Tyres. The basics.What you need to know.

HOW TO ENSURE YOU’RE NOT BREAKING THE LAW.

Over time your tyres will wear down and if you’re not careful they could become illegal. But with regular tyre checks you can make sure your tyres are ship-shape and stay safe on the road.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

• Minimum legal tread depth for a car, van (up to 3.5t) or 4x4 tyre is 1.6mm (HiQ recommends 3mm) across the central 3⁄4 of the breadth of tread in a continuous band around the full circumference of the tyre.

YOUR TYRE WILL ALSO BE DEEMED AS ILLEGAL IF

• Any tyre has a cut or break in the rubber in excess of 25mm or 10% of the section width in length which exposes the casing cords.
• Any tyre has a lump or bulge caused by failure of its structure or if any of the ply or cord is exposed.
• The tyres are unsuitable for the use to which the vehicle is being used or not relative to the other types of tyre fitted.
• A temporary spare is being used outside of its stated limitations.
• Tyres of different structure i.e. diagonal (cross) ply or radial ply are fitted on the same axle or if radial tyres are fitted on the front axle with diagonal (cross) ply tyres on the rear axle.

CHECK YOUR TYRES.

We recommend that you check the condition of your tyres. There are some simple things you can do, but if in any doubt we’d recommend you speak to your local HiQ Tyre Expert and arrange for a free tyre safety check.

Car, van and 4x4 tyres must have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre and in a continuous band around the entire circumference of the tyre.

By following the advice below you’ll also find your tyres will go much further, saving you time and money along the way.

• Check your tyres regularly (and don’t forget the spare). Look for signs of wear, cuts in the tread or sidewall, bulges in the sidewall, stones and foreign objects trapped in the tread grooves (which should be removed).
• It is useful to clean valves and check for leakage and to replace missing valve caps.
• Always be sure your tyres are at the correct pressure, under- inflation can cause rapid and uneven tread wear. You’ll find an easy to use table in your vehicle’s manufacturers handbook telling you the correct pressures for your vehicle.
• If your front tyres show signs of uneven wear, have the steering alignment checked.
• If you feel vibration, wheel wobble or discover tyre wear, we recommend you have your front wheels balanced.
• Examine brakes if tyres show signs of wear through wheel locking.
• Avoid overloading, not only is this illegal but it can put excessive strain on your tyres resulting in greater than normal deflection and overheating, which in turn, causes more rapid wear and greater susceptibility to impact damage and premature failure.