Produced from natural rubber and an advanced cocktail of different ingredients that includes silicon, nylon, carbon-fibre, metals and other fabrics, the modern car tyre has an almighty task to fulfil. For a start, consider that, regardless of dimensions, comfortably less than 10% of a single tyre’s circumference is ever in contact with a road’s surface at any given time, yet the reliance and trust we place in each of them is total. Yet, they must provide an enormous range of services, from comfort to adhesion, puncture resistance to suspension and dynamic competence to inherent safety, regardless of climatic conditions.
Answer a question: when was the last time that you checked their pressures? Come to think of it, do you know where the suggested tyre pressures are noted on your vehicle? If the first answer is ‘I can’t recall’, be aware that every bump and crash that each tyre endures, often so faithfully, can affect both its balance and internal structure, perhaps the time has come to check them more frequently. If you are unsure of what the recommended tyre pressures are, you will find them in your car’s manual, although they are often noted on the inside of the fuel filler-flap, or on the inside of a door pillar.
An increasing issue on our roads is the one thing that most of us complain about…potholes. When you consider the depth and abrasive edges of many of them, even if you do make a cursory inspection every now and then, when was the last time that you actually checked the integrity of the sidewalls, a critical element, when you contemplate that a corruption of their construction, such as an easily incurred tear, might lead to a sudden deflation? Even if you do make visual checks, have you ever considered the inside edges, where a wheel may have also been damaged, sometimes beyond possible repair?
The last thing that I want to do is barrack you for not paying more attention! However, the tyre companies are as much to blame for our initial shoulder shrugs and subsequent emergency repairs and replacements. Tyre technology is so far advanced and dependable that it is eminently understandable that we place so much trust in those covers. As you may have noticed, a great many car manufacturers no longer include a spare wheel-and-tyre combination below the boot floor, preferring to factor-in additional load space, rather than lugging around a hefty spare that may never be used during a car’s lifetime. Yet, incur a puncture and, once you have discovered that the repair kit provided does not suffice, a call-out is demanded of the AA, RAC, or other roadside rescue organisation…often at extra cost.
As a result, the replacement tyre industry has grown disproportionately…but, how do you decide which make and model of tyre should be fitted? Cost is an unavoidable factor. Not all of us has the convenience of being able to click online and await the arrival of a cost-effective replacement, when stranded at the roadside. Therefore, like-for-like, not just dimensionally, can bump up the costs even more.
Tyres are a primary safety feature. They protect us, as drivers, and our vehicle occupants, and they are determinedly reliable under normal circumstances. Yet, there are tyres produced to suit both winter and summer motoring, when a notional 10-degreesC air temperature is the changeover point. For around four months of the year, our maritime climate makes winter tyres a viable option. Of course, this is not to suggest that summer tyres are unusable year-round, rather that winter tyres, which provide greater tread and sidewall flexibility at lower temperatures, can enhance safety.
For more than thirty years, I have been using seasonally appropriate tyres. The current set on my Suzuki Baleno have endured two winter periods of use, with my supplying dealer storing the summer tyres for me. I reckon that the excellent Kumho Wintercraft covers have at least another two winters’ life in them, by which time I shall have replaced the car anyway. Short of the summer covers becoming damaged, apart from normal wear and tear, they too will survive for my three-and-a-half-years period of ownership, which underscores both the cost and refitting of the winter tyres (an initial £55 for each tyre and £30 swap-over seasonally) in late-November and again in late-March (replacement notwithstanding, a total cost of £400).
Naturally, high annual mileages will incur greater wear rates on the tyres and, even if your car’s steering geometry has been unaffected by potential pothole damage (which is unlikely), set replacement will probably be required around the 25,000-miles mark. Whether you go for like-for-like, or consider the alternatives, lies with how much information you are armed with. Hopefully, I can help.
Personally, I have been a long-time fan of Michelin tyres. They are durable and long-lasting, whereas Pirelli, Dunlop and Goodyear covers, all of which are perfectly sound, tend not to satisfy my full range of demands. Take care though, as prices vary immensely, whether buying online, or at a fast-fit centre. However, I have tested many different makes and among them Vredestein is a very high-performer, capable of providing exceptional wet and dry road grip. Most recently, I tested the latest Bridgestone Turanza T005 tyres and, as with many ‘latest developments’, I was very impressed by their wet surface performance. When you consider that we do suffer from a high percentage of rainy days, the enhanced grip in adverse conditions is a deciding factor for me.
