 |
What is the only link between the vehicle and the road? |
| |
It's your tyres. The contact patch of a car tyre is roughly the same size as the palm of your hand. A tyre has to withstand and transmit great forces. This is why not only the tyre itself is important, but also the fitting and maintenance.
 
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Why should I change the valve? |
| |
 The valve plays a very important part in the tyre's airtightness and, equally, in the tyre's long service life and in vehicle safety.
During use, the valve deteriorates due to ageing and centrifugal force. (At 60mph on a 195/70 R 14 the valve is subjected to a force of 1.7kg).
The valve should be changed every time a new tyre is fitted, or if the tyre is removed for repair or examination and the valve has been in place for a considerable period.
A valve cap in good condition is essential to provide a primary seal and prevent dirt getting in. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Why is wheel balancing important? |
| |
Wheel balancing is necessary to eliminate vibrations caused by imbalance in the rotating wheel / tyre assembly.
If wheels are not balanced, the result could be
 |
Uncomfortable driving |
|
Premature wearing of the suspension and steering components, rotating parts and tyres |
 
A driver may not necessarily sense any imbalance at the steering wheel. It could be present in a tyre and be dampened by the vehicle. This is why balancing is equally important for both front and rear wheels.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
How do I tighten wheel nuts correctly? |
| |
Wheel nuts must be tightened in the correct sequence to the recommended torque loading by means of a torque wrench.
 Doing this means that you will:
|
Avoid wheel or stud damage. |
|
Tighten all nuts to the same loading. |
|
Facilitate easier removal in the future. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Why and how should tyre pressure be checked? |
| |
The correct pressure is an important factor in both the safety and long life of tyres. Pressures should always be checked when the tyres are cold.
Pressures should be checked regularly using a proprietary pressure gauge.
A drop in pressure could be due to:
|
Air leakage through the wheel, bead seal or valve. |
|
A fall in temperature (particularly if not always checked cold). |
|
Small penetrations which, in tubeless tyres, do not cause an immediate deflation but may, over a long period, cause the tyre to lose pressure. |
|
Natural diffusion of the air through the comonents of the tyre. |
The spare tyre should be checked as well. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Why should I check wheel alignment? |
| |
Incorrect alignment can result in rapid, irregular tyre wear and can even affect the handling and safety of the vehicle. Only careful and regular examination of the tyres can reveal incorrect alignment (you are unlikely to notice it whilst driving). |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Do my driving habits affect the life of my tyres? |
| |
It certainly does. Here are some tips to increase the life of your tyres:
Do not speed. Excessive heat is generated when driving at high speeds. This heat increases the rate of tyre wear and reduces the tyre's durability. Avoid fast turns on curves and around corners as well as fast starts and panic stops. Do not ride on the edge of the pavement or drive over curbs, potholes and other obstructions. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
How do I take care of my new tyres? |
| |
Properly maintained tyres will give you a more comfortable ride and longer tread life. Here are a few tips on proper maintenance:
|
Check the air pressure in your tyres monthly. |
|
Check your tyres frequently for any cuts, snags, punctures and other injury. |
|
Make sure the tyres are balanced when they are mounted on the wheels. |
|
Rotate your tyres following the schedule in your vehicle owner's manual or as required by the tyre manufacturer's warranty. |
|
Check the vehicle alignment at the first sign of irregular tread wear. |
|
Clean your tyres with soap and water and a soft bristle brush. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
How many miles will I get on my tyres? |
| |
There are many factors that affect the tread life of your tyres, e.g. tread compound, construction features, vehicle application, tyre maintenance, geographic conditions, atmospheric conditions, driving habits and many other reasons, making the exact mileage impossible to predict. Take special care when braking, accelerating and cornering to increase the life of the tyre.
If you have concerns about the rate of wear on your tyres, consult your local authorised Michelin dealer. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Can I mount a tyre on a wheel myself ? |
| |
Never try to mount your own tyres. Tyre mounting is a job for tyre professionals who have the proper training, equipment, and experience. If you try to mount a tyre yourself, you run the risk of serious injury to yourself and those around you, as well as possible damage to the tyre and rim. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Can I replace the tyres on my car with a lower speed-rated tyre ? |
| |
When replacing speed-rated tyres, you must use replacement tyres with ratings that are equal or greater than those of the original equipment. It is important if the speed capability of the vehicle is to be maintained. The handling of a performance vehicle may be different when the replacement tyres are not of the same speed rating. Refer to the vehicle owner's manual to identify any tyre speed rating restriction that could affect the operation of the vehicle. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
When buying two new tyres, should they be put on the front or rear? |
| |
For front-or rear-wheel drive vehicles, we recommend mounting the new tyres on the rear axle; this is to prevent an oversteer condition. When purchasing a single new tyre, it should be paired on the rear axle with the tyre having the greatest remaining tread depth. When radial tyres are unavoidably used with bias-ply tyres on the same vehicle (not recommended), the radial tyres must ALWAYS be placed on the rear axle. NEVER mix radial and bias-ply tyres on the same axle.
For four-wheel drive vehicles, if no instructions for tyre mixing appear in the vehicle's owner's manual, adhere to the following guidelines:
|
Do not mix sizes. All four tyres must be branded with the same tyre size. |
|
Do not mix radial and bias-ply tyres. All four must be either radial or bias-ply. |
|
Be sure that the outside circumference of all four tyres is within 1-1/2-inch of each other. |
|
Do not mix tread patterns such as all-terrain and all-season. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
How do I know when to change my tyre ? |
| |
On all Michelin tyres there is a Michelin Man situated on the shoulder. This indicates the position of tread wear indicators, which are located in the main grooves of the tread. These indicators take the form of small ridges, 1.6 mm high, which are moulded into the base of the tread grooves. If the rubber on the tread is worn down to the ridges (i.e. minimum legal depth of 1.6mm), the tyres must be changed. If you do not change the tyres before they wear to this level you may be compromising your safety. This is why Michelin strongly recommends that you do not wait until this level is reached. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
How can I increase tyre life? |
| |
Check the inflation pressures once a fortnight, especially before going on a long journey. The correct pressure is an important factor in the long life of tyres. Pressures should always be checked when the tyres are cold. Do not forget to check the spare tyre and to ensure that you conform to what is recommended in the vehicle handbook.
The valve should be changed every time a new tyre is fitted, as it deteriorates due to ageing and centrifugal force. The valve plays a very important part in the tyre's airtightness and longevity.
Wheel balancing is necessary to eliminate vibrations. It also avoids premature wearing of the suspension, steering components, rotating parts and tyres.
Check the wheel alignment as well as the vehicle's geometric (toe in, positive camber etc) This will avoid irregular wear and rapid wear of your tyres. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
How can I maintain tyre performance? |
| |
Rotate the wheels around!
After a certain mileage of tyre wear, through wheel misalignment, it will cause some problems to the vehicle performance (affects different vehicles in different ways). To reduce this, replace the front wheels with the rear wheels every 5,000 to 10,000 km maximum, unless doing so causes the rear tyres to have significantly less tread depth than the front. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Tyre safety and maintainance |
| |
TYRES are the only part of your vehicle, which is in contact with the road. Safety in acceleration, braking, steering and cornering all depend on this relatively small area of road contact. The effect of load, inflation pressure, speed and temperature can alter the performance characteristics of the designed tyre. It is therefore of extreme importance to determine: |
| |
|
|
Tyre Size and Type |
| |
Appropriate tyre size and type recommended by the vehicle manufacturer in conjuction with tyre manufacturer can be found in the owner's manual. Alternatively, The Michelin Tyre Finder can help you determine the right tyre for your vehicle. Except for a small number of cars that are designed with different front and rear tyre sizes, the ideal fitment is always to have identical tyres across an axle. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Air Pressure |
| |
Inflation pressure is of the utmost importance to the safety, comfort and durability of your tyres.
Check tyre pressure regularly, every two weeks, conducting such check only when the tyre is "cold" because pressure increases through the heat generated during vehicle running.
Over-inflation causes tyres to run hard, more vulnerabe to impacts, less grip due to reduced area of contact with the road and faster wear in the center of the tread.
Under-inflation causes undue heat generation, faster wear at the shoulders of the tyre and structural degradation of the tyre. It can also affect your braking capabilities and reduce the stability of your vehicle.
  
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Wheel Alignment |
| |
Incorrect wheel alignment will degrade handling and wear unformity, reducing their tread life. Excessive toe out will produce inside shoulder wear, whereas excessive toe in will produce outside shoulder wear. A qualified mechanic can test your vehicle's alignment.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Wheel Balancing |
| |
Wheel balancing is the proper distribution of weight around the tyre and wheel assembly in order to counter-act centrifugal forces acting on the heavy areas when the wheel is rotating. Uneven tyre wear and/or vibrations felt through the steering wheel or throughout the car, may indicate a problem in this area. Always ensure that wheel balancing which is part of the tyre installation procedure is carried out by professionals. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Rotation |
| |
To achieve maximum tyre life and uniform wear on the tyres, you should rotate the tyres by 7,000 - 10,000 kms. For high-powered vehicles, we recommend a tyre rotation by 5,000 kms.
 
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Loading |
| |
Load carrying limits indicated into the tyre's sidewall should never be exceeded. Overloading builds up heat, which could lead to premature tyre failure. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Treading |
| |
The ability of tyres to grip the road in wet conditions is directly related to the depth tread. Risk of aquaplaning increases as speed rises and when there is little tread depth. The recommended minimum tread depth is 1.6mm. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Punctures and Repairs |
| |
If for some reasons you do run over glass, rocks, nails and curbs, check the tyre for external damage to determine its repairability. Lumps and bulges on your tyre can indicate internal damage and they should be examined by a tyre specialist immediately. |
