Tyre Fitting in Torbay

The English Riviera runs round Tor Bay, taking in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. It is a place of hills, seafront traffic and a large summer influx of visitors, and all of that adds wear to tyres.

Automaster is an independent garage at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. We handle tyres as part of general garage work, and this page sets out what to check yourself and what to include in a quote request.

What tyre problems show up on Torbay roads?

Constant hill starts, hard braking downhill and slow queues along the seafront produce typical patterns: shoulders worn smooth, one side more worn than the other, and tyres that run warm at low speeds.

Pressure is the simplest thing to look after, and it makes a real difference to wear and grip. Check it when the tyres are cold, using the figures in the handbook.

Torquay's climbs, Paignton's seafront crawl and the hill roads above Brixham each wear tyres differently, so it helps to say which area you drive in most.

Are my tyres legal and safe to drive on?

Cars need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three quarters of the tyre, around its whole circumference. Anything under that is illegal and a risk in the wet.

Sidewalls matter just as much. Check for bulges, cuts and cracks, and for anything stuck in the tread. Never carry on driving if you can see cords, or if the tyre is losing air.

• Tread depth at or near the limit
• Cracks or splits in the rubber
• Slow pressure loss
• Bulges on the sidewall

Puncture repair or new tyre: how is it decided?

Position and size of damage decide it. A small hole in the central tread is often repairable from the inside. Sidewall damage, cuts, or a tyre that has been run flat for a distance are not.

Tyre age also counts. An old tyre with cracked rubber may not be worth repairing even if the hole itself is fixable.

If a repair is possible, it is done with the tyre off the rim, not by squirting sealant in through the valve. A temporary sealant from a puncture kit is only meant to get you to a garage.

When should I book alignment and wheel balancing?

Think about alignment if the car drifts, the steering wheel sits crooked, or tyre edges wear down quickly. It makes sense whenever new tyres are fitted, and after a hard knock to a wheel.

Balance is the answer to vibration that comes and goes with speed. Uneven wear and shake together often mean both jobs are due.

Describe what you feel through the wheel and seat. Shake that appears at a particular speed points to balance, while a steady pull to one side points to alignment, pressures or wear.

Which Torbay areas do you cover and where is Automaster?

We see drivers from across Torbay, including Torquay districts such as St Marychurch and Ellacombe, as well as Paignton and Brixham. The garage is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, TQ9 6PL.

To ask for a quote, give us your registration, the tyre size marked on the sidewall, how many tyres you need and anything the car has been doing, such as pulling or shaking.