Malaysian roads are very unique. Everyone knows that. We have the weirdest places where potholes exist and the strangest places where bumps are built. On certain stretches, there are more bumps and humps than others which is highly unusual.
We have places in the highway where we can drive fast which are not suitable and places where we need to drive slow but no reason to do so. So what do you need to consider when buying tyres for your car? One thing for sure, this is not where ‘the bigger the better’.
When you need to change your tyres, you need to do some homework. Otherwise, you will be ‘duped’ into buying a set of rubbers that might not be suitable for your vehicle.
Traction – this is the element which will tell you how well the tyre will hold on to the road. It is after all, the only thing that connects you to the road. Check the ratings. Malaysian roads are erratic where it could be wet and dry anytime so think about paying a bit more for tyres with good traction ratings.
Treadware – this will indicate how long they can last. Check the ratings where the higher they are, the longer they can last. You don’t want to buy tyres that last only for a year and you need to change them after that.
Roads – this depends on what type of roads you usually drive on. If you are usually on the highways, then you can use the standard sets while all-terrain tyres are for those who drive on different pavements.
Speed rating – this is very important if you constantly drive on the highways. Rated between A for lowest and Z for highest, you can find this on the load index of the tyre.
Load rating – this tells you how much each tyre can carry. It would be best to know how heavy your vehicle and from there work out what the load is like for the whole set of tyres.
Again, it must be reiterated that tyres are the only things that connects you with the road, not the engine. So it is important to spend a little more time on finding out what you are buying. If in doubt, check, check and double-check and ask around before deciding on what to use. There is no need to pay premium prices for ‘branded’ tyres if they are not suitable for your car.
