Tyres

A self-sealing tyre that activates when punctured by a nail or screw so you can continue driving at the same speed could soon be available here.The Continental ContiSeal tyre has a protective layer on the inside of the tread, which immediately seals holes up to 5mm wide with no loss of air pressure.Gregor Stone, marketing general manager of Australian Continental Tyres distributor Tyres 4U, said there were other truck and car tyres; which helped motorists continue on a puncture, but the ContiSeal had extra benefits.The ContiSeals did not weigh extra like run flats and they were not restricted to distance and speed when punctured.So confident is Continental that it has warned that because the motorist won't notice when their tyre has been punctured, they should regularly examine the tyre for nails or screws. 

Forget its quirky kit-car looks. The Michelin Concept car may look a little ungainly, but it showcases sophisticated in-wheel electric motors that power the car.As well, it has an active electric suspension system and a regenerative braking system all packaged into the space normally occupied by a car's braking and suspension system.It is one of four vehicles Michelin is using to test new technologies.Michelin head of research Philippe Denimal says that, though the company is associated with tyres, it must push the boundaries in areas related to tyre manufacturing.It is also looking at adaptive wheel alignment, which continually adjusts toe and camber measurements.Michelin says this will save 40-80 per cent of wear on the front tyres.“When entering a corner you can manage the dynamic conditions of camber and toe in order to improve the tyre performance,” Denimal says.“It's a very simple concept.”However, despite Michelin's move into chassis dynamics, Denimal says it will remain a tyre company.“But in order to be good making tyres and developing services for the customer we need to know about alternatives, and if we develop knowledge about steering wheel systems, engines and so on, it's mainly to be good in our field.”Apart from the Concept, Michelin showed off three other cars at the recent Challenge Bibendum conference in Shanghai.They were the Hy-Light, a hybrid powered by a fuel-cell and supercapacitor; the Hy-Light2, which uses a hybrid powertrain with lightweight construction methods; and the EV-Light, powered by interchangeable lithium-ion polymer batteries.Michelin is better known for its tyres, but it spends 4 per cent of its global revenues on research and development. LIKE A SPORTSCARHow does the Concept perform? Very impressively, even if we experienced it from the passenger's seat.The active chassis control delivers precise handling and the car performs like a sportscar.It is not built for high speed, but its builders say a production version would have the ability to lean into corners and deliver flat handling just like the research car, as well as allow the suspension to be adjusted from 100mm to 300mm for rough terrain.Several carmakers already have active suspension systems, but Michelin's takes the concept a step further by incorporating all major suspension functions in the wheel, including dampers.The sensation inside is not unlike banking in a plane.There is no body roll in a conventional sense as the car pitches 10 degrees either to the right or left, depending on which way the steering wheel is turned.The Concept automatically leans into corners when the steering is turned, just like a motorcycle. 

WHEN is a three-year/100,000km warranty only 3000km? We bought an all-wheel-drive Ford Territory Ghia in 2004. It does 15,000km a year and is serviced by the book at least every 12 months. By the February 2007 service -- 38,000km -- the front tyres were scrubbing out on the inside. The tyres rotated to the rear. We had a four-wheel alignment done at Beaurepaires, but it still didn't feel right and we returned it twice. Both times Beaurepaires said it was right to go. The tyres are now unroadworthy at 45,000km. We went to Pedders, who diagnosed the wheel alignment as ``spot on''. The reason for the scrubbed-out tyres was lack of camber adjustment at the factory. We returned the car to our Ford dealer, who refused to look at it, ``because it is not covered by Ford''. I rang 13FORD, who advised: ``Front-end issues are covered for only 3000km unless caused by a manufacturing fault. A lack of camber adjustment is not a fault''. Another good reason for Lemon laws.

THE Bridgestone tyres on my 1997 Mitsubishi Verada are now 10 years old, but have only done 75,000km. They have plenty of tread left. I'm wondering if there is a safety issue with old tyres like these?

The survey of 2,054 people, conducted by CoreData in partnership with CARSguide.com.au,  also found:* 65 per cent of female respondents claim they would not be able to jumpstart their car if necessary.* An overwhelming majority of men (94 per cent) claim they would have no problem changing a car tyre. 87 per cent of men also said they can jumpstart a car* 58 per cent of male respondents check their oil every two weeks or monthly, compared to 45 per cent of women who wait for someone else to do it for the scheduled service* 68 percent of male respondents check their tyre pressure every two weeks or monthly, compared to women who are more likely to wait for someone else to do it (21 per cent)* The majority of all respondents (51 per cent) admit they don’t shop around for competitive quotes when they take their car to a mechanic for repairs.“Our survey indicates that the majority of women aren’t confident when it comes to maintaining their vehicle,” Chief Operating Officer for CARSguide.com.au, Tony Burrett said.“I think it is imperative that all Australians know basics, like how to change a tyre or jumpstart their vehicle. It’s worrying that so many women can’t  do so, as they could find themselves in a dangerous situation.I think on the whole, it is still considered the “man’s job” when it comes to keeping a car maintained, or performing emergency repairs such as changing a tyre or jumpstarting a vehicle.Driving a well maintained vehicle is important to ensure safety, so checking oil levels and tyre should be undertaken regularly – don’t just wait for some else to do it.”

I BOUGHT my third new Statesman in 2004. As with my previous model, I noticed severe wearing of my tyres on the inside rear wheels after 15,000km. I have been told there is no camber adjustment on the car and wonder what I can do to rectify the problem. I am not a gentle driver, but believe I should get better wear than this.

I LEFT my Holden Vectra standing for three months. It now feels as if I have four square wheels. I was told by the tyre people that tyres nowadays are so soft that standing in one place for a long time doesn't matter. So what is the right thing to do?

I HAVE a VT Commodore wagon that's done 130,000km. Three years ago I replaced the rear tyres as they were very noisy, but the noise returned even though the tyres have only done 25,000km. Two mechanics have quoted $450 and $530 respectively to fit an IRS kit to the rear. Is this the remedy for the problem?

I WAS able to clock 140,000km on my 2002 Mitsubishi Verada wagon before the factory Bridgestone ER30s needed replacing. Two outlets, one Bridgestone, one independent, told me that I should not expect the same life from a new set of identical tyres because those originally fitted have a different compound. Is this true?

I DRIVE a standard EF Falcon and need to replace the tyres, but I'm getting conflicting advice from various tyre dealers. Some recommend sticking with the standard size, 205/65x15, others say I should upgrade to a larger tyre, such as a 215/60x15 or even larger. What would you recommend? I'd also like to know if silica tyres offer any advantage?