The Law

UK law requires that your vehicle is fitted with the correct tyre and size of tyre for the vehicle type you are driving and for the purpose that it is being used. This means fitting the right tyres and for safely ensuring that they are inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure. The legal limit for minimum depth of the tread on your tyres is 1.6 millimetres, across the central 3/4 of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre.

For safety reasons it is recommended that you replace your tyres before the legal limit is reached. Many vehicle manufacturers recommend replacing at 3 millimetres. At 1.6 millimetres in wet weather it takes an extra car length (8 metres) to stop at 50 mph than if your tread was at 3 millimetres.

A regular check of tyres can help you avoid 3 penalty points and a hefty £2500 in fines (per tyre) for having tyres worn beyond the legal minimum limit on your vehicle. It is also a legal requirement to ensure that tyres of different construction types are not fitted to the opposite sides of the same axle. The two main tyre types are radial and cross-ply, and these must not be mixed on the same axle.

What does the writing on the side of the tyre mean?

There are two main purposes of the writing that you will see on the sidewall of your tyres. The first is to help identify the size and specification of the tyres correctly. The second is to confirm that the tyre has been tested and approved to European and other country safety standards. The European mandatory is the 'E' marking.

4 Wheel alignment and geometry

It's vital, for both safety and economy, that the wheel alignment of your car is checked regularly. This should be done annually, but also if you hit a kerb with a wheel, if you notice that your tyres are wearing unevenly, or after any suspension work has been carried out on your car. Steering and suspension wear can also affect your wheel alignment, as can driving too fast over speed humps and potholes.

Improving Safety and Efficiency

Regular wheel alignment checks will help to:

• Minimise tyre wear
• Improve fuel consumption
• Improve braking
• Help keep the car safe to drive
• Optimise the handling and cornering of the car

Older cars used to require no adjustment to wheel alignment apart from the tracking of the front wheels. This was carried out using a simple mechanical jig which used mirrors to check the alignment of the front wheels. Unfortunately technicians at many tyre and service centres still believe that this simple check is all that is required.

Bosch FWA 4650 Four-Wheel Alignment System

Autolusso's workshop is equipped with the latest and ultra-sophisticated Bosch FWA 4650 fully computerised wheel alignment system. With modern wheel alignment equipment by Bosch, our workshop can adjust the relevant components with precision and deliver exact steering wheel alignment, great ride comfort and safe road-holding characteristics for your car.

Simple operation and convenient adjustment illustrations save time, maximum precision and repeatability, combination with driver assistance system, adjustment, tyre tread depth measurement and headlight adjustment, all in one place.

Wheel balancing

Wheels that are not balanced or are out of balance generally produce a vibration which makes the car uncomfortable to drive and results in premature wearing of suspension and steering components, rotating parts and tyres. Correctly balanced wheels help to eliminate vibration and avoid premature wear caused by an imbalance in the rotating wheel and tyre assembly. The first sign that your wheels may be out of balance is when your steering wheel starts to wobble above a certain speed. The light weight of modern cars means that they don't dampen down the vibrations caused by spinning wheels in the way that older, heavier vehicles could. As a result of wheel balancing, you should notice a smoother ride and better wear from your tyres, saving you time and money. We have the latest and most accurate tyre balancing machines to make your ride as comfortable as possible.