Tyre Fitting in Paignton

Paignton is a Torbay seaside resort with a pier, a harbour, a zoo and a busy seafront. In the holiday season the town fills up, and cars spend a lot of time crawling, parking and pulling away, which suits neither tyres nor wheel alignment.

If your tyres are worn, a puncture has appeared, or the steering feels off, Automaster can deal with it at our garage at Longcombe Cross. What follows is a plain guide to what to look for.

Tyres for Paignton seafront parking and kerbs

Parallel parking close to a kerb is the commonest way sidewalls get scuffed. Light scuffing is cosmetic, but a cut, a bulge or a bubble means the casing inside is damaged and the tyre needs to be replaced.

Run your hand carefully round the inner sidewall too, which is the side you cannot see from the pavement.

• Look for bulges or bubbles
• Check for cuts that reach the cord
• Check wheel rims for kerb damage

How much tread must a car tyre have?

The legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three quarters of the tread, around the full circumference. Below that, the tyre is illegal and wet-weather stopping gets noticeably worse.

If you are not sure, bring the car in and ask us to measure it. Uneven wear across the tyre is a clue to pressure or alignment trouble, and is worth mentioning.

Is it worth fixing a puncture or should I buy a new tyre?

A puncture in the central tread, caused by something like a screw or nail, can usually be repaired by removing the tyre and treating it from the inside. We would not repair damage to the sidewall or shoulder.

Tyres that have been driven for some distance while flat are a different story, because the structure can be weakened without showing it. If you can, stop as soon as you notice a flat.

Why do tyres on a pair or axle need to match?

Two different tyres on one axle grip differently, which can make braking and cornering uneven. Where only one tyre has gone, the answer depends on how worn the other one is, and on the vehicle.

New tyres also tell the story of the alignment. If a pair wore on one edge only, have the tracking checked before fitting fresh ones, otherwise the new set wears the same way. Balancing the wheels afterwards stops vibration.

Do you serve Paignton, and where is the garage?

Yes. Paignton drivers, and people from Torbay, Brixham, Churston and Totnes, bring their cars to Automaster at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, Totnes TQ9 6PL. It is an independent garage, so MOT testing, servicing and brake work can be arranged on the same visit if you ask.

For a quote, send the registration, the tyre size from the sidewall and the number of tyres you need.