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Keeping Your Tyres Safe

Symptom: flat tyre

Diagnostic: Tyre Damage that Requires Repair

  • Most punctures of nail holes or cuts up to 6mm" confined to the tread may be repaired by a tyre professional using industry-approved procedures.
  • An on-the-wheel plug-only repair is not reliable and is dangerous because after a puncture the inside of a tyre must be inspected.

Solution:

  • The proper repair of a radial tyre (most tyres) includes the placing of a rubber patch on the inner liner of the tyre and a rubber filling of the hole.
  • Do not attempt to repair tyres with tread punctures larger than 6mm" or any sidewall puncture. Also, do not have tyres repaired that are worn below 2/32" tread depth.
  • Replace your damaged tyre with a spare tyre – but first be sure to check the spare tyre's sidewall for the correct inflation pressure, speed and mileage limitations. Take your vehicle for an inspection to a tyre professional.

Symptom: soft tyres

Diagnostic: Under inflation

  • Reduces tread life through increased tread wear on the outside edges (or shoulders) of the tyre
  • Generates excessive heat, which reduces tyre durability and can lead to tyre failure
  • Reduces fuel economy through increased rolling resistance

Solution:

Add air to your tyre until it reaches the proper air pressure (psi: as measured by an air pressure gauge). To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door.

More on Air pressure

Symptom: Wear on Both Edges

Diagnostic: Under-inflation

  • Reduces tread life through increased tread wear on the outside edges (or shoulders) of the tyre
  • Generates excessive heat, which reduces tyre durability and can lead to tyre failure
  • Reduces fuel economy through increased rolling resistance

Solution:

Add air to your tyre until it reaches the proper air pressure (psi: as measured by an air pressure gauge).
To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door.

More on Air pressure

Symptom: Wear in the Centre and Excessive Wear

Diagnostic: Over-inflation

  • The centre of the tread bears most of the load and wears out faster than the outside edges.
  • To prevent this, always check tyres when they’re cold, before they’ve been driven or at least three hours after.

Solution:

Take air out of your tyre, using a tyre-pressure gauge, until your air pressure reading matches your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended psi. To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door.

More on Air pressure

Symptom: Uneven Wear

Diagnostic 1: Poor Alignment

Uneven front or rear tyre wear means that you need an alignment.

Solution:

Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. If this is the case, your vehicle may need a "front-end" alignment or a "four-wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. See your tyre dealer for an inspection.
More on Alignment in our Scheduled care tips

Diagnostic 2: Over-inflation issues

  • The centre of the tread bears most of the load and wears out faster than the outside edges.
  • To prevent this, always check tyres when they’re cold, before they’ve been driven or at least three hours after.

Solution:

Take air out of your tyre, using a tyre-pressure gauge, until your air pressure reading matches your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended psi. To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door.

More on Air pressure

Symptom: Scalloped

Diagnostic 1: Poor Alignment

Uneven front or rear tyre wear means that you need an alignment.

Solution:

Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. If this is the case, your vehicle may need a "front-end" alignment or a "four-wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. See your tyre dealer for an inspection.

More on Alignment

Symptom: Sawtooth Edges and Feathered Edges

Diagnostic: Misalignment

If a vehicle is misaligned, the edges of the tread have a sawtooth or feathered appearance. This is caused by erratic scrubbing against the road.

Solution:

You car most likely needs a toe-in or toe-out alignment correction. Please see your tyre professional for inspection.

More on Alignment in our Scheduled care tips

Symptoms: Dips and Cups

Diagnostic: Worn Parts

  • Cupping (also called dipping or scalloping) is most common on front tyres.
  • Rear tyres can cup, however, as well.

Solution:

Worn parts may be a sign that wheels are out of balance or that suspension or steering system parts need service or replacement. Please see your tyre professional for inspection.

Symptom: Damage

Diagnostic: Tyre Damage that Requires Repair

  • Most punctures from nail holes or cuts up to ¼" confined to the tread may be repaired by a tyre professional using industry-approved procedures.
  • An on-the-wheel plug-only repair is not reliable and is dangerous because afterwards the inside of the tyre must be checked for punctures.

Solution:

  • The proper repair of a radial tyre (most tyres) includes the placing of a rubber patch on the inner liner of the tyre and a rubber filling in the hole.
  • Do not attempt to repair tyres with tread punctures larger than 1/4" or any sidewall puncture. Also, do not have tyres repaired that are worn below 2/32" tread depth.
  • Replace your damaged tyre with a spare tyre – but be sure to first check the spare tyre's sidewall for the correct inflation pressure, speed and mileage limitations. Take your vehicle for an inspection to a tyre professional.

Symptom: Bar Across Tread

Diagnostic: Worn-Out Tyre

  • All tyres have tread-wear indicator bars at 2/32" of the remaining tread.
  • When the tread is worn down to 2/32" or when you can see the tread-wear indicator bars on any section of the tyre, the tyre is worn out and should be replaced.

Solution:

Take your vehicle to a tyre professional for an inspection and have a professional measure the remaining tread with a tread-depth gauge.

Symptom: indention

Diagnostic: This is not a problem. It is the normal radial sidewall.

  • Indentations are quite natural on radial tyres (most tyres) and will not affect performance.
  • Your tyres feature one or more layers of fabric cord within the sidewall construction that run parallel to each other. (Steel cords are used within the tread.) Where the cords overlap, there is often slight indentation.

See How is a tyre made?

Symptom: bulge or bubble

Diagnostic: Tyre Damage that Requires Repair

  • Most punctures, nail holes or cuts up to ¼" confined to the tread, may be repaired by a tyre professional using industry-approved procedures.
  • An on-the-wheel plug-only repair is unreliable and dangerous because after a puncture, the inside of a tyre must be inspected.

Solution:

  • The proper repair of a radial tyre (most tyres) includes the placing of a rubber patch on the inner liner of the tyre and a rubber filling in the hole.
  • Do not attempt to repair tyres with tread punctures larger than 1/4" or any sidewall puncture. Also, do not have tyres repaired that are worn below 2/32" tread depth.
  • Replace your damaged tyre with a spare tyre – but be sure to first check the spare tyre's sidewall for the correct inflation pressure, speed and mileage limitations. Take your vehicle for an inspection to a tyre professional.

Symptoms: Vibration or shimmy

Diagnostic: Tyres Out of Balance OR Steering & Suspension System Malfunction

  • Tyres that are out of balance can cause vibrations that lead to driver fatigue, premature or uneven tyre wear and unnecessary wear and tear on your vehicle's suspension.

Solution and advices:

  • The solution could be as simple as rebalancing your tyres
  • You might also need to fix your steering and suspension system.
  • Visit your tyre professional at the very first sign of vibration or "shimmy."
  • If rebalancing doesn't eliminate the vibration, have the alignment and/or suspension system components checked.
  • Tyres should be balanced when they are mounted on wheels for the first time or when they are remounted after being repaired.

Symptoms: Pulling to One side or Poor steering

Diagnostic 1: Poor Alignment

Uneven front or rear tyre wear means that you need an alignment.

Solution:

Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. If this is the case, your vehicle may need a "front-end" alignment or a "four-wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. See your tyre dealer for an inspection.

More on Alignment

Symptoms: Poor handling

Diagnostic: Tyre Damage that Requires Repair

  • Most punctures from nail holes or cuts up to ¼" confined to the tread may be repaired by a tyre professional using industry-approved procedures.
  • An on-the-wheel plug-only repair is not reliable and is dangerous because after a puncture the inside of a tyre must be inspected.

Solution:

  • The proper repair of a radial tyre (most tyres) includes the placing of a rubber patch on the inner liner of the tyre and a rubber filling in the hole.
  • Do not attempt to repair tyres with tread punctures larger than 1/4" or any sidewall puncture. Also, do not have tyres repaired that are worn below 2/32" tread depth.
  • Replace your damaged tyre with a spare tyre – but be sure to first check the spare tyre's sidewall for the correct inflation pressure, speed and mileage limitations. Take your vehicle for an inspection to a tyre professional.

If your tyre becomes damaged, it may be repaired if:

  • The tyre has not been driven on when flat
  • The damage is only on the tread section of your tyre (sidewall damage ruins a tyre immediately)
  • The puncture is no greater than 6mm"

How is a tyre properly repaired?

  • The tyre is demounted and inspected internally as well as externally. It is then patched from the inside and the puncture hole is filled.
  • Do not have your tyre plugged. A plug is simply inserted into the punctured area, making it unreliable.
    Tyres should be repaired by a tyre professional.