Tyre News » Tyre Sidewall

How To Find Your Tyre Size

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:55:13 +0000

When looking for the size of your car tyres the only accurate way to find it is to look on the sidewall of your tyre. Looking in your cars handbook or using registration look-ups provided by some websites are not accurate methods when looking for your tyre size.

The majority of cars now come with different size options for wheels and tyres so there is no such thing as a standard tyre size anymore. Add this to the fact that some cars have a different tyre size on the front to the tyre size on the rear. Finding your tyre size is easy if you know what to look for …

The tyre size will be on the sidewall of each tyre and will be set out in the following format although the numbers and letters could be different

205 / 55 R 16 91W

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3G RFT – Bridgestone 3rd Generation Run-Flat Tyres

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Bridgestone Tyres are moving closer to the release of their “3rd Generation Run-Flat Tyres” or “3G RFT“. While run-flat tyres are designed with safety as a priority, they have a reputation for making the ride quality overly firm and uncomfortable due to the reinforced tyre sidewall. This has led many drivers to replace their run-flat tyres with conventional tyres.

BRIDGESTONE 3G RFT UPDATE (16th July 2010)

Bridgestone claim that their latest 3rd generation run-flat tyres offer the same level of safety as previous run-flat tyres with vastly increased ride quality thanks to a tyre sidewall only 5% stiffer than a conventional tyre.

The key to reducing sidewall stiffness lies within “Heat Control”. When tyres are run at reduced or zero pressure, the friction on the distorted sidewall rapidly generates heat which can quickly destroy a tyre. Bridgestone Tyres have implemented three new technologies that reduce the heat generated by a tyre under run-flat conditions.

A new sidewall reinforced rubber reduces heat by 50% compared to previous run-flat tyres. Bridgestone have adopted “NanoPro-Tech” which reduces the friction that occurs between carbon molecules in the sidewall rubber which reduces heat build up. This allows for a softer tyre sidewall.

A “New Ply” fibre reduces tyre sidewall deformation by contracting as any heat builds up. This contraction of the tyre sidewall reduces deformation and prevents a rapid increase in temperature.

Protrusions in the tyre sidewall known as “Cooling Fins” create disturbances in the air flow around a tyre causing heat in the tyre sidewall to be reduced when driving on tyres that have zero pressure.

Tyre manufacturers are hoping this new run-flat technology will allow run-flat tyres to be produced in tyre sizes that have previously proved problematic increasing the safety for drivers across a broader range of vehicles.

Bridgestone have yet to confirm release dates and sizes for their 3rd generation run-flat tyres although they were hoping to launch them towards the end of 2009.

Damaged Tyres – Hidden Dangers of Snow, Ice and Potholes

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:30:18 +0000

Tyre damage and snow and ice are not always things motorists would put together – but they certainly should. With a blanket of snow covering much of the UK it becomes increasingly difficult for drivers as they can not always see things clearly such as kerbs, potholes and hidden debris concealed by the snow.

Its very easy to get caught out by a kerb covered in snow or ice whether your are simply trying to park or whether you slide resulting in contact. As well as possible mechanical damage, this could lead to a damaged tyre sidewall. If you kerb your tyre, the friction between the kerb and the tyre can cause it to tear the sidewall of the tyre. In some cases you can pinch the tyre releasing some of the air before it reseals again leaving you with a dangerously under inflated tyre.

Potholes are a particularly bad problem at this time of year. When water freezes below the road surface it expands and raises the tarmac. When temperatures climb the ice melts and leaves a void under the surface. As tyres pass over the damaged area the tarmac is pushed back down and cracks. This causes the tarmac to break away leaving a pothole. Potholes can cause “Impact Damage” to a tyre resulting in failure of the internal components of the tyre. Failure of the tyres structure can cause the tyre to go out of shape, bulge at the sidewall or even blowout.