A good start to narrowing down your wheel customisation choices is to understand the types of wheel finishes and how the wheel surface is treated to achieve the colour and polish type that suits your style. Each has its own attributes and different degrees of maintenance. Chrome-plated Finish This is ...
Directional tyres are marked on the tyre’s sidewall. You will see the word “Rotation” or “Direction” written with a small arrow which indicates the tyre’s rolling direction. Directional tyres have a “V” shaped profile as opposed to a “U” profile. This not only looks sporty, but also fulfils a special ...
On the sidewall of most new tyres are red and yellow painted dots. These are markers or guides to be aligned with particular points on the wheel. The alignment matters for the balancing of the wheel: If these dots on the tyres are properly aligned with certain points on the ...
Each tyre has an imprinted DOT code on the sidewall. DOT stands for the Department of Transportation and the code is made of numbers and letters – they indicate the place and date of the tyre’s manufacture. The DOT abbreviation is followed by numbers that indicate the tyre factory code ...
The TPMS continuously and reliably monitors the inflation pressure in real-time. In the event of pressure loss below a safe threshold, it immediately alerts the driver to take action. When used correctly, the TPMS can enhance driving safety by eliminating a frequent cause of accidents. There are two types of ...
A tyre’s speed rating indicates the optimal speed that the tyre can safely maintain over time. It is the fastest speed a tyre can handle before it no longer performs as designed. The higher the speed rating, the better control and handling the tyre offers at higher speeds. The speed ...
Slick tyres are tyres with limited to no tread and are used in racing. Their surface is smooth, without grooves, so they have high levels of grip and more direct rubber contact with the ground. This generates more power, which helps cars accelerate faster. Since there is no tread pattern, slick ...
It may seem simple on the surface, but tyre creation and selection is a science and an art in today’s automotive universe. Unlike the simple rubber tyres of yesteryear, the tyres of today are an intricately woven mixture of steel belts, highly developed fabrics and advanced rubber compounds. As a ...
Some vehicle owners choose to stretch their tyres for aesthetic reasons. Tyre stretching offers no performance benefits and can be dangerous. Are Stretched Tyres Safe? Stretching something over a surface that’s wider than is meant for can sound quite risky. With that said, safety highly depends on the amount of stretch ...
Markings the tyre sidewall offer a wealth of information, such as the load index, speed rating, tyre size and construction. This information is important when it comes time to fit your wheels with replacement tyres. Every driver wants to maintain optimal safety and performance when buying new tyres; understanding the ...
Your wheel’s load rating or weight capacity is an extremely important aspect of vehicle safety. The load rating determines how much weight your tyres can safely carry at maximum air pressure. If load rating is ignored, it can result in tyre failure, causing damage to your vehicle or bodily harm ...
Run flat tyres are specially designed to keep working for a short while even after they suffer a puncture. How do they work? Run flat tyres are built with reinforced sidewalls. Normally, a car is supported by the air in your tyres, and once you have a puncture, they collapse. ...
