Monday, 22 February 2021
Saturday, 23 April 2016
Lets talk tyres
Well folks, its a fact, when it comes to Tyre's there's a massive choice of different Brand, Compounds, sizes and all the rest of it.
So, when it come to buying where do you start, I guess the easy way is to 
just leave it up to the Garage or local Tyre company to make the decision for you, however this may not be the best option.
just leave it up to the Garage or local Tyre company to make the decision for you, however this may not be the best option.
Lets try to provide a bit more information that may help along the way.
Top tyre brands
Three large international tyre groups - Michelin, Goodyear and Bridgestone - dominate the world tyre market. These companies are substantially larger than the other suppliers and serve both the original-equipment (OE) market and the replacement tyre market.
The UK tyre market is slightly different, as five major brands share the main spoils. By turnover, Michelin is way ahead of nearest rival, Goodyear Dunlop. Next in the list is Pirelli, followed by Bridgestone and Continental.
Here we compare their brand profiles, and explain which major makers own which smaller economy brands.
The two main factors that could help you decide on what tyres to buy are Price and Quality, for sure you can just go for the most expensive with a fantastic brand name, however this is not always necessary. for example why would you want to spend £400 on a set of tyres when the Car on its own may only be worth £1000.
Did you know that most of the big car companies own some of the lesser known companies and also make lower cost mid range and budget tyres that are very good, check out some of the information below.
Michelin tyres
Michelin is one of the world’s largest tyre makers. It also owns BF Goodrich and lesser known mid-range and economy brands such as Kleber and Riken.
Michelin tyres are generally quite expensive to buy, but they usually do well for both wet grip and wear. Availability is usually good, with tyres sold at national and regional chains, independent retailers and online fitters.
Goodyear Dunlop
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tyre makers, and its tyres are generally quite expensive compared with other makes. Availability is good, though, so you shouldn’t have problems locating the one you want.
Goodyear also owns several mid-range and budget brands including Fulda, Kelly and Sava, if your looking for an excellent mid range or budget tyre then you wont go far wrong with a Sava
Dunlop, which used to be Britain’s premier tyre maker, is now owned by Goodyear. Dunlop tyres are quite pricey, but are available from national and regional retail chains, independents and online retailers
Pirelli tyres
Pirelli is Italy's premium tyre maker and also owns economy tyre brands <C> and Courier. Pirelli Tyres are generally quite expensive, but availability is good.
Pirelli is stocked by National and regional chains, independent retailers and online fitters.
Bridgestone tyres
Bridgestone is one of the world’s largest tyre companies; it also owns the Firestone brand, plus a range of lesser-known mid-range and economy brands.
Bridgestone tyres tend to carry a premium price, but they are widely available through national and regional retail chains, independents and online retailers.
Continental tyres
Continental is one of Europe’s most prominent tyre makers. It also owns other reasonably well-known brands like Uniroyal and Semperit, plus a host of lesser-known mid-range and economy brands like Barum, Mabor and Viking.
Continental tyres are relatively expensive to buy. They are offered by most high street and
Your local tyre retailer may try to sell you tyres from a manufacturer you're not familiar with - or you may see some well-priced tyres online from a
name new to you. But are these worth investing in, and will they keep you safe on the road?
Hankook tyres
Price band: High
Pros: Generally good wet and dry grip, good wet and dry handling
Cons: Availability patchy, high purchase prices
Pros: Generally good wet and dry grip, good wet and dry handling
Cons: Availability patchy, high purchase prices
Hankook Tire (South Korea) is an ambitiously expanding company which is growing in Europe - where its involvement in race series such as the DTM (German Touring Cars), GT4 European Series plus the Nurburgring 24 Hours has helped raise its profile.
It owns the subsidiary value-oriented brand Kingstar (Netherlands), as well as its own in-house entry-level line, Laufenn. Its own-brand range includes winter and all-season tyres, as well as models developed to optimise fuel economy. However, Hankook tyres are quite expensive compared with other makes – and availability is patchy compared with mainstream brands.
Kumho tyres
Price band: Low
Pros: Generally good dry grip and handling, competitively priced
Cons: We've found some with poor wet grip, not widely available
Pros: Generally good dry grip and handling, competitively priced
Cons: We've found some with poor wet grip, not widely available
Kumho is another South Korean firm with a broad international reach; a little smaller than Hankook, it has nonetheless supplied tyres to F1 and the Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as for aircraft and jet fighters. Its passenger car range in the UK includes winter and all-season tyres.
Kumho tyres are distributed around the country, and are usually competitively-priced, although there is a relatively small number of retailers stocking them. They are also available online.
Maloya tyres
Price band: Middle
Pros: Good wet grip and handling, good resistance to aquaplaning
Cons: Some tyres have poor dry grip, not widely available
Pros: Good wet grip and handling, good resistance to aquaplaning
Cons: Some tyres have poor dry grip, not widely available
Originally a Swiss tyre-maker, the defunct Maloya brand-name was bought by Dutch company Vredestein in the 1990s and both firms have since been merged into Apollo Tyres of India. Maloya tyres were initially relaunched only in Germany, but independent and online retailers are now starting to offer them in the UK
Nokian tyres
Price band: Middle
Pros: Very good dry grip and handling; good wet grip, handling and resistance to aquaplaning; reasonable prices
Cons: Not widely available
Pros: Very good dry grip and handling; good wet grip, handling and resistance to aquaplaning; reasonable prices
Cons: Not widely available
Nokian is an independent Finnish manufacturer, although Bridgestone Europe owns a sizeable (minority) shareholding. It specialises - unsurprisingly, given its Nordic location - in tyres for northern, snowy and icy conditions, including a range of winter tyres and models with retractable studs. It also makes tyres for forestry and agriculture, as well as for ice-racing.
Nokian tyres are reasonably priced compared with other makes, but their availability is patchy in the UK.
Vredestein tyres
Price band: Middle
Pros: Good wet grip and handling, good resistance to aquaplaning
Cons: Some tyres have poor dry grip, not widely available
Pros: Good wet grip and handling, good resistance to aquaplaning
Cons: Some tyres have poor dry grip, not widely available
Dutch manufacturer Vredestein is now Indian-owned, but its tyres continue to be developed and (mostly) produced in the Netherlands. The company vaunts its design values: it has long worked with car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro on a signature range of products.
Vredestein tyres include summer, winter and all-season models in a spread of sizes; they are sold mainly through independent retailers in the UK, or are available online.
Yokohama tyres
Price band: Middle
Pros: Good wet grip and handling, good resistance to aquaplaning
Cons: Some tyres have poor dry grip, not widely available
Pros: Good wet grip and handling, good resistance to aquaplaning
Cons: Some tyres have poor dry grip, not widely available
The Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd., established 1917, is said to be Japan's oldest tyre-maker and it currently manufactures over 70 million tyres a year as well as a broad range of industrial products. As well as specialist off-road, truck and motorsport tyres, it offers a series of summer and winter tyres for mainstream passenger vehicles.
Its tyres are reasonably priced compared with those from premium brands, and are sold mainly through independent retailers.
Choosing the right tyre brand
If the top-rated tyre brands are beyond your budget, you'll need to know which of the rest you can trust. Some of the smaller brands offer perfectly acceptable tyres, while others miss the mark completely. Choose unwisely and you could be putting your safety at risk.
Understanding tyre markings
Understanding the markings on the sidewalls of your car tyres will help you choose the right replacements for your car.
The letters and numbers on the side of your car tyres relate to their size, dimensions, composition and capabilities.
Here’s what each section of the code means, using the tyre size and specification 175/65 R14T as an example:
- 175 Tyre width in mm
- 65 Tyre sidewall profile – sidewall height expressed as a percentage of its width
- R Radial (rather than a cross ply)
- 14 Diameter of the wheel rim, in inches
- T Speed rating which must match or exceed the maximum speed of your car.
Discover the Best Buy tyres that came top in our tests
Car tyre speed ratings
- S 180km/h or 112mph
- T 190km/h or 118mph
- U 200km/h or 125mph
- H 210km/h or 130mph
- V 240km/h or 149mph
- W(ZR) 270km/h or 168mph
- Y(ZR) 300km/h or 186mph
- ZR Above 240km/h or 149mph
So the tyre we used as an example is only suitable for use on cars with a maximum speed of 118mph (or less). Tyres available in this size and specification include the Dunlop SP 30, Firestone's Multihawk and the Continental EcoContact 3.
Your car’s handbook will tell you the minimum tyre speed and load ratings you should go for. Once you know the size and type of tyre you need, head over to our tyre reviews to find the best tyres we've tested.
Elsewhere on your tyres you will see the manufacturer’s name, the name of the tyre model and information about where and when the tyre was made.
Run-flat tyres help you avoid this, although they are more expensive
Run-flat tyres
Run-flat tyres are increasingly popular. If you have a puncture on your journey, a run-flat tyre supports the vehicle weight so you can travel for another 50 miles or so, at a maximum speed of 50mph.
There are many markings that could indicate your tyre is a run-flat tyre, including DSST, RFT, ROF and RunFL.
Run-flat tyres and traditional car tyres should not be mixed on the same car, as it could affect the handling.
Tyresafe advises run-flat tyres should not be used on cars without a tyre pressure monitoring system, which is used to alert you of a deflation or puncture.
It also warns against using run-flat tyres when towing, as they're only designed to support the weight of the vehicle itself.
Tuesday, 5 April 2016
Friday, 1 April 2016
Saturday, 26 March 2016
Friday, 25 March 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)