Your A to Z of motoring gobbledygook
BS AU 159f
The British Standard for tyre repairs for vehicles used on the road. We carry out all tyre repairs to this British Standard.
Balance
'Balance' is used to describe how a car feels. A balanced car is one that feels in harmony with its driver, whose front and rear wheels grip in an even manner. It also concerns the feel from the car's steering and the sensitivity of its controls, such as throttle and brakes.
Balancing
This is the process of trueing wheel/tyre spin to remove the slight differences in a tyre and wheel assembly. This eliminates steering vibration and uneven tyre wear. To do this we use balancing weights that are discretely attached to wheel rims
Bead
The area of the tyre that is in contact with the wheel rim. The bead carries a multi-layer steel band and a shape that helps hold the tyre on the rim.
Brake assist
This is an extra safety system in more advanced cars. It senses the speed of the driver's reaction and the attitude of the car and judges if extra braking is needed to compensate for you not having depressed the pedal fully.
Brake horsepower
This is the most common measure of an engine's power. It is calculated from the engine's torque (see Torque). The more able the engine is to push against a resisting force (essentially a brake), the more powerful it is, and hence the name brake horsepower. The name dates from the industrial revolution, when a steam engine was rated by how many horses it replaced.
