TYRE HEALTH
TYRE HEALTH
Westover Peugeot are please to provide complete Tyre advice direct from our experieinced service team - ideal for keeping you safe this winter.
TYRE WEAR
Tyres are designed to meet different criteria; some for long life are made from a harder compound, others may be made from a softer compound, which will provide a quieter ride but will wear out more rapidly. It's often the case too that first fit (original equipment) tyres last longer than subsequent replacements
Tyre life is influenced by many factors:
Driving style – aggressive cornering and braking increases wear
Position – front tyres wear faster because of movement through steering
Speed – high speed driving increases temperature and hastens wear
Load – excess loading increases wear
Pressure – both under inflation (increased flexing and temperature) and over inflation (reduced contact area)
Alignment – incorrect wheel alignment results in rapid and uneven wear
Generally on a front-wheel-drive car you'd hope for a minimum of 20,000 miles for front tyres, and double that for those on the rear.
DID YOU KNOW?
Though the legal limit is 1.6mm, tyre performance – particularly wet grip – gets worse as the tread wears. Check tread depth more frequently once it reaches 3mm and replace tyres before the tread wears below 2mm – particularly if coming into the wetter autumn and winter months.
TYRE AGE
Age is a separate issue to wear – tyres do degrade naturally through exposure to heat, sunlight (Ultraviolet/UV) light and rain. Degradation depends on the amount of exposure and the severity of the weather.
This is a more common problem on caravans, trailers and vehicles only used occasionally. In most cases tyres will wear out before they degrade to such an extent they're unserviceable.
TOP TIP
Look for signs of UV cracking on tyres four or five years old on cars parked outside. Tyres should be replaced irrespective of age if cracking becomes severe.
MPV TYRE HEALTH
Heavy vehicles and loads place greater demands on the tyres - they run hotter and would be more susceptible to failure if they were not of the correct specification.
Most Multi-Purpose-Vehicles (MPVs) are heavier and can carry more load than a car of similar size. As a result Peugeot now specifies reinforced, extra load or commercial tyres to cope with the additional weight and provide the increased carrying capacity.
Though it may not be mentioned specifically in the handbook that the vehicle is fitted with reinforced tyres it's important to make sure that any replacement tyres match the specification of the tyres fitted when the car was new.
MARKINGS
To check if your vehicle is fitted with extra load capacity tyres look for the following markings on the tyre sidewall:
XL – Extra Load
RNF – Reinforced
C – Commercial
If you're unsure which specification of tyre should be fitted to your car contact Westover Peugeot today.
