If you're feeling tyred!

Tyres and wheels – a cheap tyre can reduce your ability to corner on a dry surface by as much a 10-20 mph. Most performance tyres are best in the dry. Ideally you should have a dry and wet weather set of tyres and change them in the morning – realistically for the UK you should bias toward wet weather tyres. Soft racing spec tyres give the best grip but wear very quickly. A directional ‘v’ tread pattern seems to give me the best compromise between driving in the wet and dry. Asymmetric tread is designed with a different pattern for each corner of the car to maximise control although they all need replacing at the same time and cannot be transferred front to back or axle to axle.

Modern cars come with recommended tyres (not just sizes but makes and models) – stick to these and you will be ok. Never have different tyres on the same axle. New tyres should generally go on the rear to prevent over steer problems and try to get the same or very similar tread patterns for the front and rear. Bear in mind that tyres tested as the best on track could be the worst on road. Tracks are smooth and our roads are full of ruts and potholes the tyre may bounce or just create a harsh and noisy ride (my recent tyre change stopped most of the annoying in car rattles I was getting!)

Tyre pressures also have a profound effect on handling – keep them up to the manufactures recommended pressures for the speeds you are driving at and the car will handle predictably and the tyres will last – check them visually every day and check pressure weekly – regular loss of pressure can be caused by a puncture, a faulty valve, a split in the wall of the tyre or heavy driving so get a suspect tyre checked properly. Driving with the wrong tyre pressures is as illegal as driving with below the minimum tread depth.

The wheel should also be balanced (I recommend yearly as the tyre tread wears down and the alloy receives little knocks and scrapes) to maintain full control over the car and optimum life of tyres and brakes – the wobble of a wheel at high speeds can also damage other components near the wheel like brakes and suspension so get it checked properly.

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