How to prevent flat-spotting while in lockdown

Thursday, 16 April 2020

With most of our vehicles sitting largely unused, car care is something a lot of us are thinking about. We've covered it before, a few times, so check these links if you need a refresher.

One thing we've slightly glossed over is tyre care. A vehicle sitting in one place for an extended period of time is prone to get flat spots in the tyres.

Thankfully, Jonathan Benson from Tyre Reviews on YouTube has a handy video about how you can prevent this.

Flat spots on your tyres is the last thing you want to deal with coming out of lockdown.

The best option, he says, is to jack the car off the ground to relieve the pressure on the wheels. Obviously, this might not be an option for some so overinflating can be a good second port of call. Just don't go too hard on the air, check what the maximum pressure is for your rubber according to its manufacturer.

* Coronavirus: keeping your car virus-free

* Car-care basics you need to check in lockdown

* How to take care of your car during lockdown

* Why having old tyres on your car is a risk**

Another tip is to move the car around a little bit. If you're not heading out, not letting the engine warm up properly can do damage in its own way so just put it in neutral and push it backwards and forwards a bit. This should keep the tyres nice and round while helping prevent you from becoming nice and round.

There is more advice in the video too, it's definitely worth a watch. You don't want to be stuck carless when lockdown lifts, do you?