Big Black Donuts that keep you safe! (Tyres in general)

Member Name: firemanspam

Product:	Tyres in general
Date:	02/01/09 (200 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very important things, under rated at best.

Disadvantages: Can kill people, and they do!

A review on Tyres in general.

Tyres are the big black rubbery things, that keep your vehicle in contact with the road surface, and are far more important than brakes. They do however, tend to be largely ignored until the MOT Test.

Tyre size guide - You will have seen some numbers on the sidewall of your tyres, if you have ever wondered what these mean, read on:-
If we take the example of a 205/55 R16 W
205 is the width of the traad (in mm)
55 is the height of the sidewall as a % of the width.
R means Radial, although this no longer required.
16 is the size in inches, of the tyre inner rim. (Not the wheel)
W is the speed rating, W is up to 168MPH.
So now you know.

Price - The price of tyres varies because of several factors, The quality, the name, and more importantly the size. In my case having sixteen inch rims meant that I had to pay more than if I had bought fifteens, or even seventeens! This is due to supply and demand, they simply do not make as many sixteen inch tyres.

Discounts - I usually get a good deal, and you would expect to pay less more if buying two or especially four tyres (always expect a discount on tyres) You will either pay extra for fitting, or it may be included in the purchase price, no problem as long as you know. You may also be charged for a new valve, balancing, and disposal of your old tyres. Find out first!
I have my balancing weights fitted on the inside of the rim, out of sight, why do so many fitters bang them on the outside?

Wear - New tyres have to be be run in, and then checked as often as you can, both for pressures, and also the wear. Current practice is not to rotate your tyres onto different axles, however, this does even out the wear which makes them last longer. One disadvantage of this is that all the tyres wear out at the same time, and most people prefer to change two at a time.

Rotation - Many tyres nowadays have a "direction of rotation" on them. If this is the case with your tyres, you must not use them the "Wrong way round" except in the event of a puncture for instance, and then keep the speed low and do not expect too much grip. Other tyres have "outside" marked on the sidewall, so make sure yours are fitted the right way round.

Pressures - Do you know what your pressures are? What it says in the handbook is not always correct. This is because the manufacturers have to state a pressure which is suitable for the average driver, with an average load. Yours may be much different, so it is best to have a decent tyre fitter's opinion after a while, you could well find that yours are wearing on the middle for instance, indicating too much pressure, even though it is correct according to the handbook.

Fitting - A good tyre fitter is worth his weight in gold, Mine immediately knows if the steering geometry is out, because of his experience, he feels where the tyre is wearing, in some cases this can save premature wear on my tyres, and thus save me a fortune, apart from affecting safety.

Care - I will also mention that your tyres will look better, and last longer, if you use tyre slick, this will give your tyres a wet look, as well as protecting them from UV rays, and also the elements.

Interest - Just for fun, there is a web site that allows you to look up any vehicle, just by typing in the registration number. You will then see the make, model, and colour of your vehicle, plus of course the recommended tyre sizes. Have a go with your own reg:-
http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/tyre-search.asp

History - The "Modern" Car tyre was invented by Michelin, The story goes that Two brothers, Édouard and Andre Michelin, ran a rubber factory in France. One day, a cyclist with a punctured pneumatic tyre arrived at the factory. His tyre was glued onto the rim, and It took over three hours to remove it and repair the tyre, which then had to be left overnight to dry. The next day, Edouard took the repaired bicycle into the factory yard for testing. After just a few hundred meters, this repair failed. Despite this setback, the young Mr Michelin was still enthusiastic about the pneumatic tyre, and along with his Brother Andre, made their own tyres, which did not need glue.

In 1891, they took out a patent for the removable pneumatic tyre. The company even invented the radial ply tyre. The rest as they say, is history.

Legislation - Whatever tyres you choose, you should examine them on a weekly basis, and before a long drive. You should have no cuts or bulges, no evidence of sharp objects sticking out, and there should be 1.6mm tread in a continuous band, across three quarters of the tread. The miniimum for Motorcycles and Trucks & Buses in just 1mm. Most of Europe insist on 2mm, and the less tread you have, the greater chance of aquaplaning.

Spares - Many cars nowadays are supplied with a "Space Saver" spare wheel, these are perfectly OK up to 50MPH, and are for temporary use only.

Damage - I see so many tyres being damaged by parking, every time you run a tyre into a kerb, it does a small amount of damage, and a tyre can only stand so much, before it becomes so weak it bursts. The problem being, it never goes bang when you are parking, more likely when you are bombing down the motorway with the kids in the back! Think about this next time you bump up the kerb.

Remember - Please check your tyres, and remember the spare.

Summary: These can be life savers, or not, your choice.