Wheel alignment, also called tracking, is a process which ensures that the wheels point in the right way and ensures your vehicle drives in a true straight line. Wheel alignment can be affected by sma [..]

Alloy wheels are wheels which are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium, rather than steel. They generally provide greater strength than steel wheels and due to their lighter weight, alloy whee [..]

This is when your vehicle slides uncontrollably whilst driving in wet conditions. It occurs when a layer of water sits between the tyre and the road surface. Some tyres are constructed with specialist [..]

This is a way of expressing the tyre’s height as a percentage of its section width. This can be found on the sidewall of the tyre

A ring of steel wire which helps hold the tyre to the rim.

A tread block is an element of a tread pattern. Blocks can be different shapes and are designed by tyre manufacturers for certain driving specifications.

Also known as casing, the tyre carcass is the skeleton of the tyre which is made up of a network of cords and gives the tyre its structure.

This is the mixture of materials used to construct tyres. Compounds are usually created using raw materials such as rubber and carbon. Manufacturers may use differing compound for tyres which have dif [..]

The footprint of the tyre refers to the area of the tyre which remains in contact with the road.

This figure indicates the maximum weight that a tyre can carry at a certain speed and is specified by the manufacturer. This figure can be found on the tyre sidewall. For more information on finding o [..]