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Your car’s tyres are the only part of the vehicle which physically touches the road. For this very fact alone it stands to reason that your car’s tyres should not only be safe, but also hard-wearing, made from high quality materials, be durable and still provide you and your family with a comfortable drive. Together with ancillary insurance products such as their car warranty, motorists should consider buying wheel and tyre insurance if they spend large amounts of time out on the roads.

To meet the above demands, tyres need to be manufactured to exacting standards: sometimes up to 200 separate raw materials are used in their manufacture. The difference between a cheap and expensive tyre is due to factors like the rubber compound being of a better quality, the amount of testing put into tread patterns and rubber stability and the fact that when making tyres at higher temperatures the tyres are of a better quality as a result.

The more testing done by a tyre manufacture the lower the road noise will be, the longer the tyre will perform at its peak rate and the safer your family will be. So it should not come as a surprise that there are many different types of tyres that are manufactured for our vehicles and that their treads actually do matter. Some of these are made for a specific purpose while others are purely used for high performance road driving, the race track, desert driving or more rugged terrain such as woodlands or farms.

Tyre Width and Tread
The tyre grip depends on its rubber compound and the grooves that are present in the tread pattern, as it is the tread that does all the work. The tread helps determine how well the tyre grips on a dry road. Each manufacturer designs its own tread pattern to achieve this.

In wet conditions, the tread grooves disperse road water, ensuring that the tyre stays in contact with the road and therefore grips the tarmac. If the tyre tread is not able to disperse enough water, then your vehicle will aquaplane. This is when there is no direct contact between the tyre and the road; the tyre loses grip and the driver looses control of the vehicle. The more efficiently the grooves expel the water, the better the tyre will be at maintaining grip in wet weather conditions. If tyre treads wear down, they have diminished ability to expel water and that is where it gets dangerous for you and other road users. Worn tyres are dangerous – do not drive on tyres with less than the legal tread limit.

There are many types of tread pattern, all of which are used for different performance issues including standing up to various driving forces such as cornering, steering and high speed braking, road noise reduction, low wear and traction with the surface you are driving on. Tyre treads are designed to cope with the road surface be it snow, farm tracks (large knobbly tyres for digging in), race tracks (soft tyres with minimal groves) or wet weather tyres (deep groves designed to expel water out and away from your car).

The sidewalls combine with the air in the tyre to carry the weight of the vehicle. The outside of the sidewall should always be where you find the tyre size and specification details. Damaged sidewalls could cause a blow out with deadly consequences.

There are legalities in relation to the tyre specifications. This is because they are the main safety features of a tyre. The manufacturer is responsible for any relevant sidewall markings and an owner is responsible for the condition of tyre including the width and tread depths.

The legal minimum tread depth for car tyres is 1.6mm continuously around the band of the central tread of the tyre, circling at least 75 % of the tyre. The remaining grooves must have a depth of a least 1 mm again circling 75 % of the tyre. It is always advisable to change the tyre before it gets to this level, not only for safety reasons, but legal reasons too. You could get a hefty fine as well as points on your licence if you are caught in the UK driving on illegal tyres.

Belted/Radial Tyres
Radial, or belted tyres, are what have almost totally replaced the cross-ply tyre. The materials of the radial tyres inner casing runs perpendicular to the direction of tyre travel. If viewed side on, the materials run radially, hence their name. The only problem associated with the composition of this type of tyre is that the materials cannot absorb the lateral force when cornering or accelerating. To correct this, the materials are supported by another structural material, for example steel belts.

The steel belts are rubber encircled ropes of steel wire. They give structural rigidity and maintain the tread flat in contact with the road. With bead-wires, the ultra-strong steel wires hold an extreme resistance to stretching, therefore holding the tyre to the rim, even during very high performance driving.

Run Flat Tyres
Manufacturer have now developed tyres and systems that allow a vehicle to continue moving despite there being a loss of pressure in the tyres. Currently there are two systems. The reinforced tyre sidewall brands on the market include Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, and Pirelli. The other uses a rubber clip attached to the rim; brands using this system include Michelin. Run flat tyres should be fitted only in conjunction with your car’s tyre pressure warning system, if applicable. Although new cars will automatically be provided with the appropriate tyre choice, if car buyers are replacing run flat tyres with aftermarket upgrades, due care must be taken to ensure that they are compatible with your car.

Little Known Fact: Rubber car tyres actually deteriorate with age, this is even the case when those tyres have simply sat on a warehouse shelf and not been used. This aging means that the tyre will be more prone to sudden and unexpected structural failure. The same goes for your spare tyre which may have been in your vehicle’s boot for the past few years, or for those extra tyres stored in the garage! Never risk causing an accident just to save a little money. It’s false economy to buy tyres in bulk if you end up replacing them prematurely due to deterioration. Always ask your tyre supplier how long the tyres they are selling you have been on the self.

Summer Tyres
These particular tyres provide excellent driving and braking performance, both on dry and wet roads, during temperatures above freezing in the spring, summer, autumn and winter. Summer tyres typically perform well in warm weather and are not suitable for cold driving conditions. The simple block shaped tread on the tyre ensures that the tyre’s contact with the road is as firm as possible, giving maximum grip at all times.

Winter Tyres/Cold Weather Condition Tyres
These tyres are for use when the weather turns cold or there is snow and ice on the roads. The tread has a blocked design with deep, wide blades or grooves. These ensure that there is superior traction and braking performance on winter road surfaces. The tread rubber gives excellent friction and allows flexibility at low temperatures. Most of the current designs are centred towards the braking performance and driving control on icy roads. Improvements in tyre design and technology have beeen made possible partly due to performance information gained from track motor sports.

All-Season Tyres
As their name suggests, these are designed for use all-year round, and are more complex than other tyres. This is because of the longer block-edge that is used for winter. More blades or grooves are apparent in these tyres to ensure improved braking and driving performance, produced by maximising the effect of its edge. All-season tyre tread designs provide superb all-around traction for various road conditions, whilst still providing even wear and low noise.

Snow tyres
Snow tyres are especially designed to perform better when driving in the snow. They have been designed to replace the standard tyre for the winter months to ensure driving on the snow and ice is safer. The type of rubber used maintains its elacticity, while deeper treads increase road traction. A tyre with a shallow tread will not work to displace the same amount of snow or ice as one with a deep tread. They will perform well in such conditions as road flooding, ice and mud.

4WD Tyres
4wd tyres are produced for high performance on 4×4 vehicles, they will often be made for driving off-road too. Today many vehicles are built with four wheel drive capability; 4WD (4 wheel drive) is no longer the sole domain of Land Rover Discovery and Toyota Land Cruiser. Modern saloon cars like the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru’s WRX also have four wheel drive systems which can be engaged either permanently or – as in the case of the Subaru Forester 4WD for example – can be engaged and disengaged as dictated by driving conditions. Gone are the days where 4WDs were only used by the military and emergency services. In fact as a group Future45 Ltd has found a steady increase in sales of gap insurance to buyers of 4WD Sports Utility Vehicles over the past 36 months and expect this market segment to continue it’s growth.

Little Known Fact: Heat can cause tyre fatigue resulting in catastrophic failure. The main causes of such failure are due to frequent overloading of the vehicle which overheats the tyres though friction; the other is simply by living in a country with a hot climate. Since the tyres are prone to failure far sooner in these conditions more frequent tyre condition checks should be made under these circumstances. Many tyre manufacturers recommend that a vehicle’s tyres are changed every 5 to 7 years on average even if they still have plenty of legal tread on them.

Car tyres’ sidewall markings
Markings are apparent on all tyres; if your tyre doesn’t have any, then it is not an acceptable tyre. To choose the right type of tyre you should pay attention to what the information in these markings means. For example:

If your tyre has 175/65 R14 T imprinted on it then:
• 175 is the tyre width in mm
• 65 is the tyre sidewall profile or the sidewall height as a percentage of its width
• R means radial (rather than a cross ply)
• 14 is the diameter of the wheel rim, in inches
• T is the speed rating which must match, or exceed the maximum speed of your car.

Speed ratings are as follows:
S 180 km/h or 112 mph
T 190 km/h or 118 mph
U 200 km/h or 125 mph
H 210 km/h or 130 mph
V 240 km/h or 149 mph
W(ZR) 270 km/h or 168 mph
Y(ZR) 300 km/h or 186 mph
ZR Above 240 km/h or 149 mph

Big Brand Tyres & Their Reputations

It used to be the case that there were only 3 or 4 brands that were available, but due to mergers and the increasing demands and needs of the consumer, more budget brands have entered the marketplace. The main ones are:

Michelin (France) -This is the world’s number one tyre manufacturer. They own Michelin, BF Goodrich, Kleber, Uniroyal and Riken.
Bridgestone (Japan) -One of the top 3 manufacturers. Back in 2003 Bridgestone (Japan) recently announced that they would be investing heavily in new research and development to produce tyres in the high performance sector, and also intended to raise their stakes in Europe’s share of global Bridgestone business. This initiative was a success and has put Bridgestone firmly in amongst the worlds top tyre manufacturers. Today they own Bridgestone, Firestone, Daytona and Europa.
Goodyear Dunlop (USA) -Goodyear Chemical provides both standard and high-performance polymers, antioxidants, latex and adhesive resin products to its customers on a global scale. The business has annual revenues of more than $750 million. Recently merged to form one of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world, they own Dunlop, Goodyear, Fulda, Falken and Kelly.
Yokohama (Japan) -In the top 10 list of manufacturers. Their 4WD tyres are world renowned, Their name embossed on the tyre sidewall painted white ensures instant brand recognition.
Pirelli (Italy) -In the top 5 of manufacturers. Pirelli are one of the worlds premier premium tyre brands. High performance car and motorcycle tyres are synonymous with the Perelli brand name. They have recently developed the Ceat and Courier brands.
Cooper Tyre (USA) -They own Cooper, Avon and Mastercraft.
Continental (Germany) -They own Continental, Uniroyal, General Tyre, Gislaved and Semperit.
Toyo (Japan) – They are one of the newest budget firms.
Kumho (Korea) – They are a budget range with an emphasis on sporting tyres.
Vredestein (Netherlands) – They have an enormously wide range of tyres and are constantly working on innovative solutions, which they prove in practice by regularly introducing new tyres.

Tyre Terms You May Have Heard Before

Rolling Resistance
The rolling resistance of your tyres can affect your fuel economy. Tyres should always be pumped to the correct pressure to maximise performance an duel economy. Therefore some tyres are described as “fuel savers”, “eco” or “energy” tyres. These tyres may have low rolling resistance. A general rule is that the narrower a tyre the more fuel you will save and they often, though not always, are less likely to aqua plane on road surface water at higher speeds! Interesting and completely logical when you think about it!

Tyre Pressures
Always check that your car has the correct tyre pressure. You will find the recommended pressure for your car either in the handbook, the glove box or the inside of the driver door panel. Check the tyre pressure every couple of weeks. Your tyres will warm up when you drive and the air inside them will expand, therefore for an accurate reading you need to check the pressure only when your tyres are cold.

An interesting note here is how Formula 1 use this principle. Cold Formula One tyres are actually almost flat! They need to be brought up to temperature very quickly for optimal performance. Optimal performance is when the tyres are blisteringly hot and that makes them sticky as the rubber compound melts. When taking a corner at high speed, the melting rubber will hold the car to the race track. A Formula One car relies on the hot tyres as this expands the air in them, which in turn inflates the tyres. However in a road going car you must not drive with under or over inflated tyres as this will hinder the handling of the vehicle and their structural safety is also dependent on their inflation pressure. Uneven tyre pressure will increase both tyre wear and your fuel consumption.

Wheel Alignment
If you find that your tyres are evenly worn across the surfaces, this is a sign of good wheel alignment. Over or under inflation could cause uneven tyre wear. If your tyres are badly worn on one edge this could signal that the wheel alignment has been knocked off of track. It is then essential that you have your wheel checked by a reputable garage or wheel and tyre centre as soon as possible. They will check your wheel alignment, camber and toe settings for you to ensure a safer drive, lower fuel consumption and longer tyre life.

Wheel Balancing
Wheels are balanced using tiny leads weights placed on the outside of your rims after the tyre has been fitted to the wheel. Each wheel is done individually. If your wheels are unbalanced, not only will you feel a vibration in your steering wheel, but the vibrations become more violent as the balancing gets worse. These vibrations can cause mechanical damage to your car and the distraction to the driver is dangerous. Always seek professional help as soon as you feel that there is anything at all that may be wrong with your vehicle’s tyres. Not only your life, but those of your family and other motorists are also at stake. Again, it is essential that you have your checked by a reputable garage or wheel and tyre centre.

Spare Tyre
Always ensure that your spare wheel is in good condition. Check the spare tyre’s pressure and tread every few months, so avoiding any problems should you need to use it. Your spare’s tread should be within legal limits if you have elected to use a tyre which you previously had on your car. Best practice is to always have a brand new tyre for your spare. Spare tyres can be full-size or temporary space saver “mini spares”. These are designed to take up less room in your vehicle and to get you home in an emergency. They are not meant to be driven on for long periods of time and they are usually not suitable for speeds in excess of forty to fifty miles per hour. If in doubt consult the manufacturer.

Directional Tyres
Directional Tyres guarantee the best possible sound reduction and water dispersion. For these reasons the tyres must be fitted correctly. Directional tyres are fitted with the arrow point and the words “ROTATION” pointing towards the forward driving direction of the vehicle.

Asymmetrical Tyres
Tyres with an asymmetrical tread also exist. These have a more open tread on the inner section and less open tread on the outer section. The less open tread is intended for high traction on a dry road and road adherence in corners while the inner section has a more open tread that results in an improved dispersion of water.

Tyre Care Reminder

It is essential that you maintain the tyre pressure, for safety, economy and for the sake of the environment. So check that all your tyres are at the correct pressures, every couple of weeks. Don’t forget to check your spare.

When you do this, also check for any tyre damage at the same time. Have your tyres checked if you notice any strange lumps or scrapes, as these could eventually cause the tyre to fail. Noticing uneven wear could mean that the wheel alignment is incorrect, or if you have braked suddenly, there may be a flat area. So again, always have them professionally checked if you have been involved in any situation involving emergency or heavy braking.

Remember that not only is it illegal to have tyres below the legal limit of 1.6mm, but you may well also void your car insurance. There will also be a greater risk of skidding and aquaplaning. It’s important to inspect the tread regularly.

This article was supplied by the Gap Insurance division at Future45 Ltd group of companies for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice. In the interests of your safety please consult your local tyre replacement centre if you are in any doubt about the condition of your car tyres.

Do you want to buy a pre-owned car, either now or some time down the road from today? There are more used car warranty programs existing than you may realize. Extended car warranty plans can be provided to you by your pre-owned auto dealer, if they haven’t already. Do you surmise that you can get warranty coverage from somebody other than your direct dealer? You could simply invest in a third party service provider which can give you a better plan, thus keeping you money in the long run.

Indifferent of who you want to get a waranty from, dealer or no, it’s incredibly crucial to recognize the matters you should investigate when getting a used automobile warranty – after all, you want the better deal viable for your cash. The next section shows some of the matters you should seek to plan out when picking out your perfect automobile warranty program.

You’ll typically learn that the bulk of warranties offer a fixed coverage period of time. You may get your automobile extended for a set period, like 12 months, or a specific mileage, like 12,000 miles. This can be decided by what kind of warranty you need to get.

Coverage for any warranty program you choose postulates getting some vehicle parts that are extended and some that aren’t, so decide carefully. Several low maintenance plans exist, but you can pick a sound design if you wish. Parts like your transmission, heating and cooling devices, car personal computer, and the drive train can truly be continued in case they break after extended usage. Some research may be needed in order to figure out the affairs you demand your warranty to focus on. Be certain to get everything you want.

A great deal of extended car warranties have Roadside Assistance, which is good. If you have this feature, you don’t have to panic about assistance; if you get a equipment failure, you’ll get 24-hour help standing by to benefit you, just by telephoning a toll free phone number. While you might want to have your automobile towed off, at least there’s a surefire way to get proper transfer without any additional costs. If you need to use a car while yours is being fixed, there are rental machines that can be leased. You can additionally get full concierge service with some very comprehensive warranty programs.

Either way, be sure to do your homework in order to get the easiest auto warranty plan for you. Consult numerous auto companies and get quotes from them, and see if they compare or amend upon whatever your used automobile dealer is offering you. If it is a better warranty for your used automobile, work with them. There’s really nothing {wrong} with trusting your project to a different company than your franchise; you can even purchase great used car warranties over the Net.

Different states have varying methods of enforcing lemon laws, which prevent customers from ending up with defective vehicles. Most of the essential rules concerning lemon laws share common aspects, although they differ from state to state.

As an example, lemon laws dictate that vehicle problems are worked out by the manufacturer instead of the car dealership. A vehicle has to have peculiar characteristics in order to be considered a lemon. Cars are commonly called lemons if it is regularly seen for the same predicament, and it keeps coming back. If you end up with a lemon, you’re usually entitled to some percentage of compensation that corresponds to how much you spent on the vehicle and how many miles it has accrued. As previously said, lemon laws vary from state to state.

Some states incorporate used cars in their lemon law insurance, while others only pertain to new vehicles. An abundance of websites give insight about your state’s specific policy in regards to vehicles that are lemons. Just click on your favorite search engine and enter your the name of your state followed by “lemon law.” You will then be given many websites that can inform you about your specific state’s policies on lemon laws.

So, will you require an extended auto warranty even if your state has a lemon law? You without question will necessitate protection. Even cars that aren’t deemed as lemons can encounter wear and tear, and their parts can break It’s smart to acquire an extended warranty even if your state does provide a lemon law. You need to comprehend the imperative fact while thinking about buying a warranty that vehicles that aren’t classified as lemons still have problems. If you don’t happen to buy an extended warranty and require repair later on, it’s not likely that your state’s lemon laws will cover the cost of service unless the vehicle has had the same complication numerous times and still has not been able to be completely fixed. Extended vehicle come in many different varities. You can choose to obtain one directly from a company that is known for dealing with extended automobile warranties, or buy one from the dealership where you bought your vehicle.

The variety of used car warranty policy you choose will determine what the warranty includes. In an preferred situation, you’ll purchase a policy that includes the costs of parts, labor, in addition to usual maintenance and future breakdown. You don’t need to hand over a deductible to buy some plans, while others require a payment.

Make sure to do thorough research and select a warranty provider and plan that best meet your budget and your requirements. You can get out of unnecessary hassle and avoid being ripped off by purchsing the wrong policy by educating yourself sufficiently Make sure you are aware of what you need and are able to avoid salespeople telling you otherwise ahead of shopping for a policy.

Even The Most Knowledgeable Auto Buyers Can Save Thousands of Dollars in Future Car Repair Bills.

Although you’ve made the decision to buy yourself a car  and trust it will give thousands of trouble-free miles, a car warranty still makes for a wise move. This is the case even for the most knowledgeable of vehicle buyers.

This is due to the fact that no matter how much time and care you put into researching a reliable vehicle to buy, you can never predict what will happen with something as complicated as a car over a long period of time and use. Look at some sample vehicle repair bills. *

Rebuilt Auto Engine – $4,372

Car Transmission Overhaul – $1828+

Head Gasket Repair Vehicle – $1584+

Brake Replacement on Auto – $430+

Can you imagine the cover of  a car warranty. Imagine the peace of mind with a high-quality auto warranty.

The cost of a good auto warranty can change depending on: brand and model, the car’s history and special features like diesel engines.

Assess your current situation.

You would normally get some form of car manufacturer’s warranty when you first buy your car. These offer protection from major breakdown within a defined time period. This could be 3 years or a set number of miles (e.g. 36,000).

Once the manufacturer’s car warranty has expired, there is a high possibility you will continue to own the car. That’s because modern manufacturing methods can make auto cars that last for many years. This can often be longer than 2 or 3 years that you are usually protected by a car manufacturer’s car warranty cover.

This is the reason it make sense to cover yourself from potential repair bills coming out of nowhere and catching you off-guard. Even if you reckon: “I know what I’m doing, I’ve done my research and I believe that the car is a very reliable vehicle… I’ve got nothing to worry about.”

You Could Be Gambling…

You may be shocked that one single car repair bill can run into thousands. However, an car warranty cover would protect your auto from mechanical breakdown costs that may happen in the future, probably when you can least afford it.

Buy Yourself Peace of mind

When you cover your auto with a decent auto warranty, you don’ have to worry about any costly repairs hitting you in the future. Don’t forget, even cars with a fantastic track record for reliability, such as the vehicle, can sometimes have expensive mechanical or electrical failure. We highly recommend that you get your  auto protected by an extended auto warranty as soon as the manufacturer’s warranty as due for renewal, if not before. You could buy yourself a little peace of mind in these uncertain times, then at least you’ll know that you can get back on the road should your  auto breakdown, without having to find money to pay for repairs.

How to buy an auto warranty for your  auto .

1.      Warning! Never get your auto warranty from the dealer when buying your  vehicle . Dealers may not be acting in your best interests, because they get paid very large commissions when they push policies onto customers. You will save a lot of money by going directly to a warranty company.

2.      Examine the coverage carefully. Ideally your  auto  will be covered for “wear and tear” and “mechanical” failure. If one of these is missing, then you are potentially facing not being covered for some, or all, of the repair bills should you need to claim. Choose a warranty that covers both for total peace of mind.

3.      Avoid cheap warranties. Make sure you buy a warranty from a reputable company. Some cheap warranty providers are scammers. They offer cheap rates but never pay out on claims. Ask these questions:

a.      Is it an established company offering auto-warranty cover for a number of years?

b.      What’s their financial status?

c.      What is their claims process like?

4.      You’d be wise to do it soon! Think about getting extended auto warranty cover sooner rather than later. Because as your  vehicle  gets older, the less interested a warranty provider will be, as it’s not attractive business, so the quotes will increase while you’re hesitating.

5.      It makes sense to get as many quotes as you can, they’re free online. Then compare the best levels of cover and the most reasonable quotes along side each other.

So, if the car  manufacturer’s warranty has expired, or is about to expire on your auto , then it might be wise to consider getting some quotes on extended auto  warranty cover.

We advise not buying car warranty cover from the dealer, because you can save a fortune by going directly to the warranty company.

So if you’re considering investing in an auto warranty, we advise that you get a free, no-obligation quote from the only warranty company we highly recommend.

Click Here to learn more about car warrany protection

*Amounts are hypothetical based on typical market rates