Every car needs to feel special, sometimes with a wax and at other times, with a new set of tyres. And even if you’re not into pampering your vehicle, you should certainly be interested in safety. Given that your tires are of crucial importance as far as that goes, you really should tread carefully, pun intended.

We caught up with Roohullah Khan of Karachi Wheels and Tyres to discover the best practices for buying new tyres in Pakistan. Khan is a recent entrant to the tyres business sector, but he is also among its most modern practitioners. His claim to fame: a 3D wheel alignment system, installed at a cost of over Rs3.5 million, which “no one else in Pakistan has.” His tricks of the trade:

Any fresh tyre has a look and feel. Concentrate on the feel: new and fresh tyres are usually dotted. If a tyre is not dotted, it is likely an old one.

Ensure that a tyre is not smuggled. Usually, smuggled tyres in Pakistan are packaged one inside the other. All tyres have a steel belt, which gives the tyre shape and strength; in smuggled tyres, the steel belt is generally broken (in large part because of how they are packed).

Tread carefully: When changing tyres, be mindful of how they look and feel

Always buy branded tyres. Don’t trust a new brand, and don’t trust unauthorised sellers (a puncture walla, for example).

For passenger cars, always buy soft tyres. Not only does it help get a better grip on the road and aid in seamless breaking, the car’s suspension also stays safe from harm. Soft tyres also impact fuel safety and consumption. Do not fall into the trap of buying hard tyres for passenger cars (even if the tyre seller is vehemently pushing the product on you); hard tyres are only meant for long haul vehicles or heavy duty vehicles such as trucks or tractors.

Always get your wheels aligned when you buy a new set of tyres; the principle is that before the car can travel even a 100 yards, it needs to be aligned. Faulty tyres will always ensure that your car tilts to a particular direction, irrespective of whether they are fresh or refurbished.

Tyre pressure should be maintained at 30 pound per square inch (PSI); any increase or decrease beyond this level is not only dangerous but will also damage tyre life. If the pressure is above 35PSI, your vehicle will become heavy and difficult to drive. If pressure levels are below 28PSI, the load that a tyre carries increases significantly, thereby compromising tyre life.

Last but not least, it is advisable to rotate the front and rear tyres every 5,000 kilometres. Most cars have engines fitted in the front, and thus the load carried by front tyres is significantly greater. To keep tyres healthy, switch the tyres every 5,000km and also have a wheel alignment and balancing test carried out. Since rear tyres do not carry as much load, fitting them on the front ensures that the healthier tyres become active while the more worn out ones take a rest.

The writer tweets @ASYusuf

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, November 23rd, 2014