I guess I’ve been fairly lucky in life – especially in terms of car tyres – and only ever had one flat to deal with. Then I moved to the little island I now inhabit and I’ve had to replace 4 tyres in as many years. First world problems, huh? In fact at this point I ask about tyres when getting auto insurance quotes, as I’m already anticipating needing further replacements at this point. It’s not knowing exactly what you might have done wrong or if a tyre is done for or can be fixed that bothers me. You go in, show them your problem and then just have to accept what they say as the truth, because what do I know about tyres.
Here are a few things I’ve learnt recently, however:
Tyres aren’t just tyres. There are different ones and some specialty tyres can be better than others depending on how you drive. In our neck of the country we hardly ever have snow, and if we do it’s for a day or two at most, so we don’t need winter tyres.
Another interesting factoid is that tyre pressure changes when the car is not in use, and weather changes can trigger it, so it’s important to check you’re using the optimal settings to save yourself fuel and potentially, your life.
Tyre pressure monitoring systems only tell you about the pressure of your tyres, not the overall health. Apparently my spare tyre has been in the boot of my car since 2005, making it over 14 years old. We replaced that one. Time does depreciate the quality of tyres and they become more dangerous to drive, tarnish a car’s performance and end up costing you more in fuel.
Signs of wear and tear, such as bulges, indicate that a tyre needs to be replaced. This is where car insurance comes in. It bears mentioning that Certain Car Coverage Policies, specially on the low end of the spectrum, might only be focused on vehicle collisions, as well as some truck accidents and the damage incurred through them. You would be wise to have a policy that also covers random breakdowns, including the tyre issues previously discussed. I found a respected body shop near me in tempe.
When choosing a garage, always look for their expertise and read reviews to see if they are reliable or not. One thing I personally do is I check if they use a garage floor epoxy for their garage. Thankfully there are many trusted car care providers out there to help you with the right tyres. Areas like London or Scotland also have a bunch of such tyre fitters. For example for ordering your car tyres in London or closer by you can check at DAT TYRES site.
