I hope my work was not in vein and that you get a lot of good advice from this. It is rather large and may require a good few minutes of your time. Please enjoy my very own …

Ultimate Guide to Buying Cheap Car Tyres

Everyone knows that tyres are an integral part of a car along with the engine, brand and appearance and as such, as a budgetary measure, many automobile owners are turning to buying discounted, part worn or cheap tyres in the U.K.

There are many tyres to choose from, and the type of tyres you buy, whether they are discounted, part worn or just plain cheap should be determined by the vehicle you drive, the way you drive it, and how and where you intend on using it.

Before you tuck in to this mammoth guide, I would like to recommend a video a seen on YouTube a few months ago. It is a great little guide that introduces the basics of your tyres and it is very important that you learn this knowledge before you step into any local garage asking for new tyres. The gentleman in the video is very helpful however he does talk at a lightning quick rate, so feel free to pause and rewind if you need to hear the information again.

Standard Cheap Tyres

The standard cheap tyre can be used in all seasons on wet or dry surfaces. It is a reliable tyre safe for wet or dry road conditions. The tread usually has a block pattern, and will provide a good grip on wet roads. The tyres are rubber making them stronger and longer lasting.

Cheap Part Worn Tyres

Tyres that are used are known as a part worn tyre (in essence, second hand tyres). Most are imported from Europe or Germany, both having a tremendous part worn tyres industrial sector. The most common issues with part worn tyres is some are sold with less than the recommended 50% less tread compared to new tyres. They usually have a few thousand kilometres wear as well.

But in most cases, part worn tyres are fine and worthy of road travel, making them a safe economical purchase for many vehicle owners looking to save money but stay safe on the road at the same time.

Are Part Worn Tyres Legal?

Because these tyres are sold as second hand, the prices are much lower than purchasing new tyres. This is what makes them a popular choice among drivers who want budget tyres that will keep their cars legally running on roads.

The only legalities that sellers of worn tyres must abide are issued by the Trading Standards officers and include regulations like; buyers must known they are purchasing these types of tyres before they make a purchase.

A smart buyer of part worn tyres will check to see that there are no bulging or bumpy areas on the tyres, and will ask to have the tyres inflated before having them fitted on their automobile. If the part worn tyres appear old and worn, it is not advisable to purchase them.

These tyres can be legally sold as long as they do not contain deep cuts more than 25 millimetres long that could eventually break into the cord or ply of the tyre. The ply or cord cannot be exposed internally or externally. They can’t contain any lumps, tears or bulges, and can’t have any non- repaired penetrative damage.

The tyres must also be officially marked with design and type markings, display ‘PART WORN’ in small capital letters, (4 cm) and must be internally inspected if sold on the rim. Buyers can have peace of mind when purchasing part worn tyres, however, because most of these discount tyres are thoroughly checked before they can be legally sold.

In addition, the grooves of the original tread pattern of the tyre must be at least 2mm deep across the full breadth of the tread and around the entire outer circumference of the tyre. Most U.K tyre sales companies who sell discounted, part worn tyres are usually very compliant with all safety issues.

Interested buyers can also purchase part worn retreated tyres, but these tyres must have proper markings on the wall’s side – Bs AU 144b, 144c, 144d or 144c or have the approval mark from the ECE; or a mark, which identifies original model and manufacturer. ‘RETREAD’ must also be affixed to the sidewall at least 4cm in height, as well as other markings in compliance with ECE rules.

‘PART WORN’ has to appear next to the BS or ECE approval or by the ‘RETREAD’ marking. Speed category and load capacity should have markings on the tyres as well. These tyres must have all the above requirements whether they are intended to be fitted to the rim or not.

Discount tyres are available from many places, and many stores offer great deals on them. If you make the decision to buy cheap tires, make sure they meet your vehicles requirement for tyres.

You need to know the speed index of the tyres as well as the load rating. These factors shouldn’t be any lower than the discounted tyres that came with your vehicle.

Other Types Of Tyre You Should Be Aware Of

Summer Tyres

Summer tyres, also called performance tyres, are for dry roads. Drivers who like speed prefer these tyres, because they are made of a softer rubber compound and offer superior grip. It should be noted that summer tyres do not perform well on wet roads because of their soft consistency.

Winter Tyres

For snow and ice, many chose discounted winter tyres that have small metal studs embedded on the tread. These tyres grip the road in ice and snow conditions. They should never be used in normal road driving condition because of the studs.

A word of warning, DON’T mix your tyres! Keep in mind that cheap tyres should not be mixed, meaning they should ideally be sold as sets, using the same style and brand on a car.

Production cars do not use cross-ply or bias-belted tyres generally speaking and these tyres are not commonly available in the U.K. If there is a mix in tyres on your vehicle, the radial tyres have to be mounted on the rear axle and cross-ply tyres on the front of your vehicle.

Doing this will create ‘under steer’; If the opposite is done it will create ‘over steering’. Over steer means the vehicle will turn more tightly than it is steered and under steer means a vehicle turns as it is steered at less of an angle. Over steer is considered the easier of the two to control.

Where To Buy Cheap Car Tyres

You can buy cheap tyres just about anywhere and get great deals on them. Many folks are going on the Internet to see who selling them and are finding some pretty great deals, because online stores sell globally and usually buy tyres in bulk, passing savings on to their customers.

Online discount tyre stores have little overhead because they don’t need as many employees to keep the shop running and pay less rent or power charges. Online prices are generally a lot cheaper than local shops selling discounted tyres.

Below details some of the top providers of tyres here in the UK today, I have tried to link out to each providers name but in some cases couuld not find their site.  If you are a UK tyre provider and wish to be on the list below, please contact me here.

EBay

There are many offerings for discounted, part worn tyres on eBay. If you’re interested in scanning through the eBay listings, then there are interesting articles you should read first found on EBay’s own site.

You can find some decent resources on how you go about purchasing U.K discounted, cheap and part worn tyres.

It is estimated that one in eight tyre buyers have checked eBay for purchases. It is important to speak with someone you are buying cheap tyres from on eBay to make sure they are roadworthy and comply with the legal demands of selling such tyres. Request detailed photos of the tyres you are considering purchasing to make sure they are in good condition and have the required ‘E’ markings, as required by the U.K. legislators.

Black Circles

Black Circles is a retailer in the U.K. Offering fully fitted discounted tyres through online orders or through the company call centres. Many consider Blackcircles.com the leader in the U.K in independent online tyre sales. The company gives step by step instructions on how to purchase their tyres online and offer fantastic discounts on major brands like Goodyear, Dunlop, Continental, Pirelli, Toyo, Yokohama and more.

KwikFit

KwikFit offer general information online about what to look for in tyre brands, tyre tread and patterns and performance. They will give you the law requirements regarding what types of discounted tyres are best for your vehicle.

Kwikfree Fit are experts when it comes to tyres and are open seven days a week. Appointments can also be booked online. Their line of tyres include over 600,000 products from Firestone, Michelin, Pirelli, Dunlop and more. In addition to online services, Kwik Fit has over 570 Centres to serve customers.

Tyreworld

Tyreworld, Birmingham, Midlands, UK., most likely U.K.’s largest importer of quality part worn tyres, supplies and fits all makes and sizes of discounted tyres at competitive prices. Tyreworld has thee depots in Birmingham at City Centre and High Gate, North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield at Erdington, and City Centre and Est on Dudley Road, Winson Green. They also offer online sales.

Tyreworld offers ‘buy in bulk’ over the Internet and has supported the U.K. tyre trade for more than 20 years. For bulk order a minimum order of 160 tyres or 450 mixex tyres and deliver is free in the U.K. Tyreworld’ part worn tyres all have a minimum of 4mm treat and the prices started as low as £10, with less than five months of summer usage.

Jet Tyres

Jet Tyres, LTD. has extensive stocks and Nationwide fitting stations, and offers part worn tyres at low prices. Jet Tyres offers incredible deals to people feeling the credit crunch and has all sizes of part worn tyres as low at £55.00 a pair, delivered directly to you.

Jet Tyres also has part worn tyres by mail order. To purchase or make an inquiry, visit their website. Mail order budget clearance sales can be found by calling the same number.

Michelin

Michelin has U.K. locations in Ballymena, Dundee, Stoke-on-Trent and Watford. Their website offers a guide that gives U.K.tyre buyers all the information they need to buy the right tyres for the kinds of conditions your vehicle endures. For more information on Michelin products, simply do a search and visit their site.

Ctyres

Call Ctyres for cheap tyres anywhere in the U.K. Ctyres offers an incredible range of brand tyres in all sizes for cars, vans and 4X4s. There tyres are in stock and ready to be delivered to your door. Ctyres carried high performance tyres like Michelin, Pirelli, Toyo, Dunlop, Bridgestone, Continental, Nankang, Cumo, Falken, Nexen and Wanli with H,V and Z speeds up to 20 inches in diameter. Their website include a ‘tyre test section,’ where you can get help and advice on what cheap tyres are best for the vehicle you drive.

Ctyres offers tyres with discounts up to 40% off highest retailer’s prices with no hidden extra and usually deliver the next day.

Their online services offer 24 hour a day service seven days a week. Their prices are cheap because they buy in bulk and container roads. They also offer special deals on sets of cheap tyres that are leftovers from previous stocks, and these tyres, believe it or not, are sold at cost! Ctyres has partnered with car tyre fitters all over the U.K. and can offer cheap fitted tyres to online buyers from all over the world.

Merityre

Looking for the lowest prices on tyres? Merithttp://www.merityre.co.uk/ will give you instant tyre quotes online or you can contact your nearest Merityre centre to see how much you can save on Merit Tyres.

Merit’s locations are far too many to list all but include Abingdon, Andover, Bagshot, Bookham, Certsey, Farnham, Hazlemere, Kingston, Little Chalfont, Marlow, Wandsworth, Thame and more. Check your local phone directory for more listings.

Merityre is an member of the National Tyre Distributors association and a leader in the independent field of U.K. tyre dealers. They offer a wide range of brand tyres and discounted tyres for all types of vehicles including cars, vans, motorcycles, heavy equipment and trucks. Merit tyres are fully fitted or available by mail order and include Dunlop, Continental, Bridgestone, Michelin, Avon and Pirelli, as well as a full section of discounted tyres.

U.K. tyre buyers choose to shop Merityre because they offer the lowest prices, have a staff that is highly trained delivering quality service and have thousands of tyres in stock.

Darnall Central Garage, LTD

Darnall Central Garage, LTD. has its shop in Sheffield and offers part worn tyres and cheap car tyres, Goodyear and Dunlop car tyres fare also offered. Their services include tyre fitting, tyre repairs and tyres for motorcycles. They also sell automobiles. For information about Darnall Central Garage’s services or about cheap tyres their website is very accommodating and will answer any questions you have.

The Tread Shop

The Tread Shop is a supplier of top branded, part worn tyres to UK dealers. They sell Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone and Continental car tyres and hand select each tire sourced within Europe. The tread depths of their part worn tyres are from 4mm to 8mm. The Tread Shop has a warehouse located in Chichester, West Sussex, offering over 4000 square feet of tyres for cars, taxis and vans, as well as for the high end market.

The Tread Shop offers delivery service usually with in the same day if you are in a 25 mile radius of the warehouse. Just contact them for selections, they will provide you will a full stock list and will take payments over the phone using a debit or credit card.

Tyre Shopper

Tyreshopper is an online retailer targeting the UK market. Tyres are ordered online and fitted by one of the 1000 specialists available at over 200 local branches. Tyre Shopper does provide a Price Promise Guarantee that promises to beat any competitors price by £1.

All4Tyres

All4Tyres has been in business since 1955 and sells new and quality used tyres in all brands and sizes. They also offer sales online at the eBay auction market and are able to serve clients nationally and internationally. Their stock includes over 4000 tyres from high performance part worn tyres to new high performance discounted tyres in all sizes.

Through All4Tyres’ worldwide suppliers, the company is able to access thousands of tyres at very competitive prices, under pricing most tyre retailers. All tires meet or exceed All4Tyres’ high quality standards, and their customer care services are excellent. All4Tyres is located on Chesterfield Road, Shirland, Alfreton, Derbyshire.

Armthrope

Armthrope is a local business in Doncaster. They supply and fit tyres of all brands including Michelin, Goodyear, Dunlop, Toyo, Michelin as well as discount and part worn tires from £10. Arthrope also offers wheel alignments for £15, the cheapest prices in Doncaster! As a matter of fact, Armthrope will try to beat any quote offered in the Doncaster area.

Click On Tyres

There are many more U.K. dealers than those listed above and a lot of them can be found by going to Click. Click Tyres is based near the town of Galashiels, 30 miles south of Edinburgh. When you go to clicktyres.co.uk you will be dealing directly with tyre dealers using the contact information provided. There are no fees to use the site and all information is provided by the tire dealers.

Click Tyres provides the information in good faith to help U.K. residents who are looking for tyres find the best deals and most dealers to select from. By searching clicktyres.co.uk, you will find virtually hundreds of U.K. shops that offer discounted, cheap, part worn and new tyres available in all brands and sizes at very competitive prices.

Tyremen

Tyremen based in East Yorkshire are a family run business that has been supplying tyres for over 40 years. The Tyremen website offers a huge choice of tyres from many leading manufacturers, 50,000+ tyres available at all times. They also offer hard to find brands and are specialists in Vredestein, Uniroyal, BF Goodrich, Yokohama & Hankook. Tyremen are winter tyre specialists and stock thousands of tyres from Vredestein, Continental & Hankook. They can also offer winter wheel and tyre packages. Tyres are available to buy mail order and very soon local fitting at a network of 300+ garages will be available.

And Relax …

Well folks, that brings us to the end of my ultimate buying guide for cheap car tyres, I really hope you learned a thing or two and are now prepared a little bit more in regards to where you can make a purchase and the options you have.

Factors that Make Winter Tyres More Effective

The deep grooves on such tyres are responsible for providing a good grip on the road. Summer tyres come with thin grooves and they remove the water from the road quickly so that the grip is maintained. But in winters, the road has accumulated water, snow and mud which is difficult to dispel. Hence, the wide and deep grooves of winter specific tyres help by making a larger contact with the ground. Thus, the tyre is able to push forward efficiently.

Metal studs are useful in winters but are not allowed in all states. In case you are travelling to a state that does not allow studs, then you can replace your tyres. The restriction is because these studs can tear up the concrete and asphalt that come in contact with the tread. Hence, these studs are allowed only for limited periods when the material like snow are heavy and form a deep layer on the road.

When snow and ice are deep then metal studs on snow tyres dig deep into the material and provide the necessary grip. These studs need to be replaced as they get flattened over a period of time. These studs can produce a lot of noise when they come in contact with hard surfaces and also cause a lot of damage to such surfaces. Hence, it is best to use them only when the roads are extremely difficult to travel on.

These tyres are good as they can help you in steering easily in slush and water without the fear of losing control. They provide safety as well as stability to the car. They also improve the performance of the car, thereby, saving on fuel and increasing mileage which can be very low with summer tyres. Also, the wear and tear caused to these tyres will be much less as compared to summer tyres.

They also save you money as your summer tyres do not wear off in adverse circumstances and hence, are worthy of the investment made in them. In difficult circumstance, they also save you from accidents and in addition to the safety of you and your family, they save you from the hassles of getting repairs and solving insurance matters.

Do remember though that all the tyres must be replaced with winter tyres and adding them to only front or rear wheels will not suffice. In front wheel drive cars, the requirements are different and you can check with your car dealers about suitable tyres for such cars. Winter tyres are a zone of safety and you must get into it immediately.

Features of Winter Tyres and All Season Tyres

The tread in winter tyres is very different from the tread in all season tyres. It is especially made so to ensure better traction on slippery roads during winter. The compounds in such tyres have more natural rubber that makes them softer than all season tyres. This ensures that they remain soft in low temperatures as well.

The addition of silicon is another added advantage for the same reason. The silica micro pores used by these tyres ensure that there is better grip on snow and ice and slush if wiped off from the roads so that the tyre gets a firmer grip. These qualities are not available in all season tyres.

In all season tyres, the compounds are mixed in a way that the tyres are suitable for all seasons. Hence, they are made to be better wear and micro pore or other similar technologies are not suitable for these compounds. Hence, such tyres begin to harden when the temperatures go below seven degree Celsius.

Other features are also included in tyres meant for winter seasons. They have grooves with very wide base that provide for more ground and hence, better grip on roads filled with water and slush. These substances get expelled from the tread the tyres rotate. Thus, the grooves with additional surface area also contribute towards the stability of these tyres which is missing in all season tyres.

Sipes, which are minute slits in the tread surface, also help in removing water from the roads and contribute towards better handling on slippery surfaces. The sipes in all season tyres are much lesser. Another difference is that tyres meant for winter season come with round casing which is not the case with all season tyres. Hence, the former provide better traction on slippery roads.

Tyres for winter season have soft studs that help in increasing the friction between the tyre and the road, thereby, providing better stability to the vehicle. With all these features, tyres meant for winter season provide more safety on dangerous roads. They are ideal for areas where temperatures drop below eight degrees Celsius.

A recent study revealed that with all these features, tyres for winters can brake at least eleven metres before a normal summer or all-season tyre at a speed of thirty kilometre per hour. This difference is significant when you consider the safety of yourself and your family members. Hence, these tyres are ideal for driving in winters and you must get them.

Should You Consider Remoulded Tyres against Winter Tyres?

Remoulded tyres are generally cheaper than special tyres manufactures for winters. That is the reason why most people consider using remoulded tyres in place of winter tyres. It gives them two advantages. One is of saving money as these tyres cost less. The second is preventing their summer tyres from the unnecessary wear and tear that comes along with the winter season.

The remoulded tyres have similar tread as those of summer and all season tyres and hence, they are no better than these tyres when it comes to driving in the winter season. Their tread is generally made with thinner grooves that can adjust in all seasons and can work especially well to provide dry traction.

There is no use of silicon – based micro pores and in case these are included, their numbers are insignificant for working in winter. Slush and water can be removed by sipes in the tyres meant for winters but these are not used in remoulded tyres and thus, these features are present in such tyres making them unsuitable for winters.

Remoulded tyres will become hard just like summer tyres and they will lose traction on slippery roads, thereby, defeating the very purpose of changing tyres. The only variety of remoulded tyres that can survive in winters is the 4×4 all terrain tyres and this is because they are supposed to work well in all types of terrains. Therefore, these provide good traction in water, slush and snow.

Yet remoulded tyres, even the 4×4 all terrain tyres, come nowhere close to tyres especially manufactured for winter season. The reason behind their lower price, as compared to tyres meant for winter, is that they do not include additional silica that is important to keep the tyres soft in low temperatures reason.

Also, the manufacturers of remoulded tyres do not invest in special design like broad-based grooves and sipes that are crucial in providing better grip in slush and snow. Hence, it is advisable to keep these things mind when you are considering buying remoulded tyres against special tyres meant for winter season.

You need to evaluate your own safety as well as the safety of your family members in comparison with the money you can save by not investing in tyres meant for winters. Surely, the value of securing your life and that of your loved ones is much more than the value of saving some pennies on tyres for winters. Thus, get yourself these tyres and secure your family today.

Importance of Winter Tyres

The most important aspect of these tyres is safety. While normal tyres take more time to stop when you apply brakes, tyres for winter can stop at least eleven metres before other tyres at a speed of twenty kilometre per hour. This is a significant distance considering the fact that you can hit a bigger vehicle or a wall when you try to apply sudden brakes.

In addition, these tyres can actually save money as summer tyres go through additional problems in winters which severely damages their surface and hence, makes them wear faster. Hence, these tyres for winters actually save money for their users and can be used effectively in winters.

Another way in which tyres for winters save money is that these are smaller in size and hence, they cost less than other tyres. So, in essence while many people consider it an unnecessary investment, winter specific tyres can actually save a lot of money. They also increase the worth of the car and can be particularly useful when the car is sold to another user.

How to Purchase Tyres for winters?

Budget for all four tyres as tyres on the front wheels only will not provide the safety and stability that you desire. In fact it will be a waste of your investment as the two tyres that you bought will not be of use. Hence, plan wisely and purchase four tyres for your cars. You will notice the difference once these are installed on your car.

Look for a symbol that represents snowflake on mountains. These tyres have passed very stringent tests and are suitable for low temperature conditions. Before you go ahead for purchasing these tyres, understand the size that you will be requiring. If you buy a unsuitable size, you will not be able to get the desired performance.

Tread depth should also be measured. For example, in areas with snow tread depth has to be at least 6/32 inch or even more. It is also preferable to get your tyres installed from a professional. Most stores that sell these tyres also provide services where tyres are installed and many a times these are complimentary with the purchase of tyres.

Hence, winter tyres are essential to get the right safety and grip on slushy and wet roads where the chances of a car skidding are extremely high. No investment can be more worthy than the one that can guarantee your safety and security which is the most important factor in your life, isn’t it?

What is Different?

These tyres are manufactured with more of natural rubber which prevents the tyre from hardening under low temperatures. In addition, the presence of more than regular amounts of silicone aids the process of keeping the tyres soft even under sub-zero temperatures. The best of this mixture is ideal for tyres meant for winter season and therefore, these tyres need delicate handling and maintenance in off seasons.

How to Store Winter Tyres?

Remember to invest wisely in storing winter tyres as these tyres can be used over several years depending upon your usage and the exact weather conditions. These tyres cannot be left in open when temperature start rising and special precautions must be taken to ensure that they remain in good condition even when they are not in use.

The most appropriate way to pack these tyres is to store them in tyre covers. These covers are easily available at local car dealers or some good garages. While investing in tyre covers, do not go for cheap material as it will not be good for protecting your tyres. In fact your tyres as well as the money invested in these cheap covers will go waste. Hence, buy good covers of a good brand.

If you have storage bags, they can also be used to store your tyres between winters, provided they are made of good quality material. Another important pre-requisite is that these storage bags should get sealed from outside and the seal must cover the entire opening else the tyres will not be secured properly.

Choose a cool and dry place to store your tyres. You can select the basement as temperatures do not go up significantly in this area even if there is a steep rise in the overall temperature outside the basement. Garages are also good options, provided they have a corner that is not directly exposed to sun. You can also choose water proof sheds where temperatures are regulated.

If none of these options work for you and you cannot find an appropriate place inside your house, then you can store them with a retailer. Many tyre retailers give storage facilities for storing off-season tyres. Make sure than you inspect the area, where the retailer will store tyres, before depositing your tyres.

While you stack the tyres inside your garage or basement, put the tyres flat on their sides. Stack only four tyres above one another or else they might trip and get damaged. Before remounting these tyres in the winters check the tyre pressure and inflate them appropriately for your and your car’s safety.

Features of Winter Tyres

There are many different types of tyres. All season tyres are made of rubber and are supposed to perform well in all environmental conditions. However, they give way in extreme circumstances such as the ones witnessed during last winter in most regions that experience snow fall. Snow, as high as two feet, was piled up on the roads in some areas and it was difficult to move without winter specific tyres.

Tyres meant for winters are made of different compounds as compared to all season tyres or summer tyres. They can operate at much lower temperature and the silicon compound in its manufacturing makes it suppler in adverse conditions. These tyres are different in their tread pattern also. They have large blocks with deeper grooves that can dissipate water and snow.

The large blocks give more surfaces and do not get jammed by snow. They also have sipes which are tiny slits that help in dispelling water and slush which can clog ordinary tyres. Certain countries are manufacturing very high quality tyres that can be driven at high-speed with utmost safety. The advanced computer technology also helps in designing treads that can sustain themselves in extreme winters.

These features allow you to have a firmer grip on road and avoid any unwanted skids. Imagine taking a steep turn and then skidding into a neighbouring car or even worse into a truck. You will surely end up calling your insurance company in these circumstances. To avoid such problems you can instead invest in good winter tyres which generally cost about twenty percent more than normal tyres.

The speed can also be adjusted with tyres that are especially meant for winters. Would you prefer to drive at extremely slow speed with all season or summer tyres or do you want to save time with good tyres that can safely take you to your destination in less time? It is time versus cost in this scenario.

Another very important aspect is the safety. By saving some pennies and deferring the purchase of good weather appropriate tyres, you are actually putting your and your family’s safety at stake. Winters present very trying circumstances for drivers and you need to be extra cautious to ensure that you are driving safely. A good set of tyres will take you through this season with comfort and ease.

Thus, tyres meant for winters are definitely worth investing in and this fact does not need too many arguments to support its merit. Get them today so that you do not have to suffer.

Steps to Install Winter Tyres on Your Car

Get the necessary equipment first. You will need four winter tyres that are of the same size, speed rating, load rating and have the same brand and make. Do not make the mistake of buying only two tyres for front or rear wheels. Such tyres cannot support the weather conditions. They are not useful in tricky circumstances. They in fact increase the chances of accidents. Thus, get all the four tyres for being safe.

Next bring the tyre gauge, car jack, lug nuts and lug wrench and keep them at a secure place near your car. Remove the cover from your car tyres by sliding a screw driver between them. Be careful else you can hit the tyre by mistake and end up damaging it accidently. Next park your car in a safe location where it will not roll. Put bricks or other impediments that can support the car.

Remove the hub cap. Next, take the lug wrench and move in a counter-clockwise direction to remove the lug nuts. It will keep the tyres from spinning and will make your job easier. Put the jack in under the car at an appropriate place where it can support the weight of the car without creating an imbalance.

Increase the height of the car and take off the tyre. Once the tyre is at a suitable height, then slip off the tyre that is already on the car. The next step is to place the new tyres meant for winter season on the car and align it with the threaded shafts of the car for a safer connection between the two.

Put the lug nuts at their places and tighten them properly. You can now reduce the level of your car slowly to bring it to the ground level. Reinstall the hub cap. With this your first tyre is replaced and the same process can be followed for the other three tyres. After all the tyres have been replaced, you need a follow an important check on the car tyres.

First check the air pressure of all tyres and bring it on par with the recommended levels. Inadequate tyre pressure reduces their performance. Next, put valve caps of tyres on the tyres and secure it properly. You can now check whether your tyres have been installed properly or not by taking them to a local garage. Get wheel alignment and balancing done to make up for any problems.

Misconceptions about Winter Tyres

These tyres are different from all season tyres. They are meant to operate in weather conditions where the temperature dips below eight degrees Celsius. These are not just meant for snow; in fact snow tyres are different. These tyres are meant to operate in cold, muddy and slushy conditions when wet roads make your usual tyres skid at high-speed or steep turns.

Important Facts

Winter tyres are made of natural rubber that is included in higher proportions as compared to normal tyres made for summers or even when compared to all season tyres. These tyres are made to endure low temperatures and do not become rigid with the addition of silicon and natural rubber, both of which are added to keep them soft.

Winter tyres have different treads as compared to normal tyres. There are tiny slits in these tyres that are called sipes. Sipes flush away the water and slush on winter roads and help in building better grip on the road. Hence, they avoid situations that are commonly known as aquaplane where a car skids on watery surface.

In addition to this, they assist in keeping the performance of the car at an optimum level as you can drive better when such tyres are installed on your car. Another important reason from the safety perspective is that these tyres help in braking mechanism. They stop the car at least eleven metres before the distance of a summer tyre, when brakes are applied.

These tyres also help in negotiating turns and manoeuvring on difficult roads. The additional friction created by the sipes keep the tyres from skidding and your vehicle can safely move around those troubling turns. Also, it avoids any accident that commonly happen when summer tyres are used in winters such as bumping into a car in front of you while applying brakes as summer tyres take longer to bring the car to a halt.

One important fact here is that you must use these tyres on all four wheels. If they are used on either the front or back tyres, then you will find it difficult to keep control on the vehicle and the chances of accident are much more. For example, if front tyres are equipped for winters and safely take a turn the back tyres will skid badly making your car spin out of control.

Thus, you need to get the winter tyres and you should not worry about its storage either. You can store these tyres easily during summer season and can guarantee the safety of you and your family.

For others, who do believe in changing tyres for winters, it is common practice for vehicles equipped with all season or summer tyres to switch to a set of tyres apt for winters to bear the cold and snowy seasons. All-season tyres provide vehicles with maximum wear through all weather conditions. Yet these types of tyres are not designed to provide you with maximum grip in cold or icy conditions.

Instructions for Downsizing to Winter Tyres

First Learn to Read Tyre Size’s

The most important part in enhancing the performance of winter tyres is to have the right size of tyre fitted on the wheel of your vehicle. To read the tyre size, locate the O.E. tyre size. This can be found on the sidewall of the tyre and will look like: 255/50R17. Note the width of the tyre from the first number in the tyre size. In this case, number 255 represents the width across the tyre, in millimetres, from the widest point of the tyre.

Then, calculate the tyre sidewall height. In this example of tyre size, 255/50R17, number 50 represents the height of the tyre’s sidewall as a percentage of the tyre width. Thus, in this case the tyre’s height would be around 127.5 millimetres (that is, 50 percent of 255). This is also known as the tyre’s series.

Next locate the O.E. diameter of the wheel; this is the last number in the tyre size. In the example discussed here, 255/50R17, number 17 represents the wheel diameter measured in inches, on which the tyre is intended to be mounted.

Next Step is Calculating Tyre Diameter

Now you can proceed to calculate the overall tyre height, in inches, with the use of the following formula – ((Width/25.4) x Sidewall Percentage) x 2

To illustrate let us take the same example as above. Here a 255/50R17 tyre would have an overall tyre height of 10.04 inches by using the above mentioned formula ((255/25.4) x 50%) x2.

Now combine the overall tyre height with the diameter of the wheel. Using the same example of, 255/50R17, you would add 10.04 to 17, the tyre height, for a final diameter size of 27.04 inches. Now for an appropriate range you can use the 3 percent variance rule. Now you will be able to install a new tyre and wheel combination that is between 26.23 inches and 27.85 inches in diameter in total.

These calculations will ensure that you put your money at the right place without the risk of getting an altogether wrong tyre.