JensenHealey
pfm Member
Brake service was planned, no real life left in the pads. Yes MOT pass. And 2 of the tyres were down close to 3mm, so time to change in my book. And actually the garage got the tyres at a better price than I could manage.
Tyres.
- Thread starter Mullardman
- Start date
Brake service was planned, no real life left in the pads. Yes MOT pass. And 2 of the tyres were down close to 3mm, so time to change in my book. And actually the garage got the tyres at a better price than I could manage.
Ponty
pfm Member
Ridiculous. Why not get a set of 16 inch steel wheels and All Season or even A/T tyres with a decent profile on them? Probably similar cost and far more suitable for the state of the roads and UK weather.
My new Subaru came with stupid 18 inch polished alloys with 55 profile road tyres. What bloody use is that on a vehicle which has genuine off road ability? Probably replacing with 16 inch 70 or 75 profile BFG’s or General Grabbers. Should be pretty pothole proof.
JensenHealey
pfm Member
I did change the wheels on my Jag years ago - 18 down to 16. Initially for winter tyres but then put on Cross Climates and left them on all year. Current Volco has 17" wheels with 65 section tyres - not much chance of kerbing, nor worried about potholes too much either. Tyres inexpensive for a 190Hp car.
The Qashqai belongs to my lovely wife. She likes the 19" wheel design and does not like to mess around changing anything. She knows they they are easy to kerb (clue,she has more than once) If it was my car I would have changed the wheels by now.
The Qashqai belongs to my lovely wife. She likes the 19" wheel design and does not like to mess around changing anything. She knows they they are easy to kerb (clue,she has more than once) If it was my car I would have changed the wheels by now.
Yank
Bulbous Also Tapered
I've found them to hold their inflation better than others too.
Snufkin
pfm Member
Interesting point about holding air as I have also found that with Michelin's and Conti's. Michelin make great tyres and I love the Cross Climate series but their earlier Energy series were poor in the grip and feel department, especially in the wet and I had one go out of true (it became slightly elliptical). So although generally I would agree that top brands are top for a reason, even they can make stinkers.
That should do it. I've never seen a 75 profile though unless that's unique to off road tyres. Standard profile is 80, unless otherwise declared. First "low profile" tyres were 70, then 65. Ferraris had 50s, back in the 80s. Now 40/45 is the norm, low profiles are 30.
That's more usually a feature of the rim seal. Old alloys are a pig for getting corrosion on the rim and generating a rough surface that won't seal. Very often a "porous" rim is nothing of the kind, but it needs a thorough clean and a rim sealing material applying.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Quite often it looks like a good idea, fitting wheels a couple of inches smaller. And then you might realise that they won’t fit over the brake caliper! Worth checking beforehand.
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Yank
Bulbous Also Tapered
If a spare is present, its size may be an indication. For a space-saver donut, the mfg is probably going to use the smallest steel wheel that fits.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
But they can be a very strange design of wheel. Just look at the gap from caliper to wheel.
James
Lord of the Erg\o/s
My car has massive brake discs. Nothing smaller than an 18" wheel will clear them. The OEM size is 19", and non-RFT seem supremely comfortable, even on 35-profile rubber.
Nothing wrong with Hankooks, used extensively in other countries and considered as just below the premium Michelin and Goodyear brands. I'm a tyre geek (always ensuring good quality matching tyres on all 4 corners of my vehicles and never letting tread depths fall to anywhere near the minimum) and I wouldn't change them in your situation.
Snufkin
pfm Member
My Mini has Hankooks and I was a little dubious at first but they seem to be pretty good with regards to feel and directional stability. They seem OK in heavy weather although not quite as confidence inspiring as Cross Climates but they are a different kind of tyre. By contrast, they are much better than my previous car which came shod with Michelin Energy tyres from new. I never liked them apart from their ability to give you excellent MPG figures which was their forte. So, despite being put off by the name, I am fairly impressed with the Hankooks.
Some manufacturers have got to the stage where the calipers are so big on the front wheels that the space saver spare won’t go over them. The fix in the event of a front wheel puncture is to remove the front and rear wheels on that side, put the rear on the front and the space saver on the rear. That’s not going to be at all unpleasant or dangerous on the motorway in the dark, is it? Don’t even get me started on how poor modern 385/20x21 rubber is in the snow, either. Back in the 80s, when we used to get snow every year, things like Fiestas on standard 145x12 rubber would go anywhere. Try that on 245/40s, you haven’t got a chance.
Next time out, when I get a car I want rather than just one that rolls, I’m getting a winter set of wheels. Smallest approved rim size, narrowest approved width, tall profile, winter tread profile.
Next time out, when I get a car I want rather than just one that rolls, I’m getting a winter set of wheels. Smallest approved rim size, narrowest approved width, tall profile, winter tread profile.
A lot of the hassle with punctures has been removed by pressure monitoring, mine all give a warning as soon as there's a slight drop giving you time to sort it in the comfort of home.
Only time that didn't work was after a pothole in Axminster, went down overnight, tyre was knackered and all I could get was a pair of something horrible and expensive.
Ali T
pfm Member
Yes a good idea. Mind you, even shod with winter tyres, my
Yes a good idea. Mind you, even with full on winter tyres, my beemer is still pants in the snow.
Yes a good idea. Mind you, even with full on winter tyres, my beemer is still pants in the snow.
3
35451
Guest
Sounds like a good plan. Although uk legal min is 1.6mm (3mm in Germany) given our rainfall, it’s not smart to run at 2mm, let alone 1.6mm in UK.
As per above, even premium tyres drop off once worn getting near legal limit, with aroun 25% increase in wet stopping distances. Budget tyres more so, and they aren’t great to start with.
To be legal, yet have a best case stopping distance that much longer than other cars in same class, is an accident waiting to happen.
Brake service come first MOT after 3 years isn’t too bad, neither is new tyres at that age, assuming average use.
Will you be getting budget items, or stocking with same brand?
Sounds like a good plan. Although uk legal min is 1.6mm (3mm in Germany) given our rainfall, it’s not smart to run at 2mm, let alone 1.6mm in UK.
As per above, even premium tyres drop off once worn getting near legal limit, with aroun 25% increase in wet stopping distances. Budget tyres more so, and they aren’t great to start with.
If you look at your tyres when they come off you may be able to see that the carcase compound is different to the tread compound; on P zeros it shows through as a lighter layer if you get anywhere below c1.6mm.
JensenHealey
pfm Member
It is the second MOT for the car, now at 50K miles. Tyres were Continentals and replaced like for like.
Car was taken to garage at 8am, MOT at 8:30. All other work (including getting parts and tyres delivered) was completed by 3:30pm.
Car was taken to garage at 8am, MOT at 8:30. All other work (including getting parts and tyres delivered) was completed by 3:30pm.