What Should First-Time Tyre Buyers Look For?

As normal vehicle users, we don’t buy tyres every day or even every year, so when it comes to looking for a new set of tyres Whitstable, it can be quite challenging to process, no matter where you live in the UK.

But some people have tight budgets so they go for more affordable options and buy tyres from unpopular or tyre brands that don’t spend much on advertising. These tyre brands have good tyres as well but you need to know a few things to choose the best tyres from these unpopular brands.

In this blogpost we are going to share a few things to look for when you buy your first tyres. If you are interested in knowing more about first-time tyre buyer guides then keep reading.

5 Tips For First-Time Tyres Buyers

1. Check The EU Ratings

After November 2012, it has been compulsory to show the EU tyre ratings on every tyre sold online or offline. The labelling shows the wet grip, tyre’s fuel efficiency and noise performance, showing the quality of the tyre using a visual grading. 

The tyre’s fuel efficiency is measured by its rolling resistance means the time it takes to spin around to the same point. The longer the tyre takes for it to spin around, the more fuel it takes to power the wheel. As a tyre’s rolling resistance is responsible for 20% of fuel consumption, it can be beneficial to save money in the long run to buy a higher-rated tyre.

2. Time Of The Year

Buying a new set of tyres in different seasons will also affect the driving performance. The significant difference in driving conditions can have a dramatic impact on the handling of your vehicle. In the last few years, we have noticed a huge increase in demand for winter tyres as people know their benefits.

Winter tyres are not only used in extreme weather conditions, but they also improve the control and handling of your vehicle in almost all road conditions below 7 degrees, whether it’s dry, wet or icy. They are made from a natural rubber compound with a wide groove pattern. 

The winter tyre stiffens up once the temperature reaches below the freezing point which offers a better grip on the snow surface. However, the compounds of summer Tyres Whistable offer more effective grip and handling on both dry and wet roads in summer conditions above 7 degrees and reduce fuel consumption.

3. Buy Your Tyres in Pairs

Always buy tyres in pairs of full sets of four and avoid purchasing a single one. Buying tyres in pairs because there are differences between different batches of tyres. Even buying the same brand of tyres will not guarantee that your tyres will match closely enough to avoid the problems of mismatched pairs sharing an axle.

Mismatching tyres cause excess wear and tear on the vehicle because one tyre carries too much weight or different size than the others. These issues will make your driving experience feel rough and uncomfortable. At worst, they can be dangerous for you as a driver and the passengers you are driving with.

4. Check Your Tyre Specs

Check your new tyres will perfectly fit in your vehicle. Most of the tyres do look similar but even small differences can drastically affect the way the car responds when you are driving it. Fitting the wrong tyres in your vehicle can even increase wheel-linked systems.

In the same size tyres, there are different variations and criteria available by the tyre manufacturer. If you understand the tyre code that is stamped onto each tyre, you will easily identify the correct tyres for your vehicle.

These codes will tell you a lot of information about your tyres. Information like the maximum weight each tyre can take, the fastest speeds it should be driven and the year of manufacture with every important specification mentioned in the form of numbers and letters. 

5. Balance and Align

Always make sure that your new tyres are properly fitted and aligned on the axle of your vehicle to offer you the best performance and the least unwanted friction possible. They balance your wheels to ensure that the vehicle weight is evenly distributed to all four wheels and align the tyres so that all four of them will move in the same direction.

These two processes balancing and aligning, are often done together and fully computerised nowadays for greater accuracy. This ensures that your new tyres are not only safe for use on the road but also last for a long time.

6. Time Of The Year

Buying a new set of tyres in different seasons will also affect the driving performance. The significant difference in driving conditions can have a dramatic impact on the handling of your vehicle. In the last few years, we have noticed a huge increase in demand for winter tyres as people know their benefits.

Winter tyres are not only used in extreme weather conditions, but they also improve the control and handling of your vehicle in almost all road conditions below 7 degrees, whether it’s dry, wet or icy. They are made from a natural rubber compound with a wide groove pattern. 

The winter tyre stiffens up once the temperature reaches below the freezing point which offers a better grip on the snow surface. However, the compounds of summer tyres offer more effective grip and handling on both dry and wet roads in summer conditions above 7 degrees and reduce fuel consumption.

7. OE Fitment (BONUS Tip)

Most vehicle manufacturers will work with premium tyre brands to customize tyres for specific manufacturer’s vehicles. These tyres are known as OE (Original Equipment) fitment. These tyres come with premium and high-performance brands and these OE tyres have been tuned and matched to a specific vehicle.  

For example, Jaguar has a specific range of tyres that are marked with a J rating, mentioned on the sidewall of the tyres. Premium vehicle manufacturers will always recommend their customers to go for OE tyres because they put the technology and time spent tailoring the tyre to the needs of a specific vehicle. 

As a vehicle owner, it’s not mandatory to buy OE tyres but it’s better to check the warranty to see if it is invalid if you use a different set of tyres in your vehicle.

Conclusion

At last, Buying a new set of tyres can be challenging if you are looking for new Tyres Canterbury for the first time. But using these tips mentioned above will help you better understand the tyre types and you will be able to buy yourself the correct set of tyres for your vehicle.