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Car tyre law

Yes my wife had a bit of motoring argy bargy with an A5 driver whilst driving back from Devon. I quite like the A5 though probably my favourite in their range apart from an R8 of course.
 
On a FWD vehicle putting matched tyres on the front axel and having mismatched ones on the rear is often held to be preferable to any other configuration, but in actuality you should have your best tyres on the rear of a FWD vehicle as any loss of traction from the heavier driven front is likely to be understeer and far easier to correct.

A Swedish mag once tested this. Worn tyres on the front and new ones on the rear v.s. the opposite. On a wet road, with worn ones on the back they could actually go a bit faster. BUT when they went over the limit there was a very sudden and fast spin! Worn ones on the front IS safer, as far as I knew this apllies to all cars, not just FWD ones.
 
Worn ones on the front IS safer, as far as I knew this apllies to all cars, not just FWD ones.

I have seen this advice before. Makes some sense to me. You feel what car is doing through the front wheels. When the back let's go you have less of a sense what's happening and in a FWD car there is not so much you do about it if it does happen.
 
When the back let's go you have less of a sense what's happening and in a FWD car there is not so much you do about it if it does happen.
I think the recovery procedure is to accelerate, which is counterintuitive for most.
 
I have seen this advice before. Makes some sense to me. You feel what car is doing through the front wheels. When the back let's go you have less of a sense what's happening and in a FWD car there is not so much you do about it if it does happen.

With sporty short-wheelbase FWD cars the back can break away very quickly due to lift-off oversteer and be pretty hard to catch if you're not expecting it. I had a 205GTi as a company car back in the day and it was fun when you deliberately provoked lift-off oversteer, but it'd spin very quickly if you weren't expecting it.

On a circuit I'd prefer the worn tyres on the back, but on road the advice above having the worn tyres on the front does make sense.
 
With sporty short-wheelbase FWD cars the back can break away very quickly due to lift-off oversteer and be pretty hard to catch if you're not expecting it. I had a 205GTi as a company car back in the day and it was fun when you deliberately provoked lift-off oversteer, but it'd spin very quickly if you weren't expecting it.

Very true! I ran mine with Bridgestone RE71s - a perfect combination.
 
A Swedish mag once tested this. Worn tyres on the front and new ones on the rear v.s. the opposite. On a wet road, with worn ones on the back they could actually go a bit faster. BUT when they went over the limit there was a very sudden and fast spin! Worn ones on the front IS safer, as far as I knew this apllies to all cars, not just FWD ones.
that’s the one. It is probably the same on RWD and AWD cars, but it is much much easier to recover from oversteer in a vehicle with power to the rear wheels and typically more weight over the rear axle; so assuming a skilled driver who responds correctly it’s more critical in a FWD car.
 
With sporty short-wheelbase FWD cars the back can break away very quickly due to lift-off oversteer and be pretty hard to catch if you're not expecting it. I had a 205GTi as a company car back in the day and it was fun when you deliberately provoked lift-off oversteer, but it'd spin very quickly if you weren't expecting it.

On a circuit I'd prefer the worn tyres on the back, but on road the advice above having the worn tyres on the front does make sense.
First time a I took a friends Turbo Technics modded 205gti through a 100mph bend he was pushing down on my right knee to make sure I didn’t subconsciously lift off! :D
 
Is this the demise of the Jaguar?
Yes, and I'm not really sorry. I bought it when I needed wheels, when the previous one had a gearbox go bang without warning and I bought too low down the food chain. It's been OK for a year's motoring but that's all. It's pretty rotten underneath and it has been lowered, so the rear suspension geometry is out and it eats rear tyres. A pal is offloading the Audi, he's had it from new and maintained it impeccably. High miles but still good and mine for a song. It's going to be nice to have a car I like on the driveway.
 
A 100mph bend is a wussy’s way of taking a 120mph bend.

My 205GTi was the 1.6 version and I'm not sure it would do 120mph! I recall it hitting the rev limiter at an indicated 126mph in top (I did that on the way home on the day I picked it up) but I doubt that'd have been over an actual 120mph. The VTi Civic it was replaced with was a good bit faster though.

Funny how those both seemed fast back in the but even my shopping car is way faster than either and even my son's 1-litre Fiesta is probably quicker than the 205GTi was.
 
Best version to have. RS5 excepted.
That's good to know. I've been in it many times, it goes very well, sounds nice and corners on rails. His party trick is to accelerate hard in a bend, the thing just sits down, stays flat and goes where it's pointed, which is at odds with its size.
 
That's good to know. I've been in it many times, it goes very well, sounds nice and corners on rails. His party trick is to accelerate hard in a bend, the thing just sits down, stays flat and goes where it's pointed, which is at odds with its size.

Just listen out for any noise on startup - chains / tensioners can go on higher mile cars V6 TDIs but it's not as common a t'internet makes out.
 
Just listen out for any noise on startup - chains / tensioners can go on higher mile cars V6 TDIs but it's not as common a t'internet makes out.
Thanks, it's very quiet on starting, no camchain rattles. I've seen an Audi in for head/can repair, not something I'd want to do or pay for, but this one seems good. It's just had a service and test, nothing to report. I may spend a few tenners and change the oil at half the miles recommended, I'm not a fan of extended service intervals, esp on older cars. Let's face it, the longer intervals are a commercial decision based on reducing costs for the fleet buyer who wants total reliability for 80-100k miles and minimal costs, and who doesn't care if it shortens average engine life from 250k to 200k.
 
Thanks, it's very quiet on starting, no camchain rattles. I've seen an Audi in for head/can repair, not something I'd want to do or pay for, but this one seems good. It's just had a service and test, nothing to report. I may spend a few tenners and change the oil at half the miles recommended, I'm not a fan of extended service intervals, esp on older cars. Let's face it, the longer intervals are a commercial decision based on reducing costs for the fleet buyer who wants total reliability for 80-100k miles and minimal costs, and who doesn't care if it shortens average engine life from 250k to 200k.

My worry with extended service intervals is that the damage is done over the first few years/thousands of miles, but doesn’t become terminal until 100-200k miles. Frequent oil changes later on don’t undo the wear.
 


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