Tyre Fitting in Heathfield

Heathfield sits between Newton Abbot and Bovey Tracey beside the A38 and A382, with an industrial estate and plenty of through traffic. Cars and work vehicles here spend a lot of time pulling away from junctions and slowing for queues, and that is hard on tyres.

Automaster, at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, fits new tyres, repairs punctures, and carries out wheel alignment and balancing. We also test Class 7 vans, so work vehicles are part of our day, and this page sets out what Heathfield drivers should know.

Why do tyres wear quickly around busy junctions?

Repeated acceleration, braking and tight turns scrub the tread. In heavy traffic, drivers brake later and harder than they intend, and that wears the front tyres especially. Higher loads on work vehicles add to it.

Pressure is the simplest thing to control. Check cold pressures regularly and use the figures for your vehicle, and for a loaded van the handbook may list a different figure.

How do I check tread and condition?

Use a tread depth gauge. The legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three quarters of the tread, but wear is often uneven, so measure in several places. Look closely at the sidewalls for cuts, bulges and cracking.

Industrial estates collect debris, so also look for screws, nails and metal fragments in the tread.

Wear patterns tell a story. Both edges worn suggests under-inflation, a bald centre suggests too much air, and one edge worn suggests an alignment problem. Tell us what you see and it speeds up the quote.

• Gauge readings across the width
• Debris in the tread
• Sidewall cuts or bulges
• Matching tyres on the axle

When can a puncture be repaired?

A small puncture in the central tread can often be repaired from inside the tyre once it is removed and inspected. Sidewall damage is not repairable. A tyre driven flat for any distance is likely to be damaged inside.

We inspect first, then give you a straight answer.

What are the signs I need balancing or tracking?

Vibration at steady speeds usually points to balancing. Pulling to one side, a crooked steering wheel or edge wear usually points to alignment. They are separate jobs and a quote can include one or both.

Because a commuting car covers many miles on the same roads, small faults show up as wear quite quickly.

Do you cover Heathfield and what should I tell you?

Yes, drivers from Heathfield, Liverton, Newton Abbot, Bickington and Hexworth come to Longcombe Cross near Totnes. Give us the vehicle details, the tyre size and whether it is a car or a van.

Tell us how it is loaded and used, as that can affect which tyre is suitable.