Have you ever wondered about the Radial Tyres of your car? Here is everything you wanted to know about radial tyres but did not know whom to ask. JK Tyre is happy to provide tips on tyre selection, care and maintenance. The content is in the form of simple questions which we hope you will fi nd interesting and useful …

 Why do I need tyre?

 • Supporting the vehicle’s weight including payload (load carrying capacity) • Transferring traction and braking forces to the road surface (traction, torque and braking) • Absorbing road shocks (cushioning and enveloping) • Changing and maintaining direction of travel (steering response and stability during cornering) • Low rolling resistance • Minimum noise / road vibration • High speed safe operation capability • Aesthetics and comfort What are the points to be kept in mind while selecting the tyre for my car? First and foremost one should always stick to the tyre specifi cation as per vehicle manufacturer. However, some of the critical factors to be considered are: • Vehicle type and use (passenger or goods) • Load carried and type of load (Load Index/PR) • Speed and sustained operations (Speed Symbol) • Tyre /Rim combination (Tyre Size and Rim Profi le) • Operating conditions (Type of roads/ terrain) • Tyre pattern design requirements based on the application, in case directional tyres or special tread patterns are recommended by vehicle manufacturer. There are so many things written on my car tyres, how do I know what is important to me? Tyre has a code system moulded on their sidewall, which allows you to understand its technical capability. This code provides information on the tyre construction (eg. Radial or Bias, Tubeless or Tube type), its size, load carrying capacity, speed rating and period of production. (Refer to pic. 1.a and 1.b) How to identify that the tyre I am buying is a Tubeless Radial tyre?
 There is no diff erence in the appearance of tube type and tubeless tyres. However, “Tubeless” is written on the sidewall of the tubeless tyre to indicate its construction. Similarly “Tube type” is written on a tube type tyre. In tyre designation “R” is used to denote Radial construction of a tyre. Moreover “Radial” is also embossed on the tyre sidewall. How do I know that my car tyre needs replacement? If there are no visible signs of damage, cut, uneven wear or any other diffi culties being experienced, then the thumb rule is to change tyres when they are worn up to TWI (Tread Wear Indicator) bars (when there is a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm remaining on tyre). (Refer to pic. 2.a and 2.b) If tyres are not worn up to TWI but have severe uneven/one side wear then also it is time to replace. 
This will guarantee maximum traction and grip, helping you avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Watch out for our next write-up on tips on tyre care and maintenance. TYRE BUYING TIPS CAR CARE Car Radial Tyre Critical Dimensions Tyre Section width Tyre Section Height Tyre Overall Diameter Nominal Rim Diameter LAUNCH Yet again, Kolkata turned out to be the top choice for Mahindra First Choice Wheels Ltd. (MFCWL) when this top multi-brand certifi ed used car company launched its 401st authorised outlet in the country. Spread across 40000 sq. ft , Mukesh Automotives, one of their new outlets at 1086/1, Madurdah, Kalikapur, is easily the largest one in Eastern India.

The open air outlet can accommodate around 100 cars at a stretch unlike other outlets in and outside the city. Apart from 6 outlets in the city, the company’s network size comprises of 20 dealers in West Bengal alone, 104 in the eastern region which they aim to increase to 120 by year end. Dr. Nagendra Palle, CEO of Mahindra First Choice Wheels, who inaugurated the event said: “Th e used car segment is growing at a pace of 15-20 percent a year. We are trying to organise the unorganised trade and provide our customers with a new car in the used car market segment along with trust as well as the comfort.” “It is our privilege to inaugurate the 401st outlet in Kolkata. 
By the end of this fi scal year, we will have 500+ outlets with more than 70,000 vehicles and hopefully would be able to expand it to 1500+ outlets in another 3 years.” added Mr Palle. Th e showroom will be a one-stoppit with cars starting from Nano to those in the highest range like Audi and BMW. Here, a customer can easily choose his dream car from the wide variety of vehicles as well as opt for car fi nance, insurance, fi tment of car accessories and so on, proving it to be an added advantage. “We are honoured to be the 401st Mahindra First Choice Wheels dealership in India. Customers in Kolkata who wish to either buy or Biggest used car outlet launched in Eastern India sell a used car can avail entire range of services, including car fi nance, insurance, fi tment of car accessories and assistance with paper work and documentation,” said Nitin Himatsingka of Mukesh Automotives. “We want to provide our prospective buyers with the new-carbuying-experience and own their dream cars at a price, suitable to their pockets.

 This outlet being the biggest, one can accommodate around 100 diff erent cars in it. We have 465 outlets in 265 cities with 118 quality checks, Warrantyfi rst, Certifi rst and Certifi rst+,” said Yatin Chadha, Senior Vice President, Mahindra First Choice Wheels. However, the market in Eastern India is smaller by 7% than that of the west and the north.
The ough the market size is small, internal penetration has started off quite well in the region, added Mr Palle.

The retail market has a share of 15- 17 percent while MFCWL owns 22 percent of the total network than the general retail, observed Yatin Chadha, Senior Vice PresidentMahindra First Choice Wheels. "We are looking for outlets in the Eastern region in Guwahati, Mizoram, Agartala and Ranchi, said Amresh Khar, Zonal Manager", Mahindra First Choice Wheels. So, if you have to buy or sell an used car, just head for Mukesh Automotives, the biggest used car outlet in the Eastern India. Team WHEELS (L - R) Senior Vice President Yatin Chadha, Dealer Principal Nitin Himatsingha, CEO Dr. Palle, National Head Franchise Operational Tarun Nagar and Zonal Manager Amresh Khar JANUARY 2015 The author is Manager (Customer Care) at JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., Corporate Offi ce, Delhi. He can be contacted at akash@ jkmail.com for any feedback and queries