Do you not know what?the technician says about the tyres/wheels on your vehicle?
Time to find out….
So let talk about the tyres & wheels, where you have to remember they are the only thing between the road and the rest of your car, so here’s some items you might come across;
The Garage says:
“Your wheels need balancing”
What do they mean?
The car’s wheels are unbalanced. This can cause the steering wheel to vibrate when you are driving at speed.
What should you be aware of?
Most wheels and tyres have slight imperfections, which cause a vibration at certain speeds. These imperfections are countered by using small lead weights fixed to the wheels – a simple and quick task for our local tyre specialist with the right equipment.
The Garage says:
“Your tracking is out”
What do they mean?
Tracking refers to the front wheels being in line, as shown in the manufacturer’s specifications.
What should you be aware of?
Damaged or incorrectly adjusted tracking can affect how your car handles. This can cause it to pull to one side. It can also lead to your tyres wearing out before they should or wear unevenly. Your tracking can easily be affected by hitting kerbs or potholes. It is always a good idea to have your tracking checked when you replace your front tyres, or book it as an extra to your annual service.
The Garage says:
“Your tyres are illegal ”
What do they mean?
One or more of your tyres doesn’t have enough tread, the ridges in the tyre’s surface that allow it to grip the road, or are damaged.
What should you be aware of?
You should replace the tyres if they become damaged or when the tread reduces below 3 millimeters. We will recommend that after seeing the vehicle, if the tread depth is below 3 mm we say look to getting them changed soon. As a new tyres starts off it’s life with normally around 8 mm tread depth and when it gets below 3 mm tread, the grip you get drops off the chart fast until you hit the legal limit of 1.6 mm. If in doubt just ask us about the condition of your tyres.
The Garage says:
Anything related to tyre size, aspect ratio, construction type, speed rating.
What do they mean?
Tyre size: (as in example below) 215/65 R15 = 215 is the width of the tyre in millimeters. 65 is the aspect ratio. R means it is Radial construction. 15 is the diameter of the wheel rim in inches.
Aspect ratio: This describes the height of a tyre’s sidewall as a percentage of the width of the tyre. For example, if the aspect ratio is 65 then it means that the height of the sidewall is 65% of its width in measurement.
Radial type Construction: (commonly a radial-ply tyre) is a particular design of vehicle tyre. In this design, the cord plies are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, or radially (from the center of the tyre).
Speed rating: A tyre’s speed rating is the top speed it can maintain under its approved load capacity. For example, a tyre with a speed rating of ‘H’ has a top speed of 130 mph.
What should you be aware of?
See below diagram on where to commonly locate these on your tyre, but you need not worry, should you have any issues we can help sort it and make sure you get the correct tyres for your vehicle.
