Tyres - how often?

obi_waynne

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Feeling tyred? Tread carefully.... - sorry just needed an excuse to get this pun in.

On to the real reason for this thread:- How often do you change your tyres? Do you change them all or just the worn ones? Do you swap tyres regularly to even out the wear? Do you have a problem with mixing brands on the same axle? (It like 20 questions isn't it?)
 
On Mondeo i tend to change the 2 front tyres if one is worn and the same with the back. I tend to stick wih the same brand of tyre.
On trooper i just change the worn tyre simply cause the tyres are soooo expensive.
 
My rears depend on how many burnouts I do (I'd like to add These do not happen on public roads at all, even at cruises) and my fronts seem to be lasting forever. I don't know how much my fronts are as I have never replaced them, they shouldn't be much as they are only 205/60R15. The rears are 265/50R15 and only cost around £60 each, so they're not too bad to replace as long as you can find someone who can supply them :rolleyes: . I want to change the fronts at some point so they have raised white lettering to match the rear. 8)
 
I've stopped using directional tyres as it makes the swapping round process so time consuming. I used to use Bridgestone Potenza but am running Continental Premium Contact 2 all round which are assymetric in design. These are very very grippy but I'm down to about 4mm tread on the front after 8000 miles so not sure about lifebut at £70 each all in it's good value for a premium brand 205/60 15 V tyre.

I do check them regularly (weekly) for cuts stones pressure etc.

Can anyone recommend a decent tyre at a lower price?
 
Have you looked at the Dunlop SP Sports? They are quite cheap for my car, not sure about in your size, and actually lasted longer than Pirelli P6000's and did much better grip wise in muddy terrain than the P6000's.
 
I had SP Sport 200's on the Nissan, and they worked well. 01's seem impressive.

I've hit the point that I might even consider the likes of Kumho, Hankook and Viking - what I really want is a considered opinion by people who actually drive their cars. Maybe chance of a new topic?

I suppose I'm asking the impossible - max grip, min noise and infinite life!!!
 
HDi fun said:
I had SP Sport 200's on the Nissan, and they worked well. 01's seem impressive.

I've hit the point that I might even consider the likes of Kumho, Hankook and Viking - what I really want is a considered opinion by people who actually drive their cars. Maybe chance of a new topic?

I suppose I'm asking the impossible - max grip, min noise and infinite life!!!
Thats what we all want from a tyre!

I think a new thread would be a good idea - feel free to start things rolling or PM me if you'd like me to add a a Poll to it (I'll need a list of the tyres for the poll though) :wink: . I'll leave it up to you either to put the new thread in Polls or General car chat. I know our last thread was all about brand name tyres so a 'budget tyre' survey would be good.
 
Came home ot these today..

DSCF3167.jpg


STIIIICKY!!! :D

Had a nightmare getting them balanced correctly.. The company I use is very reputable in the area, was a bit surprised I encountered any problems.

They fitted, balanced and aligned the wheels (the alightment was 4mm out apparently), but on the way home I got some really bad vibrations through the steering wheel at 60MPH+.. At first I thought I was imagining it, one second it would be fine, and then as the road changed direction the wheel would start shaking from side to side, moving 2cm either way...

I automatically knew it was a balance problem, I took it all the way back (quite far!), they said the same thing. When they came to take the wheels off, they all denied it was their fault that the balancing weights had been put on wrong. Apparently it was the apprentice, who'd gone home.. I thought fair enough, these things happen.. Drive off and it does the same again... They all scratch their heads, then try the back wheels on the front - re balance and it seems fine now. I'm very confused!


What a waste of an afternoon and 1/4 of a tank of petrol!
 
Nice rubber matey! I had a wheel that wouldn't balance on the electronic setup thingy wotsit they use - it turned out it had been buckled.

Perhaps it was a heavy nut or something causing the wobble :? - it doesn't sound right to me. Are there any vibrations from the back? You are much more likely to feel them from the front through the steering wheel so it might not be sorted and they have just hidden the problem!

Fingers knows his stuff about tyres lets see what he thinks. :wink:

I also had the owner of a tyre place try to fob me off with directional tyres fitted the wrong way round! He said it really doesn't matter and they just put the arrows on "cos it looks better that way round!" :shock:
 
Haha!

I am kind of concerned, but it feels fine to me now.. I would be more concerned but I've never heard a bad word against this particular garage.
 
Have you still got the original Citroen wheels Freddie? If you have it's not entirely the garages fault. A lot of citroen and some pug alloys dont have a removable centercap. As a result the wheels have to be fitted to the balancer via the studholes. This sounds very straightforwards but its not, the adaptor used to bolt the wheels to the balancr is adjustable to other stud patterns and is very difficult to lign up. Missaligned wheel on the balancer = a wheel that is probably more out of balance to start with. When I have fitted tyres to this type of wheel in the past, I have test drove the car with no weights on the wheel at all before trying to balance them, and if they are not bad (no wobble below 70) I leave them. Lovley looking wheels, rubbish design and I hate them.

Normal wheels are fitted to a balancer by a shaft which goes through the center hole of the wheel and is aligned by a tapered spacer. Much simpler idea and only has problems if you try to balance a badly buckled wheel.

Good choice in tyre by the way. :wink:
 
Its hard work explaining these things without speaking with my hands. :rolleyes: I'm gonna have to start videoing my explanations and posting that on here. :lol:
 
No I understand completely. But I double checked with them (even though they've fitted tyres for me in the past) that they are still able to balance solid centre wheels.

There are so many variables to mess up, I just hope that it's sorted now!
 
Yes most places can do it, but it is very difficult to get right first time. I have worked with people with years of experience who still have trouble doing it.

At least its sorted now.
 
I'm never organised enough to order tyres in advance and usually go to the local quickpartMrfit outlet and get an emergency fit. Its one way of paying well over the odds. I learnt to ring up and haggle over the price first though.
 
change the tyres when there down to about 3mm as well a rotating the front and rears every 3k miles. perfer directional tyres as i feel they have more grip. downside is usually more expensive. usually get my tyres in edinburgh at a wholesale prices but get them fitted at my local garage as have always had them do them in the past but because theyre a main yoko dealer (do a lot of work with the tt races in the isle of man) dont usually have the tyres that i want in stock

was thinking of usung black circle to get tyres next time as still cheaper than most places
 
I, too, like the Bridgestone RE-720's but they do wear quickly.

generally I ditch tyres when the tread is down to about 3mm but I ran my last set (Continental Premium Contact 2's) down to the wear bars with no ill effects.

I only swap F to R, never side to side even with a non-directional tyre as they can give funny balance issues if the tyre is suddenly asked to rotate in the opposite direction.

I, too have the French car issue with the centreless wheels.

What idiot invented those?
 
HDi fun said:
I, too, like the Bridgestone RE-720's but they do wear quickly.

generally I ditch tyres when the tread is down to about 3mm but I ran my last set (Continental Premium Contact 2's) down to the wear bars with no ill effects.

I only swap F to R, never side to side even with a non-directional tyre as they can give funny balance issues if the tyre is suddenly asked to rotate in the opposite direction.

I, too have the French car issue with the centreless wheels.

What idiot invented those?

the french nuf said :lol: :lol:
 
They also invented Brie and Camembert? I think :? Champagne comes from France :lol: so its not all bad. Plus they took Jeremy Clarkson off our hands for a day!
 
brie isnt theniest of chesse have you ever smekt it after its got warm
champane is just really fizzy wine but comes from the champane fields in france. we could make it just coulnt call it champane

wots camembert?
 
i use Yokohama Parada Spec-2 195/50 for the daily driving since 2006 on my Proton Satria 316, not the best of Yokos though but it lasts (still like 50% of thread left after 30,000km and doesnt aquaplane on water puddles alot like the former Bridgestone Techno50s I had on before. Kind of the cheapest Yoko tyres yet btw.

my scoobie uses Yoko AD07 Neova 225/40/17 (f) & 235/45/17 (r). just nice for street running and track use. due to heavy motorsporting use (track days) - they only last 4000km.. i guess should be good for 20-25,000km for normal street use.
 
Mine is on comparatively standard tyres - 205-60 15 V. A lot of people use 195/65 15 V on these cars but to my mind that's slightly too skinny for the weight of the car, esp with a diesel engine it's nose heavy and needs the wider squarer shoulders of the 60 profile to prevent understeer.

I also run about 4 PSI above recommended pressures as it keeps the tread cooler and makes it last longer.
 
Mine is on comparatively standard tyres - 205-60 15 V. A lot of people use 195/65 15 V on these cars but to my mind that's slightly too skinny for the weight of the car, esp with a diesel engine it's nose heavy and needs the wider squarer shoulders of the 60 profile to prevent understeer.

I also run about 4 PSI above recommended pressures as it keeps the tread cooler and makes it last longer.
 
pgarner said:
yeah i find slightly higher pressure makes them last longer 30 instead of 28 also feel it gives more grip

Totally agree, slightly higher presssures do give more grip and faster steering too. I'm happy that it's not just me that is fastidious about tyres and inflation pressure.

Cheers,

P.
 
HDi fun said:
[Totally agree, slightly higher presssures do give more grip and faster steering too. I'm happy that it's not just me that is fastidious about tyres and inflation pressure.

Cheers,

P.

wouldnt say im fastidious about tyres but at the end of the day it dont mateer how powerful the engine or brakes are its the tyres that put it down and make you stop

sorta makes them the most important part of the car
 
no i dinny usually bother

but then how many have the pressures set in their tyre a know michlin were doing a tyre check at a event and they were shocked by how many were under inflated

and how many use winter tyres, i dont too bloody dear to have 2 sets on the go
 
Too many people check the pressure and top up when the tyre is cold. The important thing is warm tyre pressure as this is what you get most of the time especially on long runs. Winter and Summer can also make a difference to tyre pressure so get out there and check them tyres people!
 

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