Wheel Alignment

If you believe that car tyres encounter no problems apart from puncture and that they have nothing to do with the efficiency of the car, then you are under the wrong impression. In fact, tyres play an important role in the overall performance of the car and for that regular wheel alignment is very essential.

If the wheels are not properly aligned, then the tyres wear out very early. Also improper alignment can lead to develop unequal pressure on both sides of the car, which causes wheels to face more resistance while driving. To overcome this resistance, more energy is required to run smoothly and thus it results in more fuel consumption. Lack of wheel alignment can also lead to accidents, due to difficulty in driving straight.

If you want to keep your car and other components in a proper condition for long time, then car experts suggest aligning your wheels every year or after every 10000km. If you travel regularly over uneven roads, then wheel alignment is recommended every 6 months.

If you are not one to regularly service your car, then look for the following pointers that indicate your car needs wheel alignment.

1. While driving on a highway, if you feel that your car is dragging onto one side, irrespective of whether it is right or left, that is, if you have trouble driving straight, then there is a need of wheel alignment.
2. If one of your tyres exhibits more wear than the others, there is a need for wheel alignment.
3. Vibrations in steering wheel also give an indication as to when to go for wheel alignment.

While mending the problem of improper alignment, you need to see for a camber where both wheels are seen from the front of your car. If you find your wheels to be tilted, either outside or inside from the centerline, then it should be aligned. Also verify from above, to find how much your car wheels are inside or outside, which is also known as toes in and toes out respectively. Finally, steering axis is checked from the side of your car to see if it is tilting toward right or left side.

Thus, wheel alignment needs to be done regularly to maintain your car performance. Always align all four wheels and not just the front two.

Ensure your vehicle is insured !

There are various insurance companies offering a number of policies, each with its own terms and conditions. Selecting an appropriate insurance policy for your motorcycle could be difficult and confusing. It is important that you select a policy that suits your requirements and budget, for which you need to determine all details that your vehicle’s policy must cover.

Three types of policies are applicable for vehicle:

1. Third party liability insurance: In this category, insurance company pays damage or injury expense to third parties that have been affected by an accident for which you are responsible. It does not cover expenses that may arise for treating you or repairing your vehicle. By law, it is mandatory that third-party liability insurance needs to be adopted by every driver.
2. Collision insurance policy: In this category, along with the third parties, the damage to your vehicle and expenses for treating your injuries are covered, even if you are responsible for the accident. If the monetary value of your bike is more than its cost of maintenance, then this category of insurance cover is adopted.
3. Comprehensive insurance policy: This insurance policy is the most expensive of all. This not only covers collision-related damage, but other damages like earthquake, theft, fire, storm, flood, vandalism, etc. The premium differs from company to company.
4. Zero depreciation or zero debt policy: This policy is for a new car owner and it also has a higher premium than other categories. It is similar to the comprehensive policy. The only difference is that, in the comprehensive policy, the insurance company pays claim money calculating current value (depreciation) of your vehicle; but in zero depreciation policy, the insurance company will pay the whole cost of damage, without calculating the depreciation value of the vehicle.
5. NO claim bonus: It provides a bonus to the policy holder, if he/she does not make claims for a particular year. As there is no claim made, insurance company provides discounts in the premium of next year. This no-claim bonus can also be transferred from one vehicle to a new vehicle. Discount varies from company to company, but it is usually in the range of 20-50%.

Depending upon your requirements, budget and the risks involved, choose your insurance policy. The selection of an insurance company for providing your insurance policy is also a tricky job. Every insurance company has its own clauses and prices, so proper research is to be done before selecting any insurance company.  After selecting a genuine insurance company and comparing prices, read the clauses mentioned in the policy with utmost care and check whether it fulfills all requirements.

The premium amount is the major concern for most people. If you want very less premium amount, then third party liability insurance is ideal. Premium amount will be decided on various factors like the type of bike, year of the model, the distance the vehicle has covered, mileage the vehicle offers, and many more. Companies also ask for records like occurrence of a previous accidents, etc.

It is best to select insurance cover for your vehicle with better understanding and knowledge of company policies in order to get maximum benefits.

Tips For Tyre Tutelage

Every tyre manufacturer claims that he gives long-lasting tyres. In reality, there is no such definite limit for life of tyres, as it depends on a variety of factors. This becomes very apparent from the fact that the front tyres get worn out earlier than the rear tyres. 

Thus the following facts would help to understand how long the tyres will last:

1. If your mode of driving is very rough, which includes short brakes and sharp turning, your car tyres can wear-out fast.
2. Driving your car with great speed can also lead to early worn-out tyres.
3. If wheel alignment is not right, then there is a chance of reduced tyre life.
4. Parking your car in scorching heat on a daily basis can increase the wearing out of tyres.
5. The pressure also affects the weathering of tyres. All tyres should be filled with a recommended pressure.
6. There are number of tread patterns on tyres, which play an important role in determining the life of tyre. Some tread patterns provide low resistance, noise, improved braking force, etc, while others are much less effective. Hence, a tyre-life also depends on its features and tread pattern.
7. Overloading of car with passenger or luggage can also wear out the tyres fast, as it develops a strain on the tyres.
8. If you have tyres that are not suitable for your vehicle or tyres of different structure or tread patterns, then its chances of wearing out is more. Thus, try to get tyres from same manufacturer with same tread pattern.
9. Travelling through uneven roads on a regular basis can cause wearing-out of tyres.
10. In addition to considering all the above points, external examination of tyre rubber to find out the cut, tread depth, holes, stones, nail, etc can be performed, preferably by experts.

The life of tyres cannot be determined accurately as it depends on its type of usage. When a front tyre is found to be worn out, it is recommended to replace the front tyres with the rear tyres and the rear tyres with new tyres.