Category Archives for "Commercial Tyres"

0 Commercial Vehicle Tyres – How to avoid a tyre blowout on your truck

Commercial vehicle tyres –  What causes a commercial vehicle tyre blowout

If you’ve ever suffered a blowout while driving your car, you’ll know how scary it can be. If a blowout happens to a commercial vehicle tyre, the result could be fatal.

In this article, I’ll look at why commercial vehicle tyres might suffer a blowout and how you can reduce your risk of accidents while on the road.

Why do commercial vehicle tyres blowout?

Commercial vehicle blowouts mostly happen for one of four reasons:

• Excessive speed
• Poor tyre maintenance
• Defective tyres
• Wrong tyre placement

Driving speed is a factor that only you can regulate while you’re on the road. If you plan to drive long distances at high speed, then always make sure your tyres are inflated correctly. Of course, if you’re driving at excessive speed, an accident caused by a blowout will be deemed to be your fault.

A good tyre maintenance regime will help you detect tread wear, incorrectly inflated tyres, and damage to sidewalls. These are the major factors that contribute to blowouts of commercial vehicle tyres. Poor maintenance equals an increased risk of a blowout. And poor tyre maintenance that leads to an accident is your fault.

With a good tyre buying and maintenance programme in place, you’re more likely to notice tyre defects. We’d all like to think that we’d never get sold a defective tyre, but like all products, there is always a risk of a batch being produced with defects. The manufacturer might recall a particular model. It’s your responsibility to return the defective tyres and replace with the correct ones. If there hasn’t been a recall, any accident that has been caused by the tyre will be the responsibility of the tyre manufacturer.

If you’ve placed the wrong tyre in the wrong position on your truck, or if the tread depths aren’t correct, or the tyres are mismatched, the chances of a blowout are increased – and any accident is most definitely your fault.

As you can see, responsibility is dictated by negligence. When you’re on the road, don’t be negligent about your tyres and your truck.

The five-minute truck stop check

Whenever you take a break from driving, whether for a bite to eat or other reason, before you pull away and get back on the road, take five minutes to do a quick safety check. It should include your tyres, brakes, under the cab, and lights:

·      Lights and reflectors

Turn on the lights, walk around your truck and make sure that all your lights are in working order – including your trailer lights and indicators.

·      Under the cab

Use a torch and get close to the ground. Look right underneath the truck and check for signs of any leaks. A drip could be the sign of a big problem further down the road.

·      Brakes

Check the airlines and brakes before you pull away. Look for rust and oil. If you’ve made this check a regular habit, you’ll know exactly what to look for. What looks out of the ordinary usually is. Don’t ignore your sense of hearing, either. Often the first warning of failing brakes is the one you hear.

·      Tyres

Run a gloved hand over each tyre. Use the torchlight to make a closer inspection if you feel anything unusual. Make sure you check the sidewalls for tears and balding. If you’re in any doubt about the state of your tyres, call us here at Darra Tyres (07 3333 5510). Our mission is to keep you safe on the roads. You won’t find a more committed tyre service in West Brisbane.

Don’t become the next victim of a tyre blowout

This simple five-minute truck stop check could be the five minutes that save your life, and the lives of other road users. You never know what has happened to your tyres on the roads in the time between your pre-trip check and the first stop, and between stops.

If your truck tyre does blow out, especially on a big rig, you’re likely to lose control of the vehicle – if only for a few seconds. A tyre blowout and the few seconds immediately after is all it takes for a dangerous incident to evolve into a serious accident. When an accident involves a big truck, the probability of serious injury and death is magnified. Five minutes is all it takes to reduce the chance of this happening to you. Of all the good habits that I know, the five-minute truck stop check might just be the best.

Whatever your tyre needs, contact us today (by Skype, telephone, or on our contact form) and book an appointment to have your tyres checked in Brisbane.

Keeping your family and fleet safely on the road,

Kevin Wood

0 Commercial Vehicle Tyres – It’s time to profit from the benefits of tyre sensors

Commercial Vehicle Tyres – How a TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring system) decreases fuel costs and increases safety

In 2012, one of the world’s top tyre manufacturers, GT Radial, announced the findings of a survey that opened the lid on the real cost of underinflated tyres. It found that Australian motorists driving with underinflated tyres are wasting around 20c per litre of fuel.

In the mining, industrial and fleet industries, commercial vehicle tyre and fuel costs are the two highest costs. Helping your tyres last longer and cutting fuel costs will directly improve your bottom line.

In this article, you’ll learn why manual tyre checks aren’t enough to ensure fleet safety and reduce costs. I’ll examine the benefits of a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Finally, I’ll tell you how a TPMS works.

The five disadvantages of relying on manual tyre checks on commercial vehicle tyres

As I discussed in my last article, “How to avoid a tyre blowout on your truck”, maintenance and manual checks at each stop are essential. These checks will detect damage to the tyre. But they won’t ensure that a tyre is working at its peak while you’re driving. Here are five reasons why manual checks aren’t enough to ensure your commercial vehicle tyres are performing at their peak, increasing safety, and minimising fuel consumption:

1.     Manual checks only confirm tyre pressure when parked

When a truck is parked, especially if it’s for an extended break, the tyre pressure will not be the same as when it’s running on the road. Unsafe tyre pressures could be missed.

2.     Manual checks can be inaccurate

Mistakes in manual pressure readings are not uncommon. And manual checks don’t take internal air temperatures into consideration. The result is that the tyre could be incorrectly inflated.

3.     Manual checks are infrequent

Despite advice from tyre experts, commercial vehicle tyre pressures are not checked as frequently as they should be. It leads to increased wear and tear and decreased tyre life. The result is higher tyre costs.

4.     Manual checks miss slow leaks

A damaged tyre or valve could produce a slow leak that goes undetected during manual checks. On the road, this could prove fatal.

5.     Manual checks don’t adjust tyre pressures accurately

The correct tyre pressure is dependent upon the internal temperature of the tyre. Manual checks can’t measure this. The outcome is that tyres could be inflated incorrectly.

The five benefits of TPMSs

A TPMS works on the move, providing real-time information about tyre pressures and temperatures. It adds to the effectiveness of regular manual tyre checks. It also provides the driver with an immediate warning of running problems that could also lead to engine damage.

A TPMS reduces fuel costs, increases tyre life, and reduces the time that vehicles spend in maintenance.

Automated tyre pressure and temperature checks made by a TPMS will:

1.     Reduce poor performance of manual checks

A TPMS is continuous, automated, and accurate. Human error is reduced, and the scans made by TPMSs are accurate to within 1% or 2%.

2.     Decrease fuel consumption

Every tyre which is underinflated will increase fuel consumption. GT Radial research concluded that a tyre running at a pressure just 5PSI below its recommendation could use 10% more fuel. Proper tyre inflation minimises fuel consumption.

3.     Increase tyre life

Improper inflation is a direct cause of increased wear and tear on tyres. A TPMS monitors tyres efficiently and effectively, helping to make sure they don’t fail before their next service.

4.     Reduce downtime

A TPMS eliminates errors and reduces the time it takes for manual tyre checks to be made. Because your tyres are working at the correct pressures, you’ll suffer fewer problems. The result is that downtime will be hammered.

5.     Improve road safety

Drivers will operate more safely, responding to tyre pressure changes as they occur. It reduces the risk of blowouts and accidents.

How does a TPMS work?

A TPMS is easy to install. A sensor is screwed into the wheel or rim or sometimes screwed directly into the valve. This sensor measures tyre pressure and internal air temperature.

The measurements are constantly made, and transmitted wirelessly to an in-cab monitor. The monitor can be configured to signal alerts at pre-specified ranges.

Fleet managers can then download data to the management PC. The software is used to produce charts and graphs. It enables easily identifiable tyre performance issues, which can be used in driver education as well as informing about tyre maintenance schedules. This information can also be used to make better commercial vehicle tyre purchasing decisions.

Isn’t it time you invested in a TPMS?

If you haven’t already, it may be time to invest in a TPMS. Tyre and fuel costs aren’t going down in the long term. A TPMS is easy to install, easy to use, and provides real benefits to commercial fleets. Automatic, real-time data helps your driver adjust driving style and increase tyre life.

Tyre problems are identified immediately, instead of at the end of a long-haul trip.

A TPMS doesn’t negate the need for manual tyre checks. But it does add an extra level of commercial vehicle tyre security that will help fleet managers achieve important aims:

• Improve road safety
• Increase tyre life
• Decrease fuel consumption

Whatever your fleet tyre needs, contact us today (by Skype, telephone, or on our contact form) and book an appointment to have your tyres checked in Brisbane.

Cheers,

Kevin Wood

0 Tyres in Brisbane – Is it safe to drive with mismatched tyres?

Tyres in Brisbane – Make sure your tyre change is made for safe driving

When your vehicle’s tyres in Brisbane are replaced, it pays to go to a tyre specialist. That’s what the following story shows – a nightmare that I wouldn’t have thought could be true. Unfortunately, it is, and it makes me wonder how many other cars are in a similar dangerous state.

Even car dealerships make mistakes with tyres in Brisbane

I was discussing tyres at a barbie a couple of weekends ago when a friend said that she was experiencing poor control. She had twice felt her back-end slip on the camber of a bend that morning before arriving at our place.

As soon as I examined her car, I knew the reason her driving was suffering. She’d had three new tyres recently. That’s three. Not two or four, but three. It turns out that she’d taken her car for a service, and the dealer had replaced the tyres that they said needed replacing. And it turns out that not all car dealerships know that you should never switch out an uneven number of tyres.

Not only had the dealership changed only three tyres, they’d also changed them for a different size! The three new tyres were P195/65/R15, and the one that they left was P195/60/R15. (For an explanation about tyre sizes, see our tyre blog “How to choose the best tyres for Queensland roads and save money”.)

Is it dangerous to drive on mismatched tyres?

As my friend had experienced, mismatched tyres can produce poor vehicle handling. If all your tyres are the same make, model and size, you’ll be able to maintain them for longer with a good tyre rotation policy. Uneven tyres equal uneven steering and uneven braking. By rotating regularly, wear should be evener.

What’s the best strategy for changing tyres?

Ideally, you should replace all four tyres at the same time. It’s also best to replace like with like – the same manufacturer and the same amount of wear. It creates an even balance to your vehicle and improves handling, especially when you most need it – on wet roads, around corners, and in heavy traffic.

For most people, changing all four tyres simultaneously is an expensive proposition. Especially if only one tyre ‘needs’ replacing – for example if you’ve had a blowout. It’s unreasonable to expect you to go to the expense of changing all four tyres for the sake of a single flat.

What if you can’t afford to replace all four tyres?

If you can’t afford to replace all four tyres at the same time, then you should replace in pairs – and on the same axle. Replace with the same style, size and make as your remaining tyres. If this is impossible, speak to us and we’ll suggest a suitable alternative as close to the dimensions and tread design as possible. Most importantly, we’ll match performance, speed and load ratings, and traction characteristics.

And if your remaining tyres have a little wear and tear?

If the remaining tyres haven’t had much wear on them, then you may get away with replacing only the flat. If you do this, then select a tyre that’s the same make, size and type as the tyre on the opposite end of the same axle.

Another solution may be to buy retread tyres – a suggestion that some tyre buyers might consider being preposterous (having been taught by their fathers and grandfathers that retreads are dangerous), but a solution that could save hundreds of dollars on a set of four new tyres.

Always change your tyres with a strategy of safety first. Contact us today on 07 3333 5510 and book an appointment to have your tyres checked in Brisbane.

Keeping your family and fleet safely on the road,

Kevin Wood

0 Are Michelin the world’s biggest producer of tyres? No Lego is…

Are Michelin tyres the biggest tyre company in the world? Apparently not, it is Lego who produce the most tyres!

If the image is correct then Lego is the largest producer of tyres in the world. It wouldn’t surprise me given the amount of lego that we have in boxes at home.

I don’t think anyone growing up in Australia wouldn’t have been exposed to Lego’s tyres in some form.

At Darra Tyres we don’t stock Lego Tyres, however we do stock just about every other tyre imaginable and if it’s not in stock then we will know where to get it. We also have a massive range of second hand tyres as well.

Give the team a call on 3333 5510.

Regards,
The team at Darra Tyres

0 Michelin Tyres – Get More Miles for your Money

Michelin Tyres – Getting more for your money

As the tyre industry becomes more competitive consumers are constantly going to benefit. With companies being pushed to design and develop tyres that are going to save their customers money, that are good quality and that provide the highest level of safety.

Michelin have developed the updated version of the XM1+, wait for it, the XM2. This tyre has been significantly improved since it’s predecessor hit the market a few years ago.

What the new XM2 delivers…

The Michelin XM2 is boasting a huge 20% more mileage than a standard tyre. Great news for drivers around the world, as this means less frequent tyre replacements which translates into savings for you. The XM2 also has a 10% reduction in rolling resistance compared to the XM1+.

These new tyres from Michelin have been designed for maximum safety, especially in wet conditions. The XM2 evacuates water from the tyres surface by up to 20% more than the previous model thanks to new and improved tread grooves.

What is rolling resistance?

As tyres maintain their grip to the road whilst driving, between the tyre and the road a friction develops, known as the rolling resistance. This rolling resistance will generate quite a loud noise and cause the tyre to heat up. Rolling resistance can be reduced by using rolling resistant tyres such as the XM2 or by using other high quality tyres and by keeping your tyres properly inflated.

Compared to standard tyres low rolling resistance tyres can produce remarkable savings on fuel consumption. It is estimated that the XM2 could save you up to 150 litres over the life of the tyre. At $1.50 a litre that’s a saving of around $225!!

Will they fit my car?

The XM2’s from Michelin were released onto the market in June of this year and they have been made in 20 different sizes to fit most passenger cars.

To find out if they will be the right tyre for your car come down to our Darra premises and talk to one of our tyre experts, pick up the phone and give us a call on 3333 5510 or enquire online now.

Cheers,

Kevin Wood