Tyre Fitting in Ellacombe

Ellacombe is a residential district of Torquay, with steep terraced streets running down towards the harbour and town centre. Cars there are often parked tight to the kerb and tucked into narrow gaps, which is a recipe for scuffed sidewalls.

This page covers tyre fitting, puncture repair, wheel alignment and balancing at Automaster, Longcombe Cross, near Totnes, and what to have ready when you ask for a quote.

Kerb scuffs and bulges on a terraced street car

When a car lives on the street, the inner and outer sidewalls take a beating from kerbs and tight manoeuvres. Surface scuffing is usually harmless. A bulge, a bubble or a cut that goes deeper than the surface is not.

A bulge means the cords inside have failed, and the tyre can burst. Do not wait on that one.

Tell us if the car is parked on the road every night. It is useful to know when we look at wear patterns and sidewall damage.

• Bulge or bubble on either sidewall
• Cut that shows fabric or cord
• Rim damage where the tyre meets the wheel

What counts as a legal tyre in Ellacombe or anywhere?

Tread must be at least 1.6 mm deep across the central three quarters of the tyre and around its full circumference. Many drivers choose to replace sooner for better wet grip.

Tyres also age whether or not they are used. A car that sits on the street for weeks can still have hard, cracked rubber. The date code on the sidewall tells you how old the tyre is.

Keep the spare, if the car has one, in the same condition. A spare that has sat for years can be perished, so check its age code too.

My tyre keeps going flat. Can it be mended?

Slow loss of air is often a small puncture or a leak at the rim or valve. Once the tyre is off the wheel, it can be checked inside and out.

A hole in the central tread may be repairable. Damage to the sidewall or the edge of the tread is not, and a tyre that has been driven while flat usually is not either.

Will alignment stop my steering pulling?

Sometimes. Pulling can also come from different tyre pressures, uneven wear, a sticking brake or worn suspension, so the cause needs finding rather than guessing.

Tracking is worth checking after a heavy kerb hit. Balancing handles shake through the wheel. The two are separate jobs, and a quote can cover either or both.

A car that has stood unused for some weeks can also develop flat spots or lose pressure, so check before driving off.

Do you take cars from Ellacombe, and how do I get a quote?

We do. Automaster is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, TQ9 6PL, and welcomes drivers from Ellacombe, St Marychurch, Torbay, Paignton and Newton Abbot.

Give us your registration, the tyre size printed on the sidewall, whether it is one tyre or several, and what the car has been doing. That lets us put a proper quote together.