What, where and why: Cambered Tyres.

People will do just about anything to stand out in a crowd. Peacock clothing, cool shades and modifying cars are just a few examples of this attempt. The more the will to stand out the more extreme the steps individuals take. When it comes to car modifications, standing out is not easy. Modifying a vehicle is not be cheap. Custom-built spoilers, side skirts wheels and cambered tyres are all the rage. Today let us take a closer look at cambered tyres to see if they are just a cosmetic change or do they affect the performance of a vehicle.

First, let us understand what cambered wheels are.

Tyres on a vehicle ensure that the vehicle grips the road with minimal wear and tear. This is great for driving in a straight line. But, cars do not always drive in a straight line. They need to turn and corner and depending on their use they may need to corner at great speeds. This is where cambered tyres come in. These are tyres which have a few degrees of tilt in their stance. Tyres which lean towards the vehicle at their upper ends are said to have negative camber and ones which lean away from the vehicle have positive camber.

Why are cambered tyres used?

While driving the rubber in the tyres of a vehicle loses its shape to achieve maximum grip. This shift in the shape of the tyre is very useful for driving in a straight line, in the corners, however, it is not. In the corners due to the lateral force of the car’s weight the tyres losses shape in a way which reduces its grip. What this does is to reduce grip in corners and increase irregular tyre wear. To counter this effect while cornering, the concept of tyres with negative camber were introduced in cars. The camber in a road-going car is very little, around 3 degrees. This is decided by the manufacturer keeping the performance of the vehicle in mind.

Just a cosmetic change?

The simple answer is NO. But like with most things there are limitations. Tyres with negative camber on road-going vehicles need to be kept in the original setting fixed by the manufacturer. Tampering with it can result in irregular wear. In track cars, however, the camber depends on the track conditions and is used to enhance cornering performance.

Similarly, positive camber is used in vehicles which participate in off-road rally races or are load-bearing vehicles. In both these cases, they become more than just cosmetic change. For great-looking cambered tyres visit Tyres Altrincham.

Should you try cambered tyres?

The simple answer depends on personal choices. However, there are things that one should keep in mind when thinking about getting cambered tyres.

Increased irregular wear on tyres- because of the angle at which the tyre’s surface comes in contact with the road, there will be irregular wear in the tyres. How much the wear, will depend on the angle of the camber, usage of the vehicle and tyre quality. To get only the best quality tyres to rely only on Gilgal Tyres. Also, remember unless you are taking your car out to the track, the camber is of cosmetic use only. It is only at blistering cornering speeds that cambered wheels will be useful.

Remember, you should only invest money and time with expert camber fitments like those done by Tyres Bolton. When getting cambered tyres on your vehicle make sure that everything is in order and no aspect of camber fitments are left unchecked.

Stopping Distance - Everything you need to know

When driving your car, have you ever paid attention that your car not only moves according to how you control it but is also affected by the surroundings it is in? You try and control your car the best way possible, but when things go wrong outside, it is really about those seconds that can either save or sabotage you. Weather, temperature, tyre condition, and road surfaces are some factors that influence your drive and should be looked out for. Be alert when you drive, especially when you apply those brakes, or else it might be too late.

Stopping Distance

If you think stopping distance means the distance that your car takes to come to a halt after the brakes are applied, you're gravely mistaken. Braking distance is inclusive of the distance your car takes to stop after the brakes are applied, and also the time you take to analyze the situation and decide to apply the brakes. The distance covered by you when thinking about the situation is known as thinking distance.

Your thinking distance will vary according to your alertness at that time and other factors both, within and outside of the vehicle. An alert person will react to the situation faster than a not so alert person. Similarly, your speed also affects your stopping distance. More the speed, more the stopping distance. Also, your tyre condition is a key factor when it comes to braking. Tyres with low tread depth have lesser braking capacity than the ones that are in good condition and have an ample amount of tread depth left.

Summer and Winter Tyres

Summer Tyres are tyres that are designed to withstand the heat of the summer season while also having a good grip on the road and prevent aquaplaning. Aquaplaning is the drift you feel in your vehicle when it crosses wet surfaces and does not grip the road properly.

Winter tyres are designed using a softer compound of rubber that hardens when cooled by the cold winter roads. These tyres also have tread patterns that help the car cruise through snow-covered roads. Many people don’t switch their summer tyres for a winter set as they don’t drive in snowy areas, but snow isn’t the only factor here.

Temperature Effects

Temperature counts as well. Anything below 7°C starts to harden the tyres and using already hard summer tyres in these conditions can damage your tyres and increase the possibility of tyre bursts. The hard rubber of summer tyres is designed to soften when driven on hot roads, whereas, driving them in even more hardening conditions can be damaging for them. Similarly, driving winter tyres in temperatures above 7°C isn’t a wise choice either. The soft rubber compound of winter tyres will heat up quickly and wear out faster than it would otherwise.

All-Season Tyres – Saviour in Summer, Warrior in Winter

All season tyres are a blend of characteristics of both summer and winter tyres, and provide the driver with ample amount of control and grip in both the seasons. However, let us not forget that they’ll have to compromise on their performance issue for both the seasons and not provide as good grip and control as the seasonal tyres would. Not being as hard as summer tyres and neither being as soft as winter tyres limit the performance of all-season tyres.

Safety should always be your top-most priority no matter how much hurry you’re in. It’s better to be Mr Late than be Late. Mr. So maintain your tyres Hyde or else you are just being ignorant towards yours as well as others’ safety. Your negligence is not only bad for you, but also for anyone who is going on the road while you hardly care to pay attention. If you have any queries related to tyres Prestwich contact our experts at Gilgal Tyre, and we assure to give answers to all your questions.

How to maintain the roadworthiness of your tyres

The ‘worthiness’ of a product is determined by its capability. The capability depends on various factors. It changes according to situations, and any product requires maintenance if the user wants to sustain the capability for a longer time. Tyres are no different. It is imperative for drivers to judge the roadworthiness of their tyres. This practice not only helps them ensure the best experience and performance but also helps the drivers in making sure that the vehicle is safe to drive. However, the question is, how do we determine the roadworthiness?

Before addressing this question, one needs to understand how tyre functions and what are its components. The primary function of the tyre is to move the car while providing adequate mileage, safety, and comfort. To make sure that the tyre performs efficiently, several features are incorporated into it. For example, the rubber compound that is used while manufacturing the tyre is specially made to provide traction.

Other than that, the treads are designed to meet specific functions in different circumstances. The tread of a summer tyre is designed to meet challenges faced in dry and wet conditions, whereas the tread of a winter tyre would be designed to withstand low temperatures. Tyre pressure is another factor that plays a major role in determining the performance and wear of the tyre. It is the collective understanding and maintenance of all these factors that will help you determine the roadworthiness of your tyres.

Check for damage

While examining the tyres, it is essential to check for damage. You need to see if there are any bulges, bumps, cuts, cracks, tread wear, or any foreign objects embedded in your tyres. The sidewall needs to be specially checked for deep scuffs and small slits or holes. If the damage is unusual, you can drop by at our garage to take advice from our tyre experts.

Check the tread

The tread is arguably the most crucial component in any tyre. Therefore, it is imperative to check the tread wear constantly. There are tread wear indicators build on most tyres. The indicators are bars of hard rubber that appear across the tread if it has been worn down to 1.5mm. For your safety, we advise you not to use any tyre with tread depth less than 3mm.

Check tyre pressure

Tyre pressure not only affects the tyre tread wear, but also has an impact on balanced braking, grip, tyre life, wheel balancing, and wheel alignment. Tyre pressure also affects the fuel economy. Hence, it is crucial for the tyre pressure to be in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.

The road to maintaining the roadworthiness of your tyres goes through paying attention to them. At Gilgal Tyre, we pay the required attention to your vehicles as well as your requirements. Do you require tyres Altrincham or tyres Bolton? If you do, you are welcome to drop by at our garage. For more information, visit our website.

Run-Flat Tyres: Check out Some of the Best in the Market

Although you may have a Stepney in your car, replacing it with a blown out tyre involves considerable hassle. Further, if the flat occurs in the middle of nowhere or smack in between heavy traffic, the situation can become grievous.

So, to avoid getting into such scenarios, you can opt for a run-flat tyre. These tyres can run even after being punctured. You will get to travel a limited distance at restricted speeds. The majority of run-flat tyres enable you to travel 50 miles (80 km) at speeds of 50 mph (80 kmph).

There are two types of run-flat tyres available in the market:

• Self-Supporting

Although Michelin developed the first, self-supporting run-flat tyre back in 1934, it was only made available for military use. The first self-supporting run-flat tyre for public use came after the coalition of Chrysler and Goodyear in 1958. Later, in 1972, Dunlop followed suit with Pirelli and Bridgestone joining the team much later.

Self-supporting run-flat tyres have reinforced sidewalls. These sidewalls restrict the tyre to collapse during a loss of air pressure caused by a puncture. The majority of run-flat tyres work on this principle.

• Self-Sealing

Self-sealing run flat tyres come with an extra layer of sealant inside them. This sealant plugs the hole created during a puncture to restrict the air from escaping.

Check out the following list of Run Flat Tyres Manchester:

1. Continental ContiSportContact 5

The ContiSportContact 5 from Continental comes with this company’s Self-Supporting Runflat (SSR) technology. This tyre also comes with ContiSilent technology that reduces noise when this tyre rolls.

The Black Chilli technology reduces the braking distance of this tyre both over dry and wet roads.

The Continental ContiSportContact 5 is a summer tyre for passenger cars. It has also received recognition from Auto Bild and Sport Auto.

2. Pirelli P Zero

The Pirelli P Zero is a self-supporting run-flat tyre that also comes with a sealant inside it. The Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS) technology within this tyre reduces noise while driving.

The P Zero is a summer tyre both for passenger cars and SUVs. It comes with 4 longitudinal treads that reduce aquaplaning. A high silica content in this tyre accounts for more comfort and traction over wet roads. The outer tread design of this tyre lowers rolling resistance.

3. Bridgestone Potenza

Bridgestone’s Potenza series of tyres come with the company’s Run-Flat Technology (RFT).

The Potenza S001 and S007 come with 4 wide longitudinal grooves that drain water more rapidly for eliminating aquaplaning. These groves also reduce the braking distance over wet roads. The advanced lug and groove design of this tyre lower rolling noise. Its stiff shoulder blocks help you corner your vehicle more efficiently.

The Bridgestone Potenza series of summer tyres are for passenger cars.

4. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3

The Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 from Goodyear is another summer tyre with a run on flat technology.

While the Grip Booster compound of this tyre improves traction over wet and dry roads, its Active Braking Technology reduces the braking distance.

For buying any of these tyres in Manchester, you can head over to renowned car garages like Gilgal Tyres. They can provide you with vehicle tyres from some of the greatest brands in the world for passenger cars, SUVs and even vans.  

For more visit: www.gilgaltyre.com