Things you need to know before purchasing new tyres

Your tyres are one of the most important features on your vehicle, so knowing all the facts and figures before purchasing brand new tyres is vital. From a safety point of view, making sure you have done your research before looking into what tyres you may wish to purchase is of utmost importance.  As your tyres are the only contact your vehicle has to the road, grip, braking, traction and fuel economy are all factors that you will need to consider. 

Size matters

Before purchasing a brand new set of tyres, you need to be sure of what size of tyre your car needs. The first and most simple way to do this is to check your owners manual. All the information you will need regarding your tyre size, type and dimensions will be inside.

Alternatively, the numbers that people tend to ignore or not even notice that are branded into the side of your tyre do have a valid purpose. These provide you with the exact size and dimension of the tyres, along with some other useful information you may find yourself needing.  

Although your car manual will list exactly what size tyre is recommended, slightly different sized tyres may be able to be fitted to your car. However, it is likely best to stick to your cars manual advice, as your tyre size when selecting new tyres is the most important factor to get right in order for your vehicle and tyres to perform correctly.

Check the tyre label

With so many different tyre brands out there, it is difficult to know which company provides the best tyres for your car. Since 2012, the EU has stated that all tyres are required to carry a tyre label in order to provide reliable information regarding their performance. With these labels providing easy to read information from brand to brand, it simplifies the process for the customer when it comes to comparing the different models and brands before committing to a purchase.  Within each label, there are a few key sets of information that are vital in order for you to choose the correct tyre for your vehicle. Two of these include: 

• Wet grip: The rating system that is used in order to test how effective your braking is in wet weather conditions is the A to G rating system. If you are unsure of how large the difference in braking distance is between an A-rated tyre and a G-rated tyre, it can mean the difference of 5 full car lengths. 
• Fuel efficiency: This rating will tell you how efficient your tyres are when it comes to your vehicle’s fuel consumption. It has been said by Michelin in the past that having 4 A-rated tyres fitted to your car will ensure a drop in fuel consumption of up to 7.5% when compared against any tyres that are G rated. 

Make sure to note that if your car is fitted with run-flat tyres, they will need to be replaced with run-flat tyres only. Once you have gathered your research and all the information you could possibly need regarding your new tyres and are ready to purchase, head over to our site here to get started.