Category Archives for "Tyres"

0 Would you trust these poor quality tyres for your family?

Hey guys,

I was in a supermarket in Alicante, Spain when I stumbled upon the most dangerous sight. Sure the Spaniards are known for beautiful weather, crystal clear beaches, relaxed outlook, great sangria and fabulous paella but this really took the cake of relaxed.

€27.00 tyres and the kicker is they call them family car tyres. I wouldn’t trust my pet dog let alone me family to travel on these.

On closer inspection the tyres are extremely poor quality, the rubber feels like something you’d expect off the back of a pencil, this will cause them to wear quickly, if you wheels aren’t balanced then they will wear unevenly, try and stop in the wet and you’re likely to slide all the way along the street.

Now sure Spain has great weather, it doesn’t rain, well I hate to say but it does, it rains and it pours, Alicante is the garden belt of Spain, know for its good rainfall, very much the same climate as Queensland.

So why would you sell poor quality tyres like this…

The answer is profit. These tyres are made from the lowest quality, many times from the offcuts and leftovers from other tyres, they aren’t meant to keep you safe they are simply meant to maximise profits.

I cannot stress enough about using a professional team, a team that knows your vehicle, your usage and the environment the tyres will be used in.

That’s what the team at Darra Tyres is all about… Proper tyres for your vehicle not €27 euro ones that will be lucky to last 6 months and aren’t appropriate for the driving conditions in Queensland and Australia. Give Kevin Wood or one of the team a call on (07) 3333 5510 to find out what tyres will best suit your needs and your budget, or click here to enquire online.

Your tyre experts in keeping your family and fleet safely on the road.

Kevin and the team at Darra Tyres

0 Mining Tyres – Don’t be the Victim of a Tyre Blowout…

Queensland mines have had their fair share of mining tyres blowing out, some causing death and other causing serious injury and damage. According to an article in the Daily Mercury 25 tyre blowouts have occurred in Queensland mines in the past two years.

The outcomes of a mining tyres blowing out…

The Newlands mine in Queensland is said to have a sign in their workshop that says “an exploding tyre can send a bowling ball 9 kilometres”, now can you imagine what this would do to you if you were standing right next to it or working on the tyre when this happened?

Tyre bursts of any size can be extremely dangerous, driving down the road you can lose all control of the vehicle or you could be killed working on a mining tyre. The force of the air pressure being released from a large mining tyre can send nearby objects flying in al directions. It’s almost like a shrapnel bomb going off. A lot of the time when these tyres explode they tend to do so while in use so most of the time the driver is safe in the cabin, but people nearby can be in serious trouble.

The importance of fleet inspections…

All vehicles need to be checked on a regular basis for any signs of wear, slices, cuts, punctures or other signs of damage. Working in such harsh conditions such as the extreme heat and rugged terrain of Queensland mines. It is recommended that you have your vehicles tyres checked every 2 weeks for an damage to the sidewall or any signs of rapid tread wear.

To find out the best way to check and protect your tyres come down to our Darra workshop, call us on (07) 3333 5510 or you can even enquire online and Kevin Wood or one of the team will get back to you within one working day.

Keeping your family and fleet safely on the road for over 30 years.

Cheers,

Kevin Wood

0 Mums always know best… Not When It Comes to the Best Tyres!

Okay so my own mother would be in shock at reading this headline, because as far as all mums are concerned, yes, they do know best. Well, most of the time that is.

With all the running around parents (especially mums) do these days for their kids like going to school and back, weekend trips, sport on the weekends the list goes on you would think that tyre maintenance and car safety would be a high priority for mums yes? Apparently not.

A survey conducted by a American tyre company Cooper tyres unveiled that mums don’t seem to understand or rate tyre and vehicle safety as high on their list in regards to caring for their children.

The top worries for mums about their children were things like nutrition, healthy lifestyle, brushing their teeth and reading ranked above all others with tyre and vehicle maintenance coming in at less than 1% of those surveyed.

The importance of tyre safety…

Tyre safety does really need to be considered by mums across the globe. Driving can be one of the most dangerous activities you and your children will do each and every day. While we get into a routine and take driving down to the shops for granted, the driving world consists of so many variables that can have devastating effects on your families safety.

So if you are one of the mums out there who didn’t think that tyre safety was important, then you have already made your first mistake, dads too in that case! If you are unsure of how to check your vehicles tyres to make sure they are properly inflated, free from any cuts, slices or sidewall damage or if they have the legal amount of tread then you’d better give us a call.

Call now for your free tyre inspection…

One of our team in the Darra workshop would be more than happy to guide you through the ways to check your tyres condition and how to maintain it. Give us a call now on (07) 3333 5510 or enquire online and Kevin Wood or one of our team will be in contact with you very shortly.

STOP risking the safety of your family!

Cheers,

Annette Wood

0 Poor Quality Tyres, don’t settle for Second Hand Safety

People can be quite deceptive when it comes to selling a second hand car, not only will they say “I’m the only owner it runs really well” and “Don’t worry about the rattling, my mates a mechanic he said it was fine” they will often go to extreme lengths to get roadworthy’s and safety certificates for a car that may not actually be roadworthy. Poor quality tyres can be the most dangerous part of a second hand car.

There has been a crackdown in Queensland in the past year or so on increasing the penalties for mechanics found to be giving roadworthy’s for a carton of beer or a sly $100. But the actual seller of the car can contribute to the car getting a ‘roadworthy’ and then changing parts back to make it the same old car.

Check the tyres!

Make sure the tyres are of legal tread depth. It has been known that people will buy a cheap re-tread tyre or even new tyres to put on the car to pass the roadworthy and then simply replace the old tyres and keep the new ones for their own vehicle.

Apart from this being illegal unless you know your tyres you may not actually notice until you have handed over your hard earned cash and driven away in your “roadworthy” car. If you are unsure of how to check this or don’t know what the legal tread depth is then click here to find our article on 4 checks for tyre safety.

Don’t feel pressured to buy something that’s not safe!

Feel free to have the cars tyres checked by the tyre experts here at Darra Tyres. Our team of industry professionals will be more than happy to check over the vehicles tyres and explain to you how much life they have left and if in fact they are legal or not.

So don’t settle for second best on safety…

So whether you are selling or buying call the team at Darra Tyres on (07) 3333 5510 or enquire online to book the vehicle in for a check. We’ll make sure your either selling a vehicle with safe tyres on it, or your new purchase is in fact legal and the tyres will keep you on the road.

Cheers,

Annette Wood

0 Holiday season’s approaching… Visit your tyre centre and Drive Safe

As we are well and truly past the halfway mark of this year we are beginning to slowly decline into summer and the holiday season. Unfortunately for some this time of year can be a shocking reminder of just how dangerous the roads can be. Last year in Australia 65 people died over the 09/10 holiday period, which was a 10% increase on the previous years toll. Make sure you visit your tyre centre to ensure your tyres are ready for all the holiday trips.

Drive smarter, not faster.

There are so many things you can do on those long drives to decrease the chance of having an accident. You have the car packed, you have your two weeks of holidays completely planned out from start to finish, who wants to waste time driving right? No ones does. But no one wants to die driving either.

Are we there yet…

Say yes to this question more often with frequent stops for the kids. Don’t try and drive a big distance in one hit. It’s dangerous for you and your family and of course other road users. Plan your trip so you see things on the way to your destination. Multiple stops are a good time to stop get out, stretch, check the car over for oil, water, tyre pressure, condition of tyres so you’re not one of those unlucky 65 that don’t make it to their holiday.

To learn how to check the condition, pressure of your tyres and the correct inflation levels before and during your big holiday drive come down to Darra Tyres and one of our experts will give you a run down of what to do and what not to do on those long drives. Give the team a call on (07) 3333 5510 or enquire online and Kevin Wood or one of the team will contact you within one business day.

Your tyre experts in keeping your family and fleet safely on the road.

Kevin Wood at Darra Tyres

0 Price Vs Value… Which offers the best tyres for your vehicle?

Tyre Price and Value: The two key components most people assess first when they are looking for the best tyres for their vehicle.

We all want tyres that aren’t going to break the bank, but are going to be good quality tyres that will protect ourselves, our family or our drivers. Am I right? So what you need to know is how to determine what tyres are going to be best tyres for you, your budget, vehicle, application etc.

You get what you pay for…

Okay, granted we hear the guy in the used car dealership saying this one all the time, as do the majority of salespeople. But with tyres this has never been more truthful. You are paying for the level of quality you receive. In a car you may be paying for a brand or a better paint job or added features. But with tyres, if they are not good quality then they are not good quality.

So why are some more expensive than others you’re probably wondering?

It comes down to what you use your vehicle for, how often you drive, what kind of vehicle you drive and the amount of time spent driving. So yes if you are just using the car to take the kids to school or back and from work then a more affordable tyre could be the option for you. But, if you’re constantly on the road, taking trips on weekends then we beg you to please buy the correct tyres, not so we can sell you a more expensive tyre but so we know you will be in good hands on the road.

If you would like to know more on what tyres would be best suited to your vehicle then please don’t hesitate to call us on (07) 3333 5510 or come down and introduce yourself to the team at our Darra location and talk to tyre experts with over 100 years combined experience. Can’t get to the phone? Enquire online now and one of the team will be in contact with you very shortly.

Keeping your family and fleet safely on the road,

Kevin and Darra Team

0 Truck Tyres – Have your say about trucking in QLD…

Work as a truck driver or in the truck driving and truck tyres industry?

If that’s you then mark this Saturday the 27th of August in your diary. The Roma Bowls Club is set to host the NatRoad, incorporating Australian Road Train Association, (NatRoad-ARTA), the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) and the Livestock Transporters Association of Queensland Inc (LTAQ), 2011 Queensland Regional Trucking Forum.

This forum has been setup to give you and others in the trucking industry the opportunity to have your say on the future of trucking in Australia in regards to trucking regulations. On hand will be NatRoad-ARTA Director, John Morris, QTA CEO Peter Garske and LTAQ President Gary Willoughby. This gives you the chance to bring up any issues you think may be relevant with the local authorities. QLD Department of Transport and Main Roads, QLD Police, AgForce and NBN Co Ltd will be at the event to answer questions and present information at the forum.

Cheers,

Annette Wood

0 Choosing the Best Tyres for your Vehicle … Don’t Mix and Drive

As a general rule your car should only be equipped with the best tyres recommended by the manufacturer. Don’t worry it’s not a scheme to sell you expensive tyres! The manufacturers recommend certain tyre sizes and load ratings to match the vehicle.

Why shouldn’t I use different tyres on my vehicle?

To maintain your cars best possible handling, stability and performance you should avoid mixing tread patters and definitely not different size tyres on the one vehicle.

If you have run-flat tyres on your vehicle it is very important to only replace these tyres with new ones that support your cars run-flat technology.

Also, if you have a certain type of tyre fitted for a wet season or another different weather condition then you should ensure your car is fitted with the appropriate tyres for the current conditions.

But if my tyres are all the same won’t they all need replacing at once?

Ideally they would all need replacing at once, unfortunately due to maintenance or lack thereof, driving conditions and vehicle design all contribute to uneven wear on your vehicles tyres. Generally your tyres won’t all need replacing at once. Remember, replacing all four tyres at once saves four individual trips to the workshop!

If you tyres all need replacing at once it’s a measure that vehicle design, driving conditions and maintenances practices have worked in unison to equalise wear and performance.

It also allows drivers to see if they are getting their money’s worth out of the recommended manufacturer tyres. And can then make a decision to change the tyres to suit their needs and driving conditions or budget.

Do I need to buy four new tyres if they don’t all wear out at the same time?

Unfortunately this is the decision that drivers everywhere face everyday. To decide whether to replace just the tyres that require to be replaced or replace all four tyres. For the best traction and to maintain handling and stability of your vehicle it is usually best to replace all four. Not the best sign for your wallet, but here at Darra Tyres we have a solution to suit all budgets so you can get back on the road quickly and safely.

Because your tyres are arguably the most important aspect of the car as they are the only point of contact with the road it is best to try and always have the same brand, size, model and amount of tread depth on all four tyres.

To have your tyres checked by one of our industry experts come down to Darra Tyres, give us a call on 3333 5510 or contact us online here,

Keeping your family and fleet safely on the road,

Kevin and Darra Team