tyre tread laws

[Deleted User]

babyshoes wrote: »

To be precise, the law says that for cars and light vans in the UK, you need a MINIMUM of 1.6mm across the Central 3/4 (75%) of the tread width in a continuous band around the entire circumfrence of the tyre, and the remaining tread must show a visible pattern. This last bit is not quoted in the Highway Code, which strikes me as odd - perhaps it was thought to be confusing?

In other words, if any part of your tread area is bald, that makes the tyre illegal.

Also, you need to know that tread wear indicators are only a rough guide and can often be below 1.6mm, as they are designed more to show up irregular wear patterns than to provide an accurate depth indication. If your tread is close to the indicators you are probably already driving on illegal tyres! I would suggest that if you can possibly avoid driving the car that you do so until you take it to get new tyres. The ice around here is melting at the moment, making the roads wet, which is when you really need the tread to displace the water and provide grip.

The person who said your wheels are not properly balanced is wrong. Imbalanced wheels would produce a patchy wear pattern.
If the tyre is worn smoothly down one shoulder, you probably have a camber fault. If the wear is feathered (try running your hand one way along it, then the other. If it feels kind of 'bobbly' in one direction, that is feathered wear) that indicates a tracking fault. (though it can also be caused by certain driving styles...). If both shoulders are worn, it implies that you have driven with underinflated tyres (or an overloaded vehicle) for some time, and you should check your pressures more often. However, if you are getting the tyres changed soon anyway, ask the tyre fitter to check the wear pattern on your tyres and if there is a problem with the car they should spot it immediately. Many places will have the equipment to sort out camber or tracking faults as they both come under the heading of 'wheel alignment'.

Both front tyres were worn on the inside. Pretty smooth.

How do u sort out a camber fault?

p1tse

did you sort out tyres?

kwikfit are expensive! i went in for a laugh for a quote to see what two front 13" tyres would be for the wife KA, near £200!
i ordered through blackcircles, quidco cashback and got them fitted at local tyre place and saved myself alot of money!

[Deleted User]

nah. no way going to kwikfit.

went to independent tyre place near me.

skiddlydiddly

[quote=[Deleted User];39713444]Both front tyres were worn on the inside. Pretty smooth.

How do u sort out a camber fault?[/QUOTE]


Excess negative camber wears the inside edge of the tyre, positive the outside.Many cars can have it adjusted via a slotted hole on the strut.Its pretty easy for a garage to do.Some will charge by the job ie camber, tracking and others will charge for the time taken.Personally I'd try and get it charged by the job as suspension componenets get corroded and seize and can take ages to free up to adjust.

[Deleted User]

skiddlydiddly wrote: »

Its the part of the tyre that wears the most, epsecially on nsf as it takes the load on right hand bends and roundabouts.Usually wears there from continually booting it off a bend .

Its possible you have positive camber but unlikely or that the tyre is toeing in but my money is on the booting it .

Booting as in putting my foot down? Yes I like to put my foot down.

Wig

Did youread my post, then check your tyres? You might have nothing wrong with tracking or camber, just the tyre tread design that you have on those tyres.