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VOSA
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TYRE ROTATION
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Tyre wear rates differ depending on the axle on which the tyres are fitted and whether the vehicle is front or rear wheel drive. To extend the life of your tyres it is advisable to change Tyre positions on a regular basis. Different Tyre manufacturers may recommend different rotation periods, ranging from 2-6,000 miles. It is advisable to switch tyres from left to right periodically as well as from the back to the front of the vehicle.Certain high performance tyres are position specific and should not be rotated. If in doubt, contact a specialist tyre dealer.
There is some dispute over the fitting of a pair of new tyres to a car. Simple logic suggests that the car needs most traction at the drive axle. In some cases that would be true, for instance if you were constantly driving in muddy conditions and needed the grip to keep you moving. However, irrespective of the vehicle, front or rear wheel drive, or even 4x4, the typical vehicle is designed to understeer in skid conditions. That is, it ploughs forwards.Generally, backing off the power and the brakes will recover the vehicle from the skid, though not always.
By putting the grippier tyres on a front wheel drive car, it increases grip at the front, but equally increases the difference in traction/grip between the front and the rear tyres, so the rear Tyres lose grip early and as a consequence the car is at risk of going into oversteer. For the average motorist oversteer usually means ending up rear end first into the field (if they are lucky). That argument can also apply to rear wheel drive vehicles, it is not about getting the power down on the tarmac, it is about keeping the rear end of the car in contact with the road.
With four wheel drive vehicles, rotation of tyres is much more important and all four tyres, ideally, should be replaced at the same time. So, location should not be an issue. If it is, the same rule applies, newer tyres to the rear.
Adding the spare wheel into the rotation system (top right picture) has the advantage of adding even wear across all tyres and slows down the overall time between replacement. However, this does mean that all five tyres may need to be replaced at the same time.
The article on Tread Wear will help with the early identification of uneven tread wear which may indicate over or under inflation, misaligned tracking or more seriously wear on the ball joints and couplings; in the extreme this could indicate that the vehicle has a misaligned chassis which then becomes a very serious issue.
It is also highly advisable to consult the document regarding tread patterns before ordering your new tyres as tyre tread patterns differ greatly and have specific qualities for road holding, weather conditions and terrains.
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VEHICLE
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It is an automatic 3 points on your license for each tyre under 1.6mm tread depth.-Check every week.
Contact: Nicholas Hart or Terry Mason on 020 7928 5005 for all your vehicles needs.
MILLENNIUM CITY GARAGES is a BOSCH APPROVED SERVICE CENTRE and registered member of the goodgaragescheme.co.uk
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