Foul Weather Car Tyre Techniques

We all know how a car can be prepared for use in inclement weather conditions. Car tyres can be checked, maintained, enhanced or replaced , as appropriate. Much the same goes for consumables including bulbs, screen wash, windscreen wipers and so on. However, even the best prepared vehicle can come unstuck through poor driving. Here are some salient points about driving in dreadful conditions…

Rain

Rain and sleet can rob you of vision and make off with much of your car tyres' grip. You can counter this in two ways. As regards vision, the tactic is simple – drive only as fast as conditions permit. If it’s teeming down and spray is lashing against your windscreen, just slow down.

As regards the degree of grip lost to rain by your car tyres, the solution is once again perfectly simple. Your stopping distance will increase on wet roads. So, you need to leave more space between your car and the car/van/lorry in front.

Unless standing water is rife, the amount of grip your car tyres have for cornering should be adequate. Slow down if you encounter standing water. At best it'll tug your steering about; at worst your tyres will aquaplane. Riding on the surface of the water equals no grip.

Fog

Fog has no effect on the amount of grip your car tyres give but it has a marked effect on how far you can see. 'Drive as fast as you can see, and no faster' is sound advice but there are tricks that sort out the safe drivers from the statistics.

Fog can be unpredictable to say the least. Remember that just because you can see half a mile ahead in mist doesn't mean that visibility can't plummet in a sudden, thicker fog bank. If you find yourself hurtling towards the unforgiving tail of a lorry at terminal velocity, the best car tyres in the world won't help. You're driving far too fast for the conditions.

Don't be caught out on the motorway, as once again, impeccable tyres won't help. Big lorries punch a nice big holes in thick fog. You find this out when you pull out of a lorry's slipstream to overtake. In what might appear to be a clear lane, you could be in deep trouble in a second. Use your windscreen wipers and washers regularly – fog is water vapour; it and grime build up surprisingly quickly. And use your fog lights, especially those at the rear.

Snow and Ice

'Softly, softly catchee monkey' is an old proverb, which happens to fit the best approach to driving on snow and ice. Getting the best from your car tyres on snow and ice demands patience and finesse, not to mention a lot of forethought.

Of course, we have helping hands nowadays. ABS means that even though you can skid through steering, you can also brake while skidding. Under less extreme circumstances, you might find you car's behaviour hasn't a great deal to do with your inputs at the steering wheel and pedals. Once again, it's a matter of going too fast for the conditions.

What to do when your tyres' grip is compromised? It's wise to do nothing with the brakes and throttle. Use your steering instead. Say your car is ploughing straight on. It's understeering and you can stop this by straightening the wheel until the grip comes back. Should the car's tail end go wandering off, you're in oversteer. Turn the steering in the direction the tail is heading. You'll save it then but you may have to counter-steer in the opposite direction.

In bad conditions, 'caution' is your watchword. Grip and/or visibility will be compromised to some extent by bad weather. Should the visibility and grip be terrible, put your feet up by the fire. Then you will live to drive another day.

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Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.

Checking your tyres… what.. why.. when.. and how…??

WHAT…

So.. How many of you actually know what you’re looking for when you check your tyres? I’ll be the first to admit that before I started working at Merityre I had no idea that the tread on your tyre could wear unevenly, or that you could actually repair a puncture rather than having to buy a brand new tyre. Well in this entry I will try to explain exactly what to look for when you check your tyres.

WHY…

It should go without saying that your tyres are a fundamental part of your vehicle as they are the only parts which have contact with the road (hopefully)!! It is therefore incredibly important that your tyres are in a safe and working condition when driving yourself/friends/family or anyone else around. You never know how many times your tyres may have saved you and your vehicle from serious accidents or damage already.

Did you know that WORN TYRES:

·         Are unsafe

·         Do not give you the adhesion to stay safe on the road

·         Can be illegal… Penalty points here we come

·         Can burst, leading to serious accidents

·         Increase fuel consumption!

·         Pick up foreign objects more easily which can lead to punctures

·         Can lead to other more serious problems with your car

·         Can increase the possibility of prosecution after an accident and increase insurance premiums.

·         Will give you an uncomfortable ride

WHEN…

So firstly, when should you check your tyres? Well there isn’t really a set amount of time between when you should do checks, but we would recommend every week, and before undertaking any long journeys. This means that if you do have any problems, you will spot them quickly and hopefully avoid driving around on potentially dangerous tyres.

HOW…

The first step is to turn on your engine (with the handbrake on and out of gear), and turn the steering wheel so it locks on one side, then turn the engine off again (this will depend if your vehicle has power steering). This allows you to see the full breadth of the tread on your front tyres which is important as it allows you to notice if there is any uneven wear across the tyre.

(Many modern vehicle tyres are very wide and the innermost edge of these can wear right down while the outside edge can appear faultless. This can also occur on tyres if the steering and suspension alignment is out on the vehicle. It is very important to check the full width of the tread!)

LOOK FOR…

·         Now you check your tread depth. The easiest way to do this is using a tread depth gauge, but if you don’t have one of these you can use the tread wear indicators which are located within the grooves of the treaded part of the tyre. These are small raised blocks about 10mm in length and 2mm in height which are situated all around the tyre (so you should be able to find them). The legal limit for tread depth is 1.6mm and the indicators are raised to 1.6mm to 2mm. Therefore if any part of the tread area is running flush with the indicators, your tyre has worn to its lowest level and needs replacing.

 

·         You need to make sure that you check as much of the circumference of the tyre as possible as sometimes one section of the tread will be fine, and another section will be worn. This may mean that the tyre is distorted. You need to check for any material degradation in the tyre, for example cracking and perishing.  At the same time look for any deep or long cuts and any foreign objects. Your car drives over lots of different surfaces so you may see bits of stones here and there, but any object which does not come out easily may have penetrated the tyre and be causing pressure loss (puncture).

 

·         Now have a look at the side walls of the tyres. The side walls are prone to damage from impacts, chafing against curbs, under inflation and tearing. You will be looking for cuts, abrasions or missing rubber. When a tyre has a puncture or has been run under inflated for a while it can cause pinching between the wheel and the road surface (run flat damage). This can be seen as an abrasion mark running the entire circumference and worn letters and numbers on the side walls. When this occurs your tyre will need replacing.

 

·         Bulges can be detected by running the flat of your hand over the entire surface of your sidewall. A bulge represents serious damage to the structural integrity of the tyre.

 

·         In the outer rim of the wheel you will find the valve. Check this carefully for any deterioration of the material. Ensure caps are fitted. By moving the valve stem from side to side, look for cracking of the rubber around the base.

Repeat all of these processes for each tyre and don’t forget the spare!

So, for a quick recap:

Your tyres need attention if they have:

·         Low tread depth

·         Deterioration of the rubber (cracking or perishing)

·         Uneven tread wear (distortion of tyre)

·         Deep cuts or sections of tread missing

·         Embedded foreign objects

·         Side wall damage and bulges

·         Damaged or worn valves

So.. Now you know why it is so important to check your tyres, and not just the tread depth, but the whole tyre. If you find this all a bit too much, then just bring your car to your local Merityre Branch www.merityre.co.uk/find_a_centre.htm and we’ll do it for you absolutely free. We will also give you advice on when you may need new tyres and give you a Merityre Tyre Check Report on their condition. You can also have a FREE Wheel Alignment check which will show up any problems and help to prevent your tyres from wearing unevenly.

For information about our Club Card Plus, go to our website at www.merityre.co.uk or ask at your local branch.

The next entry will explain how to check tyre pressures.

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Winter Wisdom. Meeting Bad Weather Car Tyre Challenges

The usual seasonal symptoms are back again. In the UK, winter presents a series of tough tests for car tyres. As well as your tyres, it is you who are on test – drivers, rather than cars, generally cause accidents. Here are some salient points about winter driving…

Snow and Ice

A mountain climber's crampons, the tracks on a Caterpillar tractor, the toothed drive belt on a snowmobile…certain things are made to grip on snow and ice. Since (with some exceptions) you can't fit such things on your car, you have to cope, using the tyres your car usually wears. There is, however an option. When the temperature drops, your usual tyres will lose flexibility. Winter car tyres are designed to retain their flexibility at lower temperatures, so it makes sense to invest in a set. Motorists are discovering that such car tyres really do offer significantly enhanced grip and control, and using them on a set of (preferably steel) 'winter wheels' will preserve your usual alloy wheels from the ravages of salt and grit.
What are the exceptions? Countries with permafrost can be home to car tyres with studs. In the UK, seriously bad conditions can trigger the use of snow chains. A new item occupies the middle ground. Snow socks are car tyre covers made of a tough, woven material. Easier to fit and quieter than chains, they can be useful when drivers are caught out by unexpected snowfalls. Bear in mind that they will wear out in no time on tarmac.

Rain

When it isn't quite cold enough to snow, rain and sleet present car tyre challenges of their own. Reduced visibility is a foregone conclusion but don't forget that wet weather compromises grip. Your car tyres will move surface water but a wet surface remains relatively slippery. Remember to leave more room between you and the vehicle in front, to allow for increased braking distances.

Flooding

Lots of rain can lead to flooding. Standing water can be dangerous. When your car tyres hit it, you'll feel the steering wheel pulling in response. At worst, your tyres may aquaplane. When the tyres ride on the surface of the water, suspiciously light steering signals radically reduced grip. If you feel this, lift off the throttle and slow down until the grip returns.
If you encounter a flood, remember that negotiating it requires care. Keep to the crown of the road, where the water will be shallower, and look out for the white line. This will help you gauge the depth of the water. While you can trust your tyres, remember that your engine, if it sucks in water, will be wrecked. Keep the engine revs up to help stop the exhaust inhaling water. However, if you are in any doubt whatsoever about the depth of the water, use another route.



Fog

In thick fog, you're bound to suffer loss of visibility. Your car tyres won't suddenly offer greater grip just because you notice that you're hurtling towards the back of stationary truck. So drive as fast as you can see, and no faster. Remember to use your windscreen wipers and washers often in fog; your screen can collect water and grime surprisingly quickly, further reducing visibility.

In winter, the watchword is caution. Even on winter car tyres, grip will be compromised to some extent by bad weather. Should the visibility and grip be truly awful, simply put your feet up by the fire and live to drive another day.

Article Resource

Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.