Free tyre check in St Helens

To ensure that you stay safe on the road, it is important that you look after your tyres and check them regularly. We recommend that you carry out routine car tyre care and inspect your tyres every week to check the overall condition.

Maintaining correct tyre pressures

There are three main reasons why maintaining the right tyre pressure is important. The first and most important factor is safety. Tyres that are under-inflated can overheat, and over-inflated tyres can lead to poor vehicle handling on the road.

The second reason is the economy. Over or under-inflated tyres have a decreased contact patch with the road and suffer from uneven tread wear as a result. Your tyre tread will wear more quickly due to the smaller contact patch, therefore, your tyres will need to be replaced more regularly. Vehicles with under-inflated tyres also have increased rolling resistance which means more fuel is required to maintain the same speed. Getting this right can give your tyres a much longer life span.

The third reason for maintaining the correct tyre pressure is the environment. Correct tyre pressures help to maintain optimum fuel efficiency. This can equate to lower CO2 emissions coming from your vehicle than those with incorrect tyre pressures thus reducing the environmental impact of your car.

Vehicle manufacturers will often suggest different tyre pressures for your front and rear tyres so make sure you follow these guidelines. The correct tyre pressures for your car can be found on the tyre. They are also found on some vehicles in the vehicle handbook and are often printed either in the sill of the driver’s door or on the inside of the fuel flap. Of course, you can leave it to us to check this as we hold all the tyre information on our system for every make and model of vehicle.

Checking your tread depth on your car or van

When braking, your car relies on the tread on your tyres to grip the road and come to a stop in the shortest possible distance. Braking distance increases as tyre tread wear out so it’s important that you check them regularly to ensure you still have adequate tread on your tyres. It is recommended that tyres are replaced when the tread depth reaches 3mm in order to maintain optimum braking performance. The legal limit for minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre and around the full circumference. Failing to replace your tyres before they reach this minimum limit could result in a hefty fine and penalty points on your licence.

If you place your finger in the main groove you should feel a small raised notch. When your tread wears down to the height of this notch, your tyre should be replaced as it has reached the minimum legal tread depth. You can also use a tread depth indicator to gauge the remaining tread on your tyres or even a 20p piece. Place the 20p coin inside the main groove of the tyre. If the outer band of the 20p piece is obscured by the tyre then your tyres have adequate tread. If you can see the outer band of the 20p piece your tyres could be approaching the legal limit so it’s advised to have them checked as soon as possible.

We offer a FREE tyre check service in St Helens, Merseyside. You can find us at 232- 256 Boundary Road St Helens WA10 2PZ

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Visit us: 232-256 Boundary road - WA10 2PZ