For most motorists, replacing tires is an occurrence that comes around once every couple of years, depending on their annual mileage.

But for Land Rover driver, Tim Townsend, and his set of Avon Rangemaster tires, that hasn’t been a problem. Mr Townsend’s Defender 90 has completed a whopping 117,000 miles with the same set of rubber - the equivalent of five trips around the globe.

Mr Townsend said he was “amazed, flabbergasted and grateful” by the performance. Living on the edge of the Peak District, the tires have coped with snow, deep mud, shingle, rocky terrain, riverbeds and motorways during his work as a builder in Glossop.

“I’ve only ever fitted Avon Tires to my motorbikes, and that’s why I chose the Rangemaster,” explained Mr Townsend. “Their resistance to punctures is impressive, to say the least. I’ve had nine punctures over the last 12 months, but none of them have been one of the Rangemasters - they’ve all been on other vehicles despite the fact that the Land Rover is the only one I own that goes on anything other than a normal road.”

Tire manufacturers typically recommend that tires are replaced at least every 5 years, although the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm can come sooner with high-mileage vehicles.

“On the road they are so reliable,” Mr Townsend continues. “Unlike with some off road tires you don’t get any weave or anything, and they’re just as happy doing 70mph on the motorway as driving around the farm.”

High performance all season tires do much more than just make your vehicle look better and perform better. They also are an incredible safety item and if they are kept in proper shape and inflated properly they can really save your life. As someone who has been around the automotive business for a lot of my life I have to say that a quality set of all season radial tires are essential for any automobile owner. Just as a house must have a good foundation, your car is no different. The car and your very life as well are dependent upon your tires and wheels. This is the reason that you keep your tires in good shape.

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Imagine never having to pump up your rubber again! That’s the idea of the new Self Inflating Tyre (SIT).

It uses the principle of an in-built ‘peristaltic pump’, which is basically a thin tubing of rubber that uses the rolling effect of the wheel to constantly top up the pressure.

The system also includes a special valve that ensures the tyre is not over-inflated. Czech-based Coda Development is behind the technology, which is designed to prevent people running on underinflated tyres. Doing so reduces grip and increases fuel consumption, plus the chances of a dangerous blow out.

And while auto-inflating tyres already exist for commercial vehicles, they use more complicated and pricier air compressor and pump systems, which limits their applications.

Tires have come along way since they were invented, different sizes, different properties and even different colors, but Continental is about to introduce a new, monumental property, self-repairing.

German tire manufacturer Continental is working on ContiSeal, a new type of tire, able to repair itself during a puncture. The key to this new invention is a tacky, viscous coating on the inside of the tire, which repairs punctures as soon as they occur. This solution is a permanent one, not just a quick fix until you’re able to replace the tire. You can eve remove the object that punctured the wheel, the coating will fill the whole and you can get on with your problems.

ContiSeal will match all standard wheels and won’t need pressures sensors to verify tyre pressure.

ContiSeal tires are set to be launched on the market this summer.

Source: Motor Authority