I’m getting the tyres swapped out on the SMax today. The front two are worn away (not bad for 35k miles) and three of them show signs of slight side wall bulges (radiating from the wheel centre, not circumferential) depending on the orientation of the wheel when the vehicle is parked.
I’m replacing them anyway, but I was just musing over the safety implications of a side wall bulge that you can only spot if you are really looking for it and only shows itself when it is at the 6 o’clock position when it is parked.
Any bulge or irregularity in the sidewall means the structure is compromised so you risk a blowout. They're usually caused by bumping up kerbs and potholes. Not worth the risk IMO so get it checked, usually means a new tyre.
at the 6 oclock spot you say
pressures a bit low 😉
Is that the new metric 6 o'clock spot?
Radial, not circumferential.
Tyres will be gone before the end of the day. Not worth the risk. The handling in the ice last week was horrendous.
Swapped out, you say? You'll be lucky if you make it to the garage, the STW pedants might come and burn your S-Max down first 😉
Mobile fitting. I'll be safe.
Having had a blowout in the fast lane of the motorway -very, [i]very[/i] scary- tyres are the one component of a car that I don't resent spending money on.