Tyre Fitting in Teignmouth

Teignmouth is a seaside town at the mouth of the River Teign, with a harbour, a seafront and the bridge to Shaldon. Steep hills and summer visitors add traffic and stress to the tyres on local cars.

Automaster, near Totnes, is an independent garage that deals with tyres alongside everything else on the car. This page is a practical guide for Teignmouth drivers.

Seafront salt and summer traffic: what to watch on tyres

Slow queues along the seafront and frequent braking on hills wear tyres steadily. Corrosion on a wheel rim or valve can cause a slow leak, so a tyre that needs regular topping up should be checked.

If a tyre keeps needing air, it is not something to ignore. Have it checked off the wheel.

Parking by the harbour and on the front means kerbs, so inspect the sidewalls after parking squeezes.

Is my tyre tread safe for Teignmouth hills?

Minimum legal tread is 1.6 mm over the central three quarters of the tyre. On wet, steep hills the stopping and traction margin falls well before that, so think about replacing early.

Do not overlook sidewalls. A bulge or cut is a reason to stop driving on the tyre.

Hills down to the seafront heat the front tyres through braking, and a tyre near the limit will show wear first on the shoulders.

• Tread depth
• Sidewall condition
• Tyre age code
• Even wear across the tread

Can I get a puncture repaired, or is it a new tyre?

A small hole in the central tread can usually be repaired properly from inside the tyre. Damage near the edge, any sidewall damage, or a tyre that has been used flat has to be replaced.

We look at the inside of the tyre before saying which applies.

Tell us how long the tyre has been losing air, and whether you have driven on it flat. That helps decide whether a repair is sensible.

Do all four tyres need to match?

Tyres on the same axle should be a matching pair for even grip. Front and rear can differ on some cars, so ask rather than assume. Age counts too: an old tyre beside a new one gives uneven handling.

If your wheels have been out of line, new tyres are wasted unless tracking is corrected. Balancing finishes the job.

Bridges, narrow streets and kerbs near the Shaldon crossing offer plenty of chances to scuff a wheel. A wheel that has taken a knock deserves a check of the rim as well as the tyre.

Do you cover Teignmouth and where is the garage?

Yes, Teignmouth drivers are welcome, along with people from Dawlish, Stoke-in-Teignhead, Newton Abbot and Milber. Automaster is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, TQ9 6PL.

Ask for a quote giving us the registration, tyre size and the number of tyres, and mention any symptoms such as pulling.

Quote requests are easier to deal with when we know the car, the tyre size and whether the car pulls, so have those details to hand.