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Often tyres have to be replaced long before their specified life has been reached principally because of rapid or uneven tread wear. The most common causes of avoidable tread wear are:

  • Under-Inflating - Causing rapid wear along the edges of the tread.
  • Over-Inflating - Causing rapid wear along the centre of the tread.
  • Faulty brakes or shock absorbers - Can cause flat bald spots around the tread of the tyre.
  • Incorrect wheel alignment - Will cause rapid wear along the inside or outside edges of the FRONT tyres. If you strike a kerb or hit a pot hole - the delicate settings of the steering gear geometry are invariably misaligned which will result in this sort of wear. Wear and tear in the steering components can also knock the wheel alignment out of true - so it's vital that you have the front wheels realigned every 3 months or 3000 miles.

Damage Limitation

Cuts, breaks and abrasions to the tyre casing can penetrate deep into the inner fabric of the tyre and can be extremely dangerous - capable of causing high speed blow-outs. However, penetration of the tread by a nail or shard of glass or metal can often be safely repaired.

At Ace Tyres we only a special vulcanised plug patch is used which repairs the tyre to high standard. Don't ever let anyone else attempt to repair your tyre to a lesser standard - it could prove fatal in the event of the repair failing at speed.

alance

To run true and keep the tread in constant contact with the road, the wheel and tyre have to be correctly balanced. If the vehicle was to be raised on a jack and the wheel spun by hand, an unbalanced wheel would always stop at the same point - with the heavier imbalance being of course at the bottom of the wheel.

On the road, wheel imbalance can actually lift the tyre from contact with the road creating vibration through the steering wheel and causing dangerous problems with steering and braking. Damage to the suspension, wheel bearings and steering components is unavoidable if the imbalance is left unattended.

Your safety is at stake, yet the remedy is quick and simple - your Ace Tyres Falkirk technician will always check and adjust the balance when a new tyre is fitted. However, If you are having other work done - ask the technician to check all road wheels for balance - it could save you pounds - and it could save your life.

alves

The tyre valve is the most neglected and overlooked component within the wheel and tyre assembly, yet an efficient valve is crucial to the safe operation of the tyre.

Wear on the valve seal, damaged screw threads, dirt and grit in the valve itself can all lead to a dangerous failure of the tyre at speed. Even a poorly sealed valve can cause fairly constant under inflation of the tyre which will reduce the life of your tyre by 25%. As it is impossible, to replace the valve without renewing the tyre casing from the wheel - Ace Tyres Falkirk recommend that the valves are replaced EVERY time a tyre is replaced.

Gripping Stuff

When you're driving - whatever the speed or conditions - your only contact with the road are the four postcard size 'footprints' of your tyres.

Statistics show that almost half of all car accidents are caused when a car skids - tyres are your vital link with the road and it pays to have the best fitted by professional, qualified tyre-fitters.


Tread depth indicator

This tyre is very close to being - or has just become - illegal

Tyre-Tread

The purpose of the tread on tyres is to allow the tyre to grip in the wet. Huge volumes of water on the surface of the road have to be squeezed out by the tread grooves. For example, at 60mph, with a water depth of only 3mm, the tyre has to clear over 2 gallons of water per second!

And 3mm of water on a rainy day is not unusual. In rain puddles, you will often find as much as 8 to 10mm. If this water is not rapidly dispersed, the tyre will begin to "aquaplane" - a sheet of water builds up between the tyre and the road - and the tyre loses all contact with the surface of the road.

This is exceedingly dangerous. The capacity to disperse water is drastically reduced with low and worn tread depth - so carefully monitor the depth of tread on your tyres - YOUR LIFE could depend on it.

The law demands that tyres have a tread depth of 1.6mm in a continuous band around the centre three quarters of the tyre. These levels represent the absolute minimum and tyres as worn as this should be replaced immediately. To help you judge how much tread you have on your tyres, manufacturers often mould tread bars at roughly 1.6mm. If you can see these bars your tyres are about to become illegal and unsafe.

Tyre Inflating

Check your handbook or our inflation chart and keep your tyres at the correct pressure.

Wrongly inflated tyres will greatly shorten your tyres' life, and could make your car dangerous to drive. Check every two weeks - including the spare - and only check when the tyres are cold, as the pressures increase after the car has been run due to the air inside warming up.

If you have a heavy load - for example before going on holiday - check your handbook and increase tyre pressures as per manufacturers' recommendations. Remember to reduce the pressures after removing the heavy load.

Tyre Valves

Check your tyre valves' condition to ensure an airtight seal. As the tyre has to be removed from the wheel to replace a valve - it's safer and cheaper to have them renewed when your tyres are being replaced. Make sure each valve is securely sealed with a cap.

Driving style

You, the driver, can greatly affect the wear and tear on your tyres. In the same way as fuel consumption increases with speed, so too does tyre wear: the higher the speed the greater the tread wear, especially when cornering. When accelerating, avoid wheel spinning. When braking - brake gently, without wheel lock.

Wheel alignment

Every car has a specific steering track setting for its front wheels. If the setting becomes upset, by striking a kerb or hitting a pothole or simply by wear and tear - tyre wear can be rapid. Incorrect wheel alignment becomes obvious when either the inner or the outer edge of the tyres become unevenly worn or a "feathering" effect becomes noticeable. If you suspect your alignment has been disturbed - have it checked at Ace Tyres immediately. In any case, have it checked every 6,000 miles or when tyres or steering components have been changed.

Wheel balance

Vibration through the steering wheel is usually the sign of incorrect wheel balance. This vibration causes high-pressure stress in the steering, hub assemblies and suspension, resulting in excessive mechanical wear and high fuel consumption in addition to tyre wear.

Incorrect wheel balance is easily corrected by using a computerised electronic wheel balancer to measure the imbalance, and then by adding small metal weights to even things up. It is essential that you have your wheels balanced whenever you replace a tyre or have a puncture repaired (Alloy wheels require specially coated weights to avoid corrosion caused by chemical reaction between differing metals).

Brake condition

Binding brakes will considerably increase tyre wear. A wheel that heats up in excess of the other on the same axle indicates a binding brake, usually caused by a sticking cylinder or caliper. This causes the particular tyre to drag along the road rather than roll smoothly and tyre wear is rapid and excessive.

If you suspect this fault - have your braking system checked immediately at Ace Tyres Falkirk.

Steering Assembly Condition

Worn steering joints or wheel bearings will prevent the wheel and tyre from running true and tyre wear can be fast. Although steering assembly checks are part of the MOT test, high mileages can cause rapid steering assembly wear, especially in older cars. A free steering check is part of the Ace Tyres Falkirk at  no-cost safety check - so have your steering checked regularly.

Shock Absorbers

Worn or inoperative shock absorbers will also affect tyre wear, as the wheel will not be kept in constant contact with the road. Apart from being very dangerous, the tyres are unevenly "scrubbed" along the road surface and rapid wear takes place. It only takes a few minutes to have your shock absorbers checked - have this done at Ace Tyres Falkirk on a regular basis.

Given that your tyres are the ONLY contact that you and your car has with the road - their importance to your safety and welbeing cannot be understated. Choosing the right tyre for your requirements is therefore a serious process and not one that should be made without careful consideration of the options available.

acetyres falkirk

At Ace Tyres Falkirk - you'll find that your local manager or supervisor will ask you questions to determine what is the best tyre for your needs, what's your average mileage, do you do a lot of motorway driving or are you mostly in town? Clearly your occupation influences the demand that you make on your car and your tyres; a young mum using her car for school runs and shopping trips will require different tyres fitted to her car than the regional sales executive with a large territory doing fifty thousand miles of motoring each year. Even specialist tyres call for consideration prior to selection - a four-wheel drive vehicle that is used off-road will require different tyres from the same vehicle that is considered as a fashion 'accessory' and remains firmly on the road.

While we understand everyone has a budget - selecting the cheapest option of tyre for your car will not always necessarily be the best or safest option.

We ALWAYS recommend the best tyre for your requirements - relating your driving patterns and style to the tyres' specifications, such as safety, durability, ruggedness, wet - performance properties, long life and speed rating performance. We recommend the right tyre at the right price - ALWAYS.

Sidewall codes for regular andlow profile tyres

Every tyre shows information pertaining to its manufacturer, size, model etc. The following is an explanation of all the terminology used.

165R13T

  • 165 - means the tyre has a nominal section width of 165 millimetres
  • R - means radial
  • 13 - means it fits a 13" diameter wheel
  • T - means it's rated for speeds up to 118mph (l90kmh)
  • Other common speed ratings are:
    S = 113mph
    T = 118mph
    H = 130mph
    V = 149mph
    Z = Over 150mph
    W = 168mph
    Y = 186mph

You should always replace a tyre with the same or a higher speed rating. In general, the higher the speed rating, the better the quality of the tyres and the more advanced the technology. This is especially true in areas such as steering response, wet grip, cornering power and braking adhesion.

Low profile tyres have a slightly different marking for instance:

185/60R 14H

  • 185 - 185 millimetres nominal section width
  • 60 - sidewall height is 60% of tyre nominal section width
  • R - Radial
  • 14 - Means it fits 14" diameter wheel
  • H - Rated to 130mph

A standard tyre has a sidewall height which is 82% of tyre nominal section width.

Reducing the % of sidewall height to tread nominal section width (the 'aspect ratio') enables tyres to be wider and put more tread on the road.

Trouble Shooting

Problem Cause
Tyres feathering or wearing on the inner or outer edges. Incorrect wheel alignment.
Tyres wearing unevenly in patches. Faulty or binding brakes or inefficient shock absorbers.
Tyres constantly lose pressure. Faulty valve or slow puncture.
Wheel vibration - either constantly or at certain speeds. Incorrect wheel balance.
Tyres wearing in the Centre. Over inflation.
Rapid tyre wear on driving wheels. Harsh acceleration.
Rapid Tyre wear on front wheels. Fast cornering.
 
Wear in the tyre shoulder area Patchy tread wear Wear on one side of the tyre
Cause: Underinflation or overload Cause: Misalignment/ Faulty brakes/ Worn shock absorbers Cause: Misalignment

Puncture repairs

Puncture repairs are carried out in accordance with NTDA and BSAUl59 regulations.

The main points are:

  1. Tyres can only be repaired in the area marked 'T'.
  2. For tyres rated 'V' and above, only one repair is allowed.
NOTE: NEVER FIT AN INNER TUBE WITH A TUBELESS TYRE EXCEPT ON A TUBE TYPE WHEEL

Minor penetration repairs are not permitted in this area.

Five Top Tyre Tips

  1. Check your pressures
    You'll find them inside your car's driver's manual. Check the pressure with a tyre guage when the tyre is cold, as even a short journey can warm up tyres and raise the pressure.

  2. Check for damage
    Give your tyres a close inspection for cuts and cracks which can lead to slow punctures or cause the steel wires in the tyre to rust.

  3. Check your tread
    Less tread means less grip. The minimum legal depth is l.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread width and around the entire circumference of the tyre.

  4. Take extra caution in wet conditions
    You are twice as likely to have an accident in wet weather as in the dry. The stopping distance of a tyre with l.6mm of tread is double that of a new tyre with 8mm.

  5. Don't overload your car
    Overloading has the same effect on tyres as under-inflation, causing premature tread wear and in extreme cases, a sudden blow-out.





  
  
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