Seasonal Swapping, Time for those Summer Tyres to see the Road!

Up and down the country, we are experiencing weekends of warm humid weather but a week of showers and frost. During the easter weekend, some southerners reached record highs with their temperatures whilst the north still retained a cold spell. However, the extended forecast seems to be brightening up and the thoughts of a warm and joyful summer are not yet doused.

Despite the consistent switching back and forth between high and low temperatures, many of our customers are starting to swap over to their summer wheels and tyres. Once the temperatures comfortably reach an average of 7*C, it’s good time to swap over as winter tyres work best below 7*C and summer tyres above.

But why is this? To create the best winter tyre, in additional to an extensive cocktail of chemicals, the main ingredient is the amount of silicone. Winter tyres are created with more silicone so the rubber can stay pliable during the colder temperatures and conform to the road resulting in more grip. Whilst being perfectly fine to use in the summer, winter tyres will wear down quicker as they effectively have too much grip on the road! Summer tyres have slightly less silicone which is great for hotter temperatures but results in a harder tyre when temperatures drop below 7 degrees.

This customer booked in a specific time slot just after their Covid-19 vaccination as they wanted to have a quick drive to the shops to try out their new summer tyres. Upon arrival to the customer’s address, we inspected the winter tyres for any signs of unusual wear or damage. This inspection is critical for the customer’s safety in the late autumnal period when they decide to install their tyres back onto the vehicle. Despite having no damage, the front two winter tyres were starting to show signs of wearing on the inside. Nothing extreme but something to keep an eye on whilst the customer drove around on his summer tyres.

After the inspection, the wheel nuts were loosened slightly, the car jacked up and placed onto four jack-stands where we then began to remove each wheel individually, place it on our workbench and remove the valve core to remove all pressure in the tyre. From here we broke the bead, removed the winter tyre then inspected the rim for any hidden damage. Although the tyres and suspension components can absorb an incredible amount of damage, sometimes the wheel can become cracked due to potholes or large rocks in the road. This can be anything from a hairline crack to a complete buckle. If any damage on the wheel is present, it should be taken extremely seriously! Thankfully, this customer only hopped around Keswick and the wheel was perfectly fine. Moving on from the thorough inspection, the new Michelin tyre was installed, inflated and balanced on our mobile balancing machine!

The process of swapping the tyres over was repeated three more times until the car had four new shoes. The wheel nuts were hand tightened, the car lowered to the floor and then torqued to the correct setting.

Before heading off, the wheels were double checked, and an inspection report of the job created which would then be sent to the customer after the job had been completed!

Despite the lockdown restrictions being lifted, we are still taking precautions when it comes to talking and interacting with customers. From wearing full PPE to wiping our card machine before and after use, we are always looking out for the customer.

If you’re looking at swapping your winter tyres to summer, need help with a puncture or just need some advice, why not call us on 0333 444 5454 or send an email to info@hometyre.co.uk!