Australian Tyres Must Have the Following Markings

Traceability is important. Therefore, manufacturers are required to display their name in print on the sidewall of tyres. Beyond that, the specifications for use and tyre size ensure that replacements will match the specifications for any particular vehicle. A serial number indicates where and when the tyre was made and specific variants, for example, radial or tubeless tyres are also indicated. Over and above that, the country in which the tyres originated, the mould number and a specific factor code number are also printed on the tyre.

How to Read Tyre Specification Codes

The first part of the code is a single letter. For most people, that would be a “P” for “passenger vehicle.” “C” denotes a commercial vehicle and “LT” stands for light truck. 

The number following the first letter of the code indicates the width of the tyre measured in millimetres. A backslash separates this number from the following one which is termed “aspect ratio.” It indicates the percentage of width when compared to the height of the sidewall. 

98 percent of tyres will display the letter ‘R’ next in the code. It stands for radial ply, and it’s one of the biggest advances in tyre technology. Steel belts run radially across the tyre and they make tyres tougher while improving fuel efficiency.

The number after that indicates the diameter of the wheel rim, and it’s still given in inches, while the final number of the code we’re cracking shows the load index. It’s followed by the speed rating indicated by a letter T, H, or V which shows the speed that a tyre can safely be driven at. Suffice to say that this speed is higher than any speed that one can legally drive at! H and V tyres are regarded as “performance touring tyres” and handle the highest speeds. 

How to See Your Tyres’ Age

All that’s left now is the fine print right on the edge of the sidewall nearest the rim. It expresses the date of manufacture by showing the week number and the last two figures of the year of manufacture. So, if this code reads 1420, for example, it was made in the 14th week of 2020. If a vehicle owner doesn’t drive their car much, they should check this number. Most tyre makers say that tyres should be replaced by the time they’re 10 years old, regardless of how good the tread still is. 

Practical Info Worth Understanding

“The codes on tyres are worth understanding,” says Chris. “If you’re shopping around for new tyres, the tyre specification code helps you to get an exact quote on tyre pricing. And if you have old tyres, manufacture dates will give you an indication of whether they’re still safe to use.”

“When in doubt, give Branigans a call. It’s a business that prides itself on being there for its customers, so whether it’s a question about tyres and tyre health or getting a quote for new tyres, a technician will be on hand to help.”

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

With that said, let’s look at some of the advantages of nitrogen usage in tyres.

It Stabilises Tyres for A Prolonged Time

Compressed air tends to seep out much faster from the tyres than nitrogen and it normally requires sooner re-inflation. “Using nitrogen in car or bike tyres, one may not have to check for the pressure for the next 30 days as the gas doesn’t move out the tyre so quickly,” says Chris Lett, tyre expert and owner of Branigans Tyres.

He also adds that “tyres stay in shape for about a month. In the case of regular air, if a vehicle is moving every day, one needs to measure the pressure after 8-10 days.”

It’s A Current Way to Take Care of A Car

Nitrogen is much drier than compressed air and that assists with the regulation of tyre pressure and temperatures during long drives and summer heat. It also causes less rubber damage and corrosion of the metal rims that clench the tyres.

Chris also stated that compressed air has more water and oxygen which usually results in a quick reaction with the fluctuating temperatures within the tyres. This can lead to those dreaded tyre blowouts.

Money Well Spent

Nitrogen may not be free at air pumps or service stations, but it’s vital to consider the nominal amount of Rs 4-45 for a four-wheeler and Rs 10 for 2-wheeler vehicles – It lasts longer and supports the longevity of tyres.

“Expect fewer opportunities of wear and tear when using nitrogen,” says Chris. “The pressure doesn’t have to be measured as often as one would with compressed air.” This means that there is money to be saved on tyre maintenance, which is always welcome.

Mixing Nitrogen and Compressed Air

It can happen that a tyre has been filled up with nitrogen but has low pressure. The good thing here is that one can always top it up with compressed gas if there are no nitrogen pumps in the vicinity and proves no harm to the tyre.

For those who already have nitrogen filled in their car tyres, but realise that the pressure is low, they can always top it up with compressed gas if they are not able to find a nitrogen pump.

It is The Choice of the Vehicle Owner

Nitrogen does prove to have more technological advantages over air, but those advantages can always differ when considering that people use their cars in various ways. However, to wrap this up, opt for nitrogen if a vehicle falls in one or more of the categories below:

• If a vehicle owner has one or more cars that are primarily used at the racetrack.
• If a vehicle is used very sparingly and sits unused for an extended time.
• If someone owns collectible cars that are seldom driven any great distances.
• If one has to put a car in storage for a significant period of time.

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast | Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

The intrinsic development of new tyre technology will ultimately redefine how vehicles are driven and it will illustrate how pressure monitoring systems, for instance, have helped maximise the use of tyres. As the digital sphere of the planet expands, eco-friendly tyre options are produced. On the flip side, electricity is something that seems to be finding its way into tyre production as well.

Chris Lett, tyre expert, and owner of Branigans Budget Tyres suggest “tyres have been material and mechanical for so long, but the electrical dimension is now where it’s at and will change the way cars perform.”

Smart Tyres

These types of tyres were projected to make a big wave in the automotive industry, but for a long time, nothing came of it. That is until the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show blew everyone’s caps off with presentations of Smart Tyre concepts by manufacturers like Sumitomo Rubber Industries. They presented tyres with a sensing core, active thread and performance-sustaining technology that assists in the alteration of tyre pressure.

Adjustable wheel concepts have now seeped into the market and allow the driver to control the amount of rubber contacting the surface and varies the car tyre pressure based on road conditions.

Electrical Tyres

Electrical tyres are undoubtedly the future. There is potential for these tyres to reign supreme in the automotive industry with optimised convenience and safety in driving while its restorative technology will lower the costs of tyre management.

3D Printed Tyres

While this concept is not too far removed from smart tyres, 3D printed tyres will redefine how vehicles are designed, produced and maintained. Biodegradable material use in production can make the 3D printed tyre evolution reach greater heights and would mean that tyres can be 3D printed from a variety of recycled materials.

This conceptual tyre technology will be one step closer to ultimate vehicle performance at a fraction of the cost basic management and repairs cost now.

Run-Flat Tyres

Don’t be fooled by the name. This is a contemporary tyre technology development which, simply put, means a vehicle is capable of running with punctured tyres. Run-flat options are a way to increase car durability and ensure better road safety, but it is also said to assist with minimisation of fuel consumption.

Most conventional tyres puncture easily, they aren’t made with the environment in mind and most importantly, it doesn’t always ensure one’s safety. The way forward is with durable, eco-friendly tyres that are designed to keep not only the car in mind but also the person driving it.

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Chris Lett, tyre expert, and owner of Branigans Budget Tyres, advises that tyre traction (among other factors) affects one’s ability to keep control when braking suddenly, and also impacts on the safety of doing so. So, in essence, the brakes of any vehicle bring turning wheels to a stop and apply the grip (and its traction) that brings the entire vehicle to a stop.

Not all tyres offer the same traction since they’re made for different environments and various weather and road conditions to ensure safety on roads.

“Tyres have a higher traction rating if they’ve got a good grip and don’t skid or slide. When it comes to choosing tyres with good wet traction, one needs to look at the tread patterns. These tread patterns that have deep grooves ensure that water is kept out from under the tyre avoiding hydroplaning due to improved wet traction ratings,” Lett says.

The type of tyres chosen for a vehicle is thus, greatly dependent on the environment and road conditions that the tyres will be subjected to. For example, dry traction is favoured in areas that don’t experience much rain whereas some vehicles may require tyres with traction suitable for wet and rainy weather or snow.

The Different Types of Tyres With Traction for Different Terrains

“Tyres are designed to withstand different weather and road conditions. It’s important to keep this in mind when selecting the right tyres for a vehicle,” Lett says.

For higher weather temperatures, summer tyres provide good grip in both wet and dry conditions. When temperatures decrease below 7 °C the tyres tend to experience loss of grip. This is when the tyres need to be changed to winter tyres that ensure an advanced grip as they’re more appropriate for wet or snowy weather conditions.

A combination of summer tyres and winter tyres are called all-season tyres and is the type of tyre that most vehicle owners opt for in moderate weather patterns and road conditions. In contrast to all-terrain selections, which provide excellent grip on different road conditions such as dirt roads or tar roads, to name a few. This is due to the tread patterns of all-terrain tyres being more robust in texture than those of all-season ones.

High-performance tyres are just that: They’re enhanced for high-speed passenger vehicles and deliver maximised grip. More recently, energy-saving options have also become more popular among drivers of passenger vehicles, especially since they can withstand dry, wet, and winter traction – and are kinder to the environment.

Keeping an Eye on Tyre Traction

Tyres play an important role in ensuring vehicle and road safety. For excellent tyre traction, the tyre tread needs to be observed to ensure that they’re not smoothed out. Smoothed out tyres can lead to accidents when they’re used in wet conditions and may also cause what is known as aquaplaning.

If the tread appears smooth it may be a good time to have those tyres checked out by an expert. At Branigans Tyres, nothing goes amiss. All second-hand tyres are carefully checked for their functional lifespan and are graded for age and tread before being sold to clients.

For assistance in finding the best tyres suited for any vehicle, Branigans Tyres is the way to go and as experts, they consider changes in weather and road conditions, as well as preferences based on personal driving styles.

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Lett welcomes the recent developments in tyre recycling brought about by car and tyre manufacturers as well as recycling and environmental organisations.

“This could at last vastly reduce the problem, or even put an end to the huge number of tyres which are left on the side of the road, or find their way into landfills, where their bulk, resilience, and fire risk provide a safety threat, the toxins they leach into the soil, and there’s unnecessary waste of reusable and valuable materials,” Lett says.

The Many Varied Ways of Recycling Tyres

He says that as concern rose about the size of the problem, and the environmental hazards inherent in tyre waste disposal, various solutions have been suggested. They have ranged from gardening and home ideas to attempts to get rid of old tyres by burning them, as well as ongoing investigations into how the materials used in their manufacture could be changed, or recovered for re-use, and the resultant development of increasingly powerful chipping and shredding machines.

The creative homeowners and crafters who came up with designs for tyre re-usage, set a trend for a while by restructuring them as garden pots, swings, bases for patio tables and ottomans. However, these made only a tiny dent in the number of dumped tyres, according to Lett. Attempts to burn them were also unsuccessful because of the months it could take to put out the fires, and tyres’ tendency to smoulder for years.

The Two ways to Dispose of Used Tyres

Lett, who has been recycling tyres for the past 15 years at Branigans Tyres in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, has been doing it in his own way. Where possible he recovers nearly new tyres carrying well-known brands, and tests and grades them according to the amount of road life they still have ahead.

“When it comes to recycling tyres, there are really only two ways to go. The first is to send the used tyres to recycling companies where they are chipped and broken down, or shredded, for use as fillers in construction, railway and road development, where they improve the grip and lower the sound or as mulch.

“The second is sorting, testing and grading tyres to determine how much life is left in them and seeing how this can be utilised. Those which meet the standards required in Australia, can return to the road, but the only way to extend their life if they don’t meet those requirements, is to ship them to third world countries where they would meet the standards, and at the same time help those who cannot afford the cost of new tyres to return to the road with more safety,” he says.

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Lett says drivers , while keeping the cost of the tyres (and fitting them) as well as the size of their budget in mind, should also find out as much as they can about the structure, operation and performance of the tyres on offer before making a choice, in order to ensure they are making the right one.

Not all Tyres are Created Equal

According to Lett, tyres vary and will have differing effects on fuel consumption; the level of road noise they make; how they perform in various weather and road conditions; what kind of load they are able to carry, and how safe they are on the road.

“Taking a look at how these factors can influence the cost of running the car, as well as the safety, lifespan and performance of the tyres, can ultimately lead to the right choice being an investment, rather than just an expenditure,” Lett says.

Checklist For Choosing Tyres

Fuel Efficiency: Lessening Fuel Consumption and Upping Eco-Friendliness can be a double winner for both wallet and soul. Choosing this approach can save running costs by reducing the fuel costs by anything from 3 to 10%, while at the same time contributing to saving the environment by reducing the vehicle’s emissions.

Finding out exactly how fuel-efficient tyres are, can be done by checking where they rank on the fuel efficiency level ratings listed from A to G. A is at the top of the class, and G is classified as being the least fuel efficient. The level of efficiency is determined by the tyres’ rolling resistance, or how much energy (and therefore fuel) is lost in the process of getting those tyres to roll smoothly and easily, and to keep them doing so consistently. The higher the resistance is, the more fuel is used, and the lower the tyre’s fuel efficiency will be, while low rolling resistance requires less fuel, and therefore leads to a higher rank in terms of fuel efficiency.

Wet Grip: For safety reasons, Lett recommends that drivers check another set of A-G ratings. This time the list reveals how well the tyres cope with dispersing water on wet roads which can negatively affect braking distance, and increase the risk of accidents in poor weather conditions, Lett says.

Keeping Quiet: Some tyres purr, while others seem to make a good deal of noise. Lett says those wanting to enjoy a quiet drive and avoid the stress created by loud road noise, should check the number of decibels particular tyres produce.

Brand Names are Important

Lett says brand names do play a major role in finding the right tyres for a vehicle as these have been carefully designed and produced to match the individual needs of both drivers and the vehicles they drive, and this is even more important when considering purchasing recycled tyres.

At Branigans, available tyres sport names like Avon, Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Firestone, Dunlop, and Goodyear, and have hardly been used. All are carefully checked for their functional life-span, and are graded for age and tread before being sold for a fraction of what the same tyres would cost new.

For further information and assistance in choosing the right replacement tyres, visit or call Chris and his team for Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres Service Centre at Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.