Blog

Tyre with slow puncture at Deeside Industrial Park

New client informed me that front tyres had been going down since the tyres were last replaced. I suspected the inner rims were corroded as the car was 9yrs old, my suspicions were correct and unfortunately one of the tyres had sustained significant damage due to being driven on whilst under-inflated. Tips: 1. If you have a slow puncture have it rectified asap or terminal damage to the tyre will occur. 2. If your alloys are 5yrs + old make sure the tyre fitter removes any corrosion and uses bead sealer prior to fitting new tyres.

Replaced some shocking part worn tyres on the Wirral today.

A customer on the Wirral asked if i could check the wheel balance on his car today. Whilst carrying out this task I always examine the condition of the tyre, both of the front tyres were part worns purchased recently. The offside front tyre had a 25mm long cut deep enough to expose the steel bands, which were now rusting. The nearside front tyre had 2 illegal patch repairs, tyres should be repaired by plug and patch. Neither tyre was labelled as part worn which is another requirement of the legislation.

At least the wind has stopped!

Pretty hairy driving the van over the last few days, glad i have winter tyres with loads of grip. Driving the M53 on the Wirral with that gusting wind raised the pulse slightly.

2 New tyres fitted to front or rear of car?

If only 2 new tyres are to be fitted to your vehicle then it is recommended that they be fitted to the rear. If the front tyres are worn more than the rear then in most circumstances the rear wheels should be moved to the front and the front wheels, with the new tyres, fitted to the rear. This is because the car is more unstable if it has more grip at the front than at the rear and in an emergency situation the rear could slide which is far more difficult to control.

Tyres Slashed?

I attended to a car yesterday on which someone had slashed the tyre and a number of other cars in the street. Although, I'm getting business out of this extrememly unfortunate situation, it's not pleasurable business. I recommend in this situation that you always ring the police (obviously not on 999) as the more information the police have the more chance they have of catching the culprit(s).

Sandstone Trail

Did a circular walk on the Sandstone Trail at the weekend. Fantastic views over the Cheshire plain, the big wheel in Chester was visible as was the Liverpool waterfront and Cathedral. Not walked it before, wholly recommended. Finished off with a pint in the Pheasant Inn in Higher Burwardsley. Van filthy after all the salt, glad I fitted winter tyres, saved me a couple of times already.

Wheel Alignment Tips

Having your wheels out of alignment accelerates tyre wear. When parking avoid driving up curbs and reverse park when possible. Don't try and park tight to the curb,leave a sensible distance, say 10 to 12 inches. If you hit a curb, pothole or speed bump with some force, it's worth having the alignment checked, it could save you a considerable amount of money.

Stunning scenery

Did a locking wheel nut removal and tyres on a car in Hoole Chester this morning. Proper brass monkey weather, all the trees have frozen ice on the branches, when the sun broke through the fog it looked absolutely stunning.

Taking your car on the track?

If your taking your car on a Track Day be aware that you are putting the car under far greater stress than normal road driving. Invest in a torgue wrench and check adjust your wheel bolts after each track session. Tyre pressures can also make a huge difference to your lap times so why not buy yourself a mini 12v compressor and accurate pressure gauge.

Age of tyres

A large number of motorists are unaware that the age of a tyre is also an important factor.

Winter Tyres

Did you realise that Winter Tyres aren't just for snow?, they are also effective on frost, ice, slush and even wet roads. Winter tyres are more effective when the temperature drops below +7 deg Centigrade.You can use winter tyres all year round as I have been doing on our family car and I will be very soon fitting them to my van. Yes, their is some slight trade off in braking performance in really hot conditions but this is far outweighed by the benefits of improved braking in the wet and cold.

Autumn Colour

Whilst travelling around the Wirral fitting tyres, repairing punctures and doing wheel alignments this past week or so, the display of autumn colour has been spectacular, put a smile on my face anyway.

Competitive Tyre Prices

Fitted some new Continental tyres to the rear of a prestige car today. The lady who's car it was advised me that the tyres were £100 cheaper then the main dealer had quoted. Needless to say she was very happy.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems

On some cars Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems do not actually measure the air pressure. They detect significant loss of air pressure,typically 30%, in the tyre using the ABS sensor. The ABS sensor measures the speed at which the wheel rotates and when the tyre is under inflated the wheel diameter is reduced, therefore, the wheel spins faster.