FAQs

The law is currently a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm over the central ¾ of the tyre. If you look closely at your tyres, you will see a raised bump in the main grooves of the tread – this is your ‘wear indicator’ and is a good way of checking what usable tread your tyres still have.
You can come in to Elmbridge anytime for a tyre check – it’s free and we can answer any questions you may have too.

Book Free Checks Online

No – and we never will.
We do realise that in the current economic environment, part-worn tyres can appear to be an attractive alternative to better suit people’s budgets, but there are a few things to consider before buying these second hand products:

Has it ever been under or over inflated? How old is it? Has it been repaired? What country did it come from?

Every part-worn tyre should have been inspected properly & should display ‘PART WORN’ permanently on the sidewall in letters at least 4mm high.

Check that if a repair has been carried out, it has been done to BS AU 159e: 1990.

All tyres for the UK market must comply with EU regulations & display the relevant markings on the sidewall.

For more information, visit:
Government Legislation

Each car has a recommended range of pressures depending on whether you are carrying passengers / luggage or not. Usually, there is a chart on the car somewhere (often behind the fuel filler flap or on a door column) or the owner’s manual.

We also have up to date pressure charts for all makes & models of cars at Elmbridge and will happily check / adjust your tyre pressures free of charge.

If you look on the sidewall of your tyre, you will see the relevant markings there. When calling or emailing us for a quote, we will need this information, including the load & speed ratings. An example of tyre size would be:

205/55R16 91W

205 is the width of the tyre in millimetres.
55 is an aspect ratio & indicates the height of the sidewall.
R means ‘Radial’ – all modern cars are on Radial tyres now, not Cross-Ply.
16 is the diameter of your wheel in inches.

91 this is a coding which relates to the maximum load the tyre will safely take.
W this indicates the maximum speed the tyre can safely achieve. Speed Ratings can be a little misleading, because no car in the UK is allowed to go over 70MPH, but nearly all Speed Ratings are over 100MPH. Tyres are designed this way to handle the increasing power & torque of modern cars.

Car manufacturers usually recommend that you replace tyres with the original fitment it came out of the factory on. Whilst this is the ideal scenario, this does not suit many people’s budget or driving habits. Elmbridge will assess your needs individually and recommend the best suited product for your requirements.

The first thing to remember is that all new tyres being offered through dealers like ourselves are safe and legal.
Choosing the right brand really depends on a few factors, such as what your annual mileage is, what your budget is & finding a happy medium between the two. The obvious point we would make here is that in theory, Premium brands (Michelin, GoodYear, Pirelli etc) should all give more mileage than a budget / economy product.