Tyre Tips
Just a little care and maintenance can go a long way in prolonging the life of your tyres and making sure you get maximum usage out of each set. We’ve put together our tips for keeping your tyres in good shape.
Ensure your tyres are properly inflated
This is one of the simplest and probably the most important things you can do to maintain your tyres. Making sure they are properly inflated will help avoid fast and uneven tread wear, excessive heat build-up and insure proper vehicle handling while travelling on hard surface roads.
Rotate your tyres at recommended times
Moving your tyres around so that they trade places on your vehicle will ensure that they wear out uniformly. Doing this at the recommended service intervals can preserve the balanced handling and traction of the tyres, prolong their lifespan and even give you performance advantages.
Drive in a tyre friendly manner!!
You may not realize it, but the way you drive can have a lot to do with how long your tyres will last and how well they perform. Overloading, abrupt braking, rapid acceleration and hard cornering are just some things to avoid.
What are UTQG Ratings?
You may have noticed markings on the sidewall of your tyres, those are UTQG ‘Uniform Tire Quality Grading’ ratings for Treadwear, Traction and Temperature. The higher the rating, the better the tyre is rated to perform.
The UTQG ratings originated in America. By law, all SUV and Car tyres sold in America must have these ratings marked on the sidewall.
Although, there is no formally-recognised testing for tyres being sold in Australia or New Zealand, this system is as relevant in Australia & New Zealand as in any country. It gives Australian & New Zealand drivers an easy, self-assessing way to factually compare tyres.
Treadwear
Treadwear grades are an indication of a tyre’s wear rate. The higher the treadwear number, the longer it takes for the tread to wear down.
Treadwear grades are tested under controlled conditions using four vehicles fitted with test tyres that run in convoy. The vehicles repeatedly run a specified 640km road course for a total of 11,520km. Tread depths are measured every 1,280km and the measurements are averaged to give a projected wear-out life.
A ‘standard’ control tyre is assigned a grade of 100 and the treadwear rates of all test tyres are compared to it. For example, a tyre grade of 200 should take twice as long as the control tyre to wear out.
Traction
Traction grades are an indication of a tyre’s ability to stop in the wet. A higher grade should allow your vehicle to stop on wet roads in a shorter distance than a tyre with a lower grade.
Traction is graded from highest to lowest as AA, A, B and C.
Temperature
Temperature grades are an indication of a tyre’s resistance to heat. The higher the grade, the more resistant the tyre would be to the generation of heat at speed. Sustained high temperatures (for example, driving long distances in hot weather), can cause a tyre to deteriorate, leading to blowouts and tread separation.
A tyre’s resistance to heat is graded from highest to lowest as A, B or C.
How to Compare the Value on Tyres
If you are like most Australians or New Zealanders, you’d spend a lot of time researching for a new TV or a new car, but when it comes to tyres, we seem to skip the research all together. Well, you could be making a costly mistake. What make look like a good deal now, may cost you hundreds of dollars in the long run.
As consumers, we’ve never had more information to help us compare the value of a product. We can now walk through a shop door knowing exactly what we want and what it’s worth. When you’re researching an appliance like a TV or Fridge you can compare the energy rating. In a supermarket, you can compare unit pricing, is it better value to buy the unit or in bulk? Even burger joints have the calories and nutritional ratings on display.
Well, here’s the good news, there is a system that tells you how long a tyre is expected to last. It’s called Treadwear rating and it’s on the side of your tyre. You can use this rating to compare value and see what a tyre is really worth, so you can compare tread life and grip and really see how the different brands stack up.
Treadwear is a great indicator of how long a tyre will last, the higher the number the better. Used in the same vehicle under the same conditions a tyre with a high rating of around 800 will last twice as long as a tyre with a 400 rating.
Because of their intended off road use, 4WD and light truck tyres are exempt from the treadwear testing but you can still measure their life expectancy by comparing tread depth.
The more tread, the longer your tyre will last.
Tyres get a huge amount of punishment daily and if they aren’t checked regularly can become a bit of a hazard. Tread can wear down; tyres can deflate or they can become uneven and before you know it they’ve reduced the usability of your vehicle. This is why it is a good idea to always have a reliable tyre service at your disposal.
Fortunately, we offer an expert tyre service in Toowoomba, and have been pleased to offer it to professional drivers of all kinds including trade, ambulance and sports drivers all across the region for many years. Our company has over 20 years of experience in the tyre trade and our team is made up of motor enthusiasts with a passion for quality work. Many of us have been professional drivers ourselves so we know what we’re talking about when it comes to good quality tyres and tyre service.
We’re all about making sure your tyres are in the best possible condition. Our team has the expertise and experience to measure your tyre tread, wear and appropriate level of inflation and sort out any problems then and there. We’ll also be able to take a look at any emerging issues you might not be aware of and can also rotate the tyre placement, so you’ll be getting an even tread on all four wheels.
As well as our tyre maintenance service, we’re also keen to share our knowledge of how you can get the best out of your tyres. If the time has come to change your tyres, we’ll be open and honest about it, and we’re in the best position to give you advice on what tyres are suitable to your vehicle and wheel type. We also carry a great range of tyres ourselves, so you’ll be in the best place to pick up a new one.
We aren’t the sort to just take your money and leave you stranded. As we’re located in central Toowoomba, we’re also very pleased to offer you our pick up and drop off service, so you can get back to where you need to be. We’ll can also bring your vehicle back to you once we’ve done our work! We’re all about delivering the best possible tyre service in Toowoomba.
Other services we provide include:
This list is, of course, not extensive and most of all we want you to know we have got your back. We are always ready to offer friendly and expert advice, so even if you are not as passionate about trucks, cars and SUVs as we are, we are happy to put things simply and in layman’s terms.
We are always keen to make new acquaintances and friends, so sign up to our social media accounts today if you want to see what we have been up to. You’re certain to be impressed by the great community of customers and colleagues we have picked up along the way, not to mention the great reviews they have left for us.
Once you have had a good look through our website, get in touch! We are always happy to have a good conversation before you come in, so please feel free to give us a call or email us if you are looking for a quote. Just set out exactly what your issues might be, and we will see if we can offer you a quote. Then just book an appointment with us using our direct messaging service or over the phone.