Tyre Fitting in Buckfast

Buckfast is a small village beside Buckfast Abbey, close to the A38 and the town of Buckfastleigh. It is busy with visitors, and that traffic shares the lanes with locals going about their day.

Whether you live in Buckfast or are passing through, Automaster can help with tyres. We fit new tyres, repair suitable punctures, align wheels and balance them at Longcombe Cross near Totnes.

My tyre is flat after a visit to the abbey. What now?

Do not drive on a flat tyre. It can ruin the tyre and the rim and it is unsafe. If you have a working spare and know how to fit it, that gets you home or to us. Otherwise ask for help where you are.

Once the car reaches us, the tyre can be taken off and inspected inside and out. A nail in the main tread is often repairable; sidewall damage is not, and a tyre that has been driven flat may need replacing.

If you are visiting and the tyre is only soft rather than fully flat, drive slowly and carefully to a safe place, and avoid pushing on any further than you must.

How can I check my own tyres in a few minutes?

Look at the tread depth against the legal minimum of 1.6 mm across the central three quarters of the tread. Look at all the sidewalls for cuts and bulges, and check that nothing is stuck in the tread. Use a reliable gauge for pressures.

Make sure the two tyres on one axle look alike in wear and type. Mixed tyres can make a car handle unpredictably, particularly in the wet.

• Tread depth across the central area
• Sidewall bulges, cuts or cracks
• Objects lodged in the tread
• Pressures against your handbook

Why do alignment and balancing matter?

Alignment sets the direction your wheels point. If it is out, the car may pull to one side, the steering wheel may sit crooked, and the tyre edges may wear away fast. Balancing sorts out vibration; a wheel that is slightly heavy on one side will shake as speed rises.

Both are quick things to ask about while tyres are being fitted, and both can protect the new set.

A common situation is a driver who notices a vibration only after a long day out. That can be a stone stuck in the tread, a lost balance weight or a damaged tyre, and it is worth having looked at before it becomes a bigger job.

Do you cover Buckfast, and where is the garage?

Yes. Our garage is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, Totnes TQ9 6PL. We see drivers from Buckfast, Buckfastleigh, Holne, South Brent and Totnes.

If you are visiting and have a tyre problem, you are welcome to ask what can be done. We will say honestly whether the tyre can be repaired.

What goes into the cost of new tyres?

The size, the speed and load rating, the number of tyres and any alignment or balancing all feed into a quote. Tyres for different cars differ widely, so we ask for the details first.

Please ask for a quote with your registration and the sidewall size, and tell us if you have noticed vibration or pulling.