Tyre fitting providers are not all alike

A decision to use Bosch Car Service for tyre fitting will give you a lot of extra value. To begin with, you can trust us to tell you if your tyres still have some life in them. But if you do need a replacement, we will provide personalised and responsible advice on your choice of product. Although we recognise that different customers require a different balance of quality and price, we will never fit an inferior tyre. To do so would be a false economy, since tyres of a lower standard wear out more quickly – and you may even be gambling with your safety.

We also adhere to best practice in the positioning of tyres. It is important to ensure that you have four identical tyres on a vehicle, or at least an identical pair on each axle. During the fitting, we may recommend putting your best tyres on the front axle as this is where traction is most important and where most wear occurs.

The real skill in tyre fitting is seen in the wheel balancing and alignment processes. As you would expect, Bosch Car Service tyre changers bring a high level of training and care to both activities. Balancing involves attaching weights to the rim of a wheel. It is intended to ensure that the wheel has an even distribution of weight around its circumference. If you drive with poorly balanced wheels, you will experience a vibrating sensation and the tyres will be harmed. Wheel alignment may also be recommended as part of a tyre fitting, for example if the old tyres had a characteristic wear pattern. You should also ask about it if your steering does not behave normally. When your wheels are aligned with care, you will almost certainly see an improvement in fuel economy as well.

The most obvious sign of the need to replace a tyre is excessively worn tread. You could estimate that yourself, for example by inserting a coin into grooves at various points across the surface, then comparing the result to official guidelines. This should be done about once a month. But there is no substitute for a professional opinion, so come and see us if there is any element of doubt. We will use a proper tyre meter to determine whether the tread has worn too much.

You should also keep an eye out for cracking on the wall of the tyre. Even the advanced compounds used in modern products tend to perish over time. So, for example, this is something to look out for when you buy a vehicle with a mileage record that suggests it may have been unused for months or years.

Naturally, if you see any holes, splits, bulges or objects stuck in the rubber when you inspect a tyre, you should ask us for advice. Likewise, if a tyre has remained flat for longer than necessary, we recommend that you come to us for a tyre replacement.

These days, many people are choosing to change their tyres on a seasonal basis. For one thing, you can’t drive legally in the winter in certain countries unless you have a set of winter tyres on (especially in mainland Europe). But also, using winter and summer tyres in the right season has major safety and economy benefits. Many people believe this is just a question of having an appropriate tread pattern for dispersing snow and mud in winter conditions. But that is not the whole picture. It is also important to know that the compounds used for winter and summer tyres provide maximum traction in different temperature ranges. So, regardless of whether there is snow in the winter, you will have superior handling if you use winter tyres. In the summer, you will have a smooth and economical drive if you revert to tyres that have a summer compound and tread pattern.

Ask us about putting winter tyres on your vehicle and we will be able to recommend a high-quality product – identified by the official snowflake mark on its side wall. For your convenience, we will also be able to store the tyres that you take off the car.