageing and exposure to UV light. The oils in the tyre's rubber compound start to dry out, much like in us humans, and "wrinkles" appear!

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Whether you need to worry about these cracks depends on where they are and how severe they are. Small cracks on the tread blocks of the tyre are a sign of normal wear and tear and aren't generally anything that you need to worry about.

Deeper cracks could be a sign that the tyre is getting to the end of its useful life and may mean there's a risk of the tread separating from the rest of the tyre, meaning a replacement is definitely needed! Minor cracks generally won't lead to your car failing the MOT, however more severe ones could result in a failure.

Cracks on the sidewall are a sign that the tyre is ageing. This can mean that the rubber is becoming stiffer so the tyres won't absorb shocks as well and you may be risking a blow out at speed. As a general rule of thumb, your tyres should be replaced when they reach five years old. There will be a four-digit code on the sidewall that tells you when the tyre was manufactured. A code of 2218, for example, tells you that the tyre was made in the 22nd week of 2018 (see below).

dot code_1

You may think that your spare tyre, safely tucked away in the boot, will last longer. In fact, this is not the case, tyres contain a waxy substance to slow down the ageing process, but this is only released when the tyres are in motion. Spare tyres or tyres on trailers, caravans and classic cars that only cover a low mileage may, therefore, deteriorate faster.

You shouldn't assume that a tyre is safe just because it has plenty of tread; always take the age and the overall condition into account when assessing whether it needs to be replaced.

Do you need a tyre replacement in Oxford, Chipping Norton and surrounding areas?

You can ORDER ONLINE or call our team on 0333 444 5454 to book a to-the-minute appointment today!

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