What Should I Check?
In cash strapped times, it's a priority for many drivers to keep their vehicle maintenance and repair costs low. You can undertake regular condition checks on your tyres to identify repairs before problems worsen, but it's advised that you book in for routine tyre checks to ensure all aspects of tyre care are covered. Our tyre fitters have access to specialist equipment to carry out more thorough checks and can repair any problems for you.
- Tread Depth
- Tread Wear Indicator Bars
- Sidewall of the Tyres
- Bulges and Blisters
- Excessive Vibration
By law, the minimum tread depth of your tyres should be 1.6mm. If you regularly use your car in wet and slippery conditions, you may require twice as much tread. This is easily tested by placing a 20p coin into the lowest tread depth you can find on the tyre. If you can't see the outer band of the coin then the tyre is legal. If you still see the band, immediately get in touch.
Found on all newer tyres, tread wear bars only appear once tyres have been worn down considerably. If you see one or more of these bars running perpendicular to the direction of the tread, your tyres need to be replaced.
Cracks in the sidewall can be easy to spot and can be the cause of tyre leaks or blow outs. If you see cracks, cuts or your tyres look weathered, give us a call to discuss replacing them.
Bulges or blisters in the tyre are caused by excessive wear on its outer surface. If left untreated, these areas can cause a tyre blow out whilst on the road.
You should know the usual vibration levels of your vehicle through regular use. If you notice excessive levels, it is vital that you take your car to a tyre fitters. There are many possible causes for excessive vibration ranging from misaligned tyres to faulty shock absorbers - none of the reasons are good. Whether or not the root cause of the problem relates to the tyres, the vibration will damage them if the problem is ignored.