TRAINER’S NOTES

MEET

MANDY

Mandy Wannerton is the DAF Press & Demonstration Driver

ack in November, I was lucky enough to head off to Goodyear’s factory and test facility in Luxembourg for a couple of days to learn more about the New DAF; not only did I come away from there with a rucksack full of knowledge on the XF, XG & XG+, I also came away with a revitalised appreciation for the humble tyre. Now, depending on who you speak to, a tyre is many things. For instance, if you asked a mechanic, they’d say it was nothing more than an inflated flexible membrane. A geometrist would say it’s a torus, and a chemist well, they would speak in an alien tongue and tell you that structurally it’s a composite and chemically it’s a multiplicity of materials composed of long macromolecular chains (!) One thing is for sure, no matter how you describe this multilayered engineered rubber circle, it doesn’t just connect

UNDER PRESSURE B us to the road it also provides cushioning, transmits driving and braking torque as well as producing cornering force, steering response and stability. You may be lucky enough to have an on-board tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) which will alert you to any changes in pressure Not only that, but tyres also or temperature, enabling have to provide adequate you to sort a problem sooner mileage and produce as little rather than later; and new noise and vibration as possible. legislation means all new They also have to be durable, trucks registered from July have the capacity to carry the 2024 will be required to have load as well as being safe in all it. weathers. Yeah, tyres do a lot more than we give them credit Tyres also help with fuel and for and as such, deserve more can have up to 2% impact attention than the cursory on fuel efficiency. The more “kick” we give them when underinflated a tyre, the more carrying out our daily checks. it will distort. Not only does an underinflated tyre distort We check to see that the tyres it also sticks to the road more and wheels are secure and which creates more friction have a tread depth of at least and rolling resistance, so 1mm, we check there are no more fuel is needed; so the deep cuts in the tyre’s sidewall, right tyre pressures are vital. we check there is no cord Also, an underinflated tyre visible anywhere on the tyre creates more heat and it’s and all wheel nuts are tight this heat or vulcanisation enough, we even check there which can cause the various are no objects or debris trapped layers of the tyre to separate between the twin wheels and and “burst”. Those shredded of course we always check that tyres we see laying forlornly the tyres are inflated correctly, on the hard shoulder or don’t we? causing havoc as debris in the road on the motorways, are often the result of underinflation. You won’t get that from a properly inflated tyre. UK Construction & Use legislation banning the use of tyres over 10 years old on the front (steering) axles of busses, coaches and lorries, came into effect in February 2021 – so make sure you are aware of the date codes on your tyres, which indicate the date of manufacture. At best an incorrectly inflated tyre will create unbalanced wear, at worst a blowout. Under inflated tyres increase vehicle damage and increase the risk of load damage and poor vehicle handling – notice your trailer crabbing in the mirrors? It could be a sign of an incorrectly aligned axle or dodgy tyre; either way it needs checking. Stay safe now, Mandy x