Tyres - more than just a piece of rubber!
Today, a tyre is more than just a piece of rubber that keeps in touch with the road surface. Rather, it is a high-tech product that has to withstand a variety of challenging conditions and pressures. Because it is thus an important safety factor in road traffic, there are different tyres for different conditions: summer tyres, winter tyres, all-season tyres or high-speed tyres.
The life of a tyre is limited
Since a tyre is subjected to an enormous load, it is worn out after a certain time: the rubber can become brittle or the profile no longer complies with the legal minimum requirements.
But how else do I recognise how old a tyre is? The tyre age can be read off the DOT number stamped on the outside wall of a tyre. For tyres from the year 2000, the DOT number is four digits, for example "2216" stands for the 22nd production week (calendar week) of the year 2016.
Important! Tyre storage, care and service
Proper storage can affect the lifespan.
Apart from the correct storage, it is also important to give the tyres good care. This ranges from wheel washing over regular tyre checks to regular wheel alignment and seasonal balancing.
Name of manufacturer
Additional information can be found on the so called tyre label – a standardized marking to provide information on properties such as fuel efficiency, wet grip properties and external rolling noise: the EU tyre label.
These three properties provide information about tyre performance and can be an important indicator when making a purchase decision.
It is the connection to the road surface. The tread contains tread blocks and grooves as well as lamellas, which are differently constructed depending on whether they are summer- or winter tyres.
It is the outer protection of the carcass.
It is the “skeleton” of a tyre. The carcass is the key strength carrier and holds the tyre together. It is completed by belts and treads and consists of one or two layers of fabric (consisting of synthetic fibres, rayon and in radial tyres also made of steel cords).
It provides the connection between tyre and rim and consists of steel wires as well as the bead toe, bead sole, bead heel and the bead throat.
It is made from a special rubber compound and ensures that the air does not diffuse to the outside.
Tyre pressure influences not only the service life of a tyre but also fuel consumption, driving safety and overall driving behaviour. Therefore, it is particularly important to regularly check the tyre pressure.
We advise you to come to our Junction 11 Motors workshop in Wolverhampton regularly for a free tyre check.
Our experts will visually inspect your tyres to make sure there is no damage to the side walls, no hidden puncture, the tyres are evenly worn and have the correct tyre pressure.
This free tyre check only takes a few minutes, but you will leave from us with peace of mind knowing your tyres are safe.
