Unless you go off-roading throughout the year, chances are if you own an SUV you wont use your four-wheel drive (4WD) during the summer months. With this in mind it's incredibly important to ensure everything regarding your 4WD is working correctly on your vehicle before the winter starts and you find yourself needing to use it, even if 4WD doesn't take too much maintenance.
A functioning system can improve your tyre traction in snow and on ice, reducing the possibility of getting your vehicle stuck. 4WD varies depending on each vehicle, so its best to check your owner's manual for the best environment in which to use it and how to properly engage the system as some can be engaged during gear changes and some can't.
However, having a 4WD system on your vehicle doesn't give you license to act like a boy racer and attempt donuts around your local icy supermarket car park or drive faster than you normally would in a regular car. 4WD can improve your SUV's traction on snow and ice from a stationary position, but it doesn't make your tyres grip the pavement any better when you brake. So always drive cautiously in icy and snowy conditions. Most people are unaware that tyre care and tyre replacement on 4WD and AWD vehicles is different to tyre care on normal 2WD vehicles.
On 2WD vehicles it is normally ok to replace just 1 or 2 tyres as required. However on 4WD and AWD vehicles it is advisable to replace ALL of the tyres at the same time. If you are unsure of whether you need to replace your tyres, notice wear and tear on just one or two tyres or need your 4WD looked at in preparation for the colder months give your local independent garage or local independent service centre a call today.
