Tyre Fitting in Stoke-in-Teignhead

Stoke-in-Teignhead is a village on narrow lanes between Torquay and the Teign estuary, near Shaldon and Teignmouth. Lanes like these mean grit, hedge cuttings, potholes and kerbless edges that take their toll on tyres and wheels.

Automaster is at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, and we cover tyres, puncture repair, alignment and balancing. We have set out what lane driving does to tyres and what to tell us in a quote request.

Lanes, potholes and hedge trimmings: what do they do?

Thorns and flint can find their way into the tread, and a pothole can bruise a sidewall without leaving an obvious mark. The tyre may seem fine for days, then lose pressure.

After a hard hit, check the tyre for a bump and look at the wheel rim for dents. If the steering has changed since, get it checked.

Mud on the tyres can hide cuts, so wipe the sidewalls clean before inspecting them, and use a torch inside the wheel arch.

How low can the tread go?

The legal limit is 1.6 mm across the central three quarters of the tread. Many people find that on wet, muddy lanes a tyre with less tread than that is simply unpleasant to drive.

Sidewall condition matters as much. Cuts or bulges mean the tyre should not stay on the car.

Lane driving often means stopping hard for oncoming traffic, which wears the front tyres. Measure each tyre, because they rarely wear at the same rate.

• Measure at several points round the tyre
• Check both inner and outer edges
• Look for stones lodged in the grooves

Is every puncture repairable?

No. A nail or screw in the main tread can often be repaired from the inside after the tyre has been removed. A cut from a sharp flint at the edge of the tread or in the sidewall cannot.

If the tyre has run flat even for a short way, the inside can be damaged. We inspect before we say whether a repair is possible.

A tyre that keeps going down every week or so is telling you something. Do not just keep topping it up, because a small leak can turn into a sudden flat.

When do I need tracking and balancing?

Tracking is the alignment of the wheels, and rough lanes can knock it out. Signs are a car that wanders, a steering wheel that sits off-centre, or tyre edges that wear quickly.

Balancing deals with vibration. If the wheel shimmies at certain speeds on the main road, balance is the first thing to look at.

Rural drivers also meet the odd kerb or ditch edge, and a scrape against one is enough to knock a wheel out of line. If the car feels different afterwards, have it looked at.

Do you cover Stoke-in-Teignhead, and what do I send for a quote?

Drivers from the surrounding countryside and from nearby Teignmouth, St Marychurch, Newton Abbot and Milber come to us. We are at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, TQ9 6PL.

For a quote, include your registration, the tyre size from the sidewall, how many tyres you want and what you have noticed.