Category Archives for "Tyre Maintenance"

When should you visit our Brisbane Tyre Centre to get your Wheels aligned?

Tell-tale signs that it’s time to visit our Brisbane tyre centre and get your wheels aligned

Tyres can last tens of thousands of kilometres if they are treated right and you look after them. As I discussed a short while ago, you can save your life and your money by proper tyre rotation. The same can be said for wheel alignment: when your wheels are properly aligned, you’ll notice the difference in handling, fuel consumption, and on the life of your tyres. But how do you know it’s time to head to our Brisbane tyre centre to get your wheels aligned?

4 signs it’s time to get your wheels aligned

There are some classic signs that you are suffering from bad wheel alignment:

1. Uneven wear: indicated by different patterns of wear on front and back tyres of nearside and offside tyres.

2. Steering is pulling: if you find that you are beginning to wrestle with the steering wheel to stay in a straight line, the wheel alignment is probably the cause. A less aggressive pull – when you’re on a road, and the car gently pulls one way or the other – is an early warning signal.

3. Car vibration: if you’re driving along and the car starts to judder and the steering wheel vibrate, then wheel alignment is again the most likely cause.

4. Misaligned steering wheel: if your steering wheel is crooked when you’re driving in a straight line, it’s time to get your wheels aligned.

The benefits of keeping the wheels aligned correctly

According to RACV’s cost of motoring study, a properly fitted and correctly aligned set of wheels should last 45,000 kilometres. With an average mileage of 45,000 kilometres per year, your tyres should be good for three years. It’s recommended that you check if your wheels are properly aligned once a year (or every 15,000 kilometres) to make certain that you get maximum wear. If you do this, then you will:

1. satisfy tyre warranties
2. improve the handling of your car
3. reduce wear and tear on the steering column and other engine parts
4. get better fuel consumption

If you’re unsure if it’s time to get your wheels aligned, then err on the side of caution and have them checked by a professional at our Brisbane tyre centre. Doing so could save more than a few kilometres every litre of fuel: better handling equals a safer drive.

If you’d like to know more about tyre maintenance, or get a free quote on wheel alignment, give us a call on 3333 5510.

Cheers,

Kevin Wood

Save your Life and Protect your Quality Tyres with Good Rotation

Rotate tyres to make big gains

Tyre experts – and this includes tyre manufacturers – all say that tyre rotation should be on the list of general car maintenance. But what is tyre rotation, and why should you rotate tyres? Read this to learn how to protect your quality tyres.

Reasons to rotate quality tyres

When you rotate tyres, you reduce uneven wear. There are a number of reasons that tyres wear unevenly, including:

1. When you drive around a corner, the front tyres wear more on the outside ‘leading edges’. The faster you drive round corners, the greater the lean and the worse the wear. The rear tyres don’t suffer from the same forces, and so wear more evenly when cornering.

2. If your tyres are poorly aligned, you’ll also suffer from uneven wear on the tread. You’ll know that your alignment is out if the:

• tyres are wearing unevenly
• vehicle pulls to one side
• steering wheel isn’t centred when you’re driving in a straight line
• steering wheel vibrates when driving

(I’ll talk some more about tyre alignment in a future post)

3. Some people come in with tyres that are worn on both sides (shoulders). This is caused by under-inflation.

4. If your tyre is wearing straight down the middle, your tyre is overinflated.

5. Other tyre wear patterns that we see include an uneven wear across the tyre at regular or irregular intervals, or in spots. If this is the sort of wear that your tyres are suffering, then you’ve most likely got a mechanical problem (it could be related to suspension or unbalanced wheels, for example). Or it could be that you simply brake hard and fast all the time.

The risks and costs of uneven tyre wear

If tyres aren’t maintained well (and this includes tyre rotation practices), it will increase the costs of motoring and the risks of being involved in an accident:

1. Poor alignment reduces steering ability and cuts the life of your tyres
2. Underinflated tyres can reduce tyre life by 15% or 20%, and makes your engine work harder. That’s going to add to your fuel bill and increase engine maintenance costs
3. Overinflated tyres reduce grip on the road, make your brakes work harder, and increases the risk of blowout

There are a number of strategies you could use to reduce tyre wear. For example, you could drive only in a straight line, never taking a corner or bend. Or you might drive real slow around corners.

More practical strategies include regular checks on tyre pressure and a tyre rotation strategy combined with wheel alignment.

What should you do when you rotate tyres?

To rotate tyres properly, you’ll need to remove all tyres from your vehicle and move them to different positions. How you do this depends on the type of vehicle you’re driving and the wear that you’re experiencing.

When you reposition the tyres, you should check tyre pressures and adjust as necessary.

Finally, brakes and alignment should be checked (it’s easier to check brakes when the tyres have been removed).

The benefits of tyre rotation

By instigating a ‘rotate tyres regularly’ policy, you will find you suffer less wear on treads. That will lead to lower costs of tyre changes, better fuel consumption, and, most importantly, a safer and more balanced driving experience.

If you’d like to know more about tyre maintenance, or how the tyres on your vehicle should be rotated, give us a call on 3333 5510.

Keeping your family and fleet safely on the road,

The team at Darra Tyres

Fitting Quality tyres – How to reduce the threat of aquaplaning

What you believe about fitting quality tyres is probably wrong

If you’ve ever found yourself caught in the rain or on a wet road and having to apply the brakes, you’ll know the fear that aquaplaning can cause. And rightly so, too. An aquaplaning accident can be devastating. Spinal injuries are common outcomes, as is brain damage. The most common reason for loss of control on wet roads is poor quality tyres or wrongly fitted tyres.

But do you know the correct way of fitting new tyres?

The myths of fitting new tyres

All of the followings are myths surrounding fitting new tyres:

• It’s natural to think that on front wheel drive vehicles, new tyres should be fitted on the front. After all, that where all the power, grip, and steering happens.
• Most people want the best grip on the axle that provides the drive. Unfortunately, in wet conditions or on slippery roads, it’s more dangerous to have the back end skidding than the front.
• Blowouts are more manageable if they happen on the rear. This might be true, but blowouts generally don’t happen because of a lack of tread. They are usually caused by something on the road. Also, what is most likely: a blowout or aquaplaning?

If you follow these myths of fitting new tyres, you’d fit the best tread at the front every time. You’d be wrong to do so.

Now for the facts

• Front tyres wear more quickly than rear tyres, so rotating every few thousand kilometres helps even out wear of tyre tread.
• Most of us don’t rotate tyres, and so the front tyres wear first. We then replace these like-for-like.
• The tyres with least tread will begin aquaplaning first.
• It is easier to control an aquaplaning vehicle when it is the front tyres that have begun to aquaplane first.

What the manufacturers of quality tyres say

It’s natural to think that the tyres with the most wear should be replaced like-for-like, but all the major tyre manufacturers warn against doing so. Here’s what a few of them say:

Goodyear: “When radial tires are used with bias or bias-belted tires on the same car, the radials must always be placed on the rear axle. Never mix radial and bias-ply tires on the same axle. When you select a pair of replacement tires in the same size and construction as those on the car, we recommend you put them on the rear axle. A single new tire should be paired on the rear axle with the tire having the most tread depth of the other three.”

Bridgestone: “If winter tires are applied to the front axle of any vehicle, they must also be installed on the rear. Do not apply winter tires to only the front axle — this applies to all passenger cars and light trucks, including front wheel drive, 4×4 and all-wheel drive vehicles.“

Dunlop: “Put new tyres on the rear axle: for better traction and stability when you drive.”

Michelin: “A pair of new tyres should go in back.”

Wherever your vehicle needs new tyres, always insist on tyre rotation and the new tyres to be fitted to the rear axle. It might cost a few dollars more, but it could just save your life.

To benefit from a great service and safe fitting call Darra on 3333 5510. Our guarantee is your safety.

Yours in family and fleet safety,

Kevin and the team

4 of the Best Tyres, 4 Different Environments, 4 Wheel Drive

So you own a four-wheel drive (4WD) fitted with the best tyres, but you just aren’t quite too sure how to use to its full potential? Don’t worry, there are many others out there in the same boat, well for this matter 4WD.

Here and some quick and helpful tips that can help you get the most out of your 4WD tyres in the most demanding conditions.

Driving on the beach:

There is nothing better than getting out in the great outdoors and especially taking your 4WD on the beach. However, there are a few things that you must know in regards to tyre safety.

Some beaches will have rock hard surfaces that act like a beach highway and driving on them will be as simple as driving on the road. But chances are the sand will be soft and windblown and you can find yourself trapped in seconds. The trick to driving on soft sand is to slightly deflate your tyres. Deflating the tyres gives the vehicles a wider footprint and therefore better flotation from the tyres.

Every vehicle will require a different amount of deflation depending on the size of the vehicle and the surface it’s going to be driving on. For most 4WD tyres around 15-20psi is a good indication.

Always remember to have a shovel and a couple of pieces of wood handy or tracks to get yourself out of the sand if required!

Driving through water:

It’s not as simple as getting a run-up and go! Stop the vehicle just before the water and get out to assess the conditions. You should try and walk the passage you intend on driving through if possible, to check for any obscure obstacles, depth of water and other things to look out for.

Select a low range gear and accelerate the whole way through the water. Don’t try and change gears midway through the crossing as water can get into the clutch plate.

There is no need to deflate the tyres for crossing water. But after the crossing is complete make sure to check the condition of the tyre and make sure there has been no damage to the sidewall of the tyre from any possible obstructions under the water.

Driving in the outback:

You may think that driving through the red dirt in the outback will require a similar method to that of driving on the beach? Think again.

‘Bulldust’ as it’s known in the outback should never be treated as sand and deflating your tyres pressure could have disastrous effects on your vehicle.

Below the thin red dirt lies a solid rock base that will pound the chassis on impact and could split the sidewall of a tyre that has been partially deflated. You’re best bet is to maintain speed and correct any vehicle movement by counter steering and acceleration.

Driving in the snow:

Not something Queenslanders has to deal with very often but we all love to go on a family skiing trip so it pays to know how to drive your 4WD in the snow should the need arrive.

Tyre pressures should be 25psi or higher when using chains. Tyre manufacturers recommend that cars with radial tyres shouldn’t travel faster than 40km/h when fitted with chains. After driving the initial 2-300 metres to get out and check the tension of the chains.

Remember to leave extra room between cars in the snow as longer braking distances are required.

It’s also very important to notify someone of where you are heading and how long you plan to be gone for in any conditions.

To find out more about 4WD tyres or to get the best tyres for your vehicle come down and see me or the team at our Darra workshop at 5 Station Avenue Darra. You can call us on (07) 3333 5510 or enquire online to get the best service and over 100 years of combined experience we are the independent retailer you can trust!

Cheers,

Kevin Wood

Maintaining Quality Tyres, 4 Mistakes and How to Spot them

There are a few common causes of tyre wear, this article will discuss the reasons behind these common causes and the solutions to getting them fixed and preserving your quality tyres!

Over Inflation

If you have excessive wear on the centre of the tyres tread this is caused due to over inflating the tyres air pressure consistently. Think how the centre of the tyre will make more impact when it is over inflated and therefore causing the centre of the tyre to wear prematurely. Always check the tyre pressure according to the manufacturers guidelines on the tyre placard on your vehicle.

Tyre Under Inflation

Basically the exact opposite of what we just spoke about. Having an under inflated tyre will cause the inside and outside edge of the tyre to wear quicker than the centre of the tyre. Consistently having under inflated tyres will not only cost you more due to the need to replace the tyres quicker but are also extremely dangerous to drive on. Under inflated tyres cause lack of control, increased braking distances and poor handling. Again, always check the tyre pressures to the recommended pressure as per the manufacturers recommendation.

Wearing on one side only

If you have found that one side of your tyres is wearing faster than the rest of the tyre then your vehicle is need of a wheel alignment. When your wheel alignment is off it causes the wheel to lean too much on the one side and puts the majority of the weight/load on that part of the tyre causing it to wear down much quicker than the rest of the tyre. More than likely your vehicle will just need a simple wheel alignment but there could also be other factors that can affect the alignment and will need to be assessed by one of our team or a mechanic.

Cupping

Bent or damaged suspension can cause ‘cups’ or ‘scalloped dips’ appearing on your tyre. The will appear on one side of the tyre and it will look like someone has ground the edge of the tyre off. A wheel alignment can sometimes cure this, if this occurring to your tyres it is best to go straight to our workshop for proper inspection and to make sure the problem doesn’t lie deeper in the suspension parts or any other component that connects the wheel to the car.

To have your tyres and wheel alignment assessed by an industry expert come down to Darra Tyres in Station Avenue Darra. Our team has over 100 years of combined experience in the industry and we are here to help you! Call us now on (07) 3333 5510 and one of our team will contact you within one business day.

Cheers,

Kevin Wood

The best tyre brands, Inspired by Australia’s Tree Frogs?

So it’s obvious to all of us that tyres are what keeps us stuck to the road, but how do they do this, you may be wondering?

What has a tree frog got to do with the Best Tyre Brands?

Well the traction on the foot of a tree frog works very similar to that of a car tyre. The tree frog has pads on the bottom of their feet which are divided into tiny flat sections that work just like the tread of a tyre.

Spaces between the tread on your tyres allow the tyre to be able to grip to the road just a like a tree frog will grip to a window, branch or plant.

Why your tyres and frogs feet aren’t smooth…

If the base of the tree frogs feet or the tyres on your car were smooth think about how that would work. Would the tree frog be able to grip to the slippery reeds by the lake? Would your car stay on the road in the rain? Try and think about your slipperiest pair of shoes, now go and look at the soles. Most likely they will be extremely smooth with little to no gaps in the rubber sole. And when it rains we usually choose not to wear those shoes because we will slip.

So if your tyres have insufficient or an illegal amount of tread then they are going to tend to slip out as you accelerate around the corner or need to brake quickly. The tread on your tyres is what’s keeping you stuck to the road and keeping you safe, same with the bottom of the tree frogs foot, without this grip both the tree frog and you are in serious trouble.

So don’t take the risk or brush off the importance of having safe tyres.

Look after your family and fleet with Darra Tyres.

Come down and see us at our Darra Tyres Workshop, call us on (07) 3333 5510 or contact us to book your car in for an inspection free of charge, and one of our team will contact you directly within one working day. We will give you an unbiased opinion from independent industry experts.

We’re here to look after you!

Cheers,

Kevin Wood