Our Tyre Fitting Services: Everything You Need To Know

Car tyre services cover a range of essential maintenance and replacement services that ensure vehicles are safe to be on the road. Despite legal requirements regarding tyre pressure and tread depth for safety reasons, tyre care is often one of the most neglected aspects of vehicle maintenance. Avoid getting landed with a hefty fine or points on your license by ensuring you stay up to date with your car tyre maintenance requirements and replacements.

At Acorn Tyres and Servicing, we understand the importance of professional tyre services. Read on to learn more about our comprehensive car tyre solutions, from replacements and fittings to repairs, and discover what you can expect from our expert team.

Tyre Fitting

Tyre fitting is the process of removing worn or damaged tyres and replacing them with new ones, ensuring they are installed correctly and safely. However, proper tyre installation involves more than simply fitting a tyre, a number of other tasks must be completed to ensure even tyre wear, weight distribution and long-lasting performance.

Below, we outline the meticulous steps our tyre specialists follow to ensure proper tyre fitting and ensure a safe and comfortable driving experience.

1. Tyre Removal

Specialised equipment such as a tyre changer is used to remove the old tyre without damaging the wheel rims. The tyre bead is carefully broken, and controlled force is used to remove the tyre without bending or scratching the alloy.

  2. Visual Inspection

Before fitting new tyres, our team inspects the wheel rims for any cracks, corrosion, or bends that could impact balance and safety. We also thoroughly check the new tyres for defects such as bulges, uneven wear, or manufacturing faults. This crucial step helps prevent future issues like air leaks or sudden tyre failure.

  3. Tyre Mounting

The new tyre is lubricated and mounted onto the rim using precision tools to ensure a perfect seal. The tyre bead must sit correctly on the rim to avoid misalignment, which can cause vibrations or uneven wear. Professional fitting prevents damage and ensures a secure, airtight fit for safe driving.

  4. Wheel Balancing

Wheel balancing is a key part of tyre fitting that ensures the weight of the tyre and wheel assembly is distributed evenly. This is vital to avoid imbalances that can cause vibrations, leading to uneven wear and suspension issues.

  5. Tyre Inflation

Correct tyre pressure is vital for safety, performance, and tyre longevity. Under-inflated or over-inflated tyres can negatively affect car handling, braking distances, and fuel consumption while increasing the risk of blowouts. As part of the tyre fitting process, we inflate tyres to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure to ensure even weight distribution and optimal grip on the road.

Tyre Repair and Maintenance Services

Tyre replacement is not always the only course of action for damaged tyres. Provided that the damage falls within acceptable limits set out by the British Standard guidelines, tyre repair services can be performed to restore the tyre's safety performance without the need for a car tyre replacement.

Before beginning a tyre repair or replacement service, one of our qualified technicians at Acorn Tyres and Servicing will inspect the tyre to assess the location and extent of the damage, determining whether a tyre repair is safe and feasible or whether car tyre replacement is required.

Puncture Repairs

Under the BS AU 159 guidelines, minor punctures can be fixed without replacing the tyre as long as they meet certain criteria relating to the location, size and number of tyre repairs that can be carried out. For example, if the puncture damage is less than 6mm in diameter and is in the central tread section of the tyre, punctures can often be repaired. However, if the shoulder or sidewall has been damaged, a car tyre replacement is required.

Valve Replacement

Faulty tyre valves can cause slow air leaks that affect tyre pressure and performance. Changing the tyre valves resolves this issue, preventing slow leaks and ensuring tyre pressure remains safe and optimal.

Sidewall Damage

Cracks, bulges or cuts in the sidewall of a tyre usually cannot be repaired due to the structural integrity of the tyre being compromised. However, our tyre specialists will conduct a thorough assessment in each case and will recommend the most appropriate course of action.

Car Tyre Replacements

At Acorn Tyres and Servicing, we supply tyres for various vehicles, including cars, 4x4s, and vans. Customers can select tyres for a wide range of purposes to suit their driving needs. The first thing our staff will do is check the tyre size and type a vehicle needs. Then, they will recommend a range of tyres based on vehicle specifications, driving conditions, and customer preferences.

Some of the tyre options we offer include:

• Winter tyres: Designed with specialised tread patterns and rubber compounds for improved grip on ice and snow.
• Summer tyres: Optimised for warm weather, offering enhanced grip on dry and wet roads.
• All-season tyres: A versatile option designed to perform reliably throughout the year.
• Run-flat tyres: Allow limited driving even after a puncture.
• Off-road tyres: Built for rugged terrain and rough conditions.
• High-performance tyres: Engineered for enhanced handling and speed capabilities.

How to Spot When Tyres Need Replacing

Making a habit of checking your tyres every fortnight and before any long journey, can help prevent unexpected issues. It only takes a minute or two, and it could mean the difference between a safe journey and an unsafe one.

To assess whether your tyres require repairs or replacement, you should conduct a visual inspection.

Test Tread Depth

In the UK, car tyres must maintain a minimum tread depth of at least 1.6 millimetres across the central three-quarters of the tyre to remain legal and roadworthy.

A quick way to check for adequate tread depth is with the well-known 20p coin test. Press a 20p coin into the grooves of the tread. The rim or band around the coin should not be visible above the grove. If it does, your tyres could be below the legal limit.