What Your Car's Tyres Could Be Telling You About the Car Itself

When your car or any vehicle needs repair, it may not always be very obvious. You might also overlook small annoyances such as certain sounds or if the car pulls slightly, assuming that these are not major problems. However, something as simple as the car's tyres can tell you if the car itself needs major repair work, or if it needs minor repairs that could become major problems if left unchecked. While you may not give much thought to your car's tyres until they go flat, note a few reasons why they should be examined regularly and what they could tell you about their condition and the car's overall condition itself.

Dragging

If you feel dragging from one tyre, meaning it seems to lag behind the others or not turn very easily, this can mean that the tyre itself is flatter than it should be; note the recommended pressure in your car's owner's manual versus the pressure in the tyre and add air if needed. However, the tyre can also be too small for the car. If it's not spinning in the same way as other tyres because of being too small, this can cause it to drag behind them or get pulled by the other tyres. Check the numbers outside the tyres as this tells you its size and note if it's the right size, according to your owner's manual.

Squealing

If you hear squealing from a tyre as you turn, this usually means the bearings are bad. These are like metal balls that allow a tyre's rod to turn rather than go only forwards and backwards. Since you put more pressure on the bearings when you turn, you may hear a squealing from the tyre area when they need to be replaced.

Pulling

If one tyre seems to pull the car as you drive, this could be a number of problems. If this happens after letting go of the brake pedal, the brake pads may be worn down and are still gripping that tyre. If it happens while driving, the tyre could have excessive wear because your car needs to have the wheels aligned and balanced; when they're not balanced, one tyre could be hitting the road harder than others and it suffers excessive wear and then pulls. If the tyre seems to pull out of a turn, this could be the differentials. These are gears that allow tyres to spin at different speeds and when their teeth are worn down, a tyre may be traveling faster than it should and you could feel it pull out of or away from a turn.