advertisement


Bad morning commute

linnfomaniac83 said:
Yes, in the wet is when I can tell my tyres are ageing, it looks like there’s loads of tread left but they just don’t grip well in the wet, it can be entertaining pulling out of a tight and busy junction, it’ll easily light a tyre up and can spin them in second going in a straight line if you’re trying. I can still drive in the wet without drama but you have to be careful, it’s quite a lively little motor!
Click to expand...

Yes - some of the oils leach out of the rubber compound through a combination of time and the number of heat-cycles the tyre has been through. The oils help keep the compound soft, which improves the grip. On some tyres when you use them really hard on a track, you can see the tyres turn a blueish colour as the oils come to the surface after hard use. The blue wears off after a while, but that's some of your 'essential oils' gone from the tyre :) Once enough of the oil has gone the compound starts to go hard, and the grip drops permanently.

Age can have a similar effect on the rubber - hence why it's worth checking the date of manufacture on any tyres on 'special' at the local shops or online to make sure they haven't been sitting on a shelf somewhere for the last 3-4 years.
 
-alan- said:
Yes - some of the oils leach out of the rubber compound through a combination of time and the number of heat-cycles the tyre has been through. The oils help keep the compound soft, which improves the grip. On some tyres when you use them really hard on a track, you can see the tyres turn a blueish colour as the oils come to the surface after hard use. The blue wears off after a while, but that's some of your 'essential oils' gone from the tyre :) Once enough of the oil has gone the compound starts to go hard, and the grip drops permanently.

Age can have a similar effect on the rubber - hence why it's worth checking the date of manufacture on any tyres on 'special' at the local shops or online to make sure they haven't been sitting on a shelf somewhere for the last 3-4 years.
Click to expand...
Yes, this totally mirrors my experience. I haven’t done loads of miles on these tyres, I only do about 6k a year in my golf (I drive other vehicles for work, the golf is used for shopping/leisure)... but they’ve been on for coming up three years and I’ve kicked the living crap out of car a few times in that time too, not literally of course, I absolutely adore this car and would never harm her, but I’ve been able to smell the tyres when I’ve gotten out of the car... it’s the third set I’ve had on it in seven years and they’re definitely due again. As a say, they’d be totally fine on a typical small engined hatchback... on a tuned up Golf GTI, not so fine.

PS, this is the tyre eater in question, the tyres and brakes will probably cost a good portion of the book value of an old golf GTI, but this is my old Golf GTI and she’s definitely worth it!

esvh4an.jpg
 
Ah, glad to hear that. Having to replace an otherwise perfect tyre is hard enough to take - without forking out for a replacement alloy. Good news :)
 
-alan- said:
Much underrated those mk 4 GTis. Good car - and a super colour :)
Click to expand...
Yes, they got a very unfair bashing by the motoring press. They are a little heavier and softer than the GTIs that came before them, but they’re a better car, much safer and more rigid, much more comfortable, more equipment... and with the right handling and performance upgrades, a better handling and much, much quicker car too. This one has Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, Eibach front and rear ARBs, Audi TT Quattro Ronal wheels fitted with Pilot Sport 4 tyres, stock brake callipers but fitted with decent Brembo discs and pads, fluid changes done with servicing... G60 flywheel and clutch iirc, and a K04 turbo... I do love MK1 and MK2 GTIs, they’re cool, they’re fun, but my MK4 will just smoke them... better still, until you press your right foot to the floor, it’s a smooth, comfortable, quiet and sensible hatchback that my Nan could drive... when you do press your foot to the floor, it rips off it’s shirt, smashes a pint of Stella and drags you outside!
 
Finally, I have closure:

FGj4mGc.jpg


The last bits for my spare tire kit, which were back-ordered from Germany, arrived today. Why does everything have to be an ordeal?

Anyway, I love a happy ending.
 
linnfomaniac83 said:
I just bought a lemon, lots of electrical gremlins, quite a few relating to the gearbox, some relating to the engine (I think the loom to the coil packs was cracking and causing some real serious running issues, it went into limp mode quite a few times, there was an ignition control module which died and needed replacing, along with a new set of key fobs, that was expensive, and to add insult, left the driver’s window stuck open, and the recovery company/garage left it outside where it got drenched... and then the issue where it refused to budge above first on the M6, a real frightening experience pulling out into a live lane of a motorway to find you can’t go above about 30mph, luckily there was some hard shoulder to ditch into, but you still feel very vulnerable. That journey was the fourth one which ended on the back of a recovery truck. ...
Click to expand...

Was your CLK one of the ones made in Alabama? If so, that figures...
 
Yank said:
Finally, I have closure:

FGj4mGc.jpg


The last bits for my spare tire kit, which were back-ordered from Germany, arrived today. Why does everything have to be an ordeal?

Anyway, I love a happy ending.
Click to expand...

What on Earth do Fender have to do with spare wheels?

Edit: ahhh, it’s a subwoofer.
 
tuga said:
That's what happens when you drive on Continental tires after Brexit. Curbs jump out at you. :D
Click to expand...

My country may be going through a lot of things right now, but at least Brexit isn't one of them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top