Finally but the bullet today and bought new tyres for the CC3.
I swapped the old ones front to back at about 12,000m, and now at 24,000m, all four were evenly worn - out.
Decided to go for four Barum Bravuris at £95 a corner from National Tyres in Durham City.
No particular reason, had a budget in mind of about £100 and National showed a bit of interest in securing the business when I swung by yesterday.
Ordered in for the next day, and they let me use one of their desks to play on the netbook while the tyres were fitted.
Early impressions are OK, slightly quieter and softer riding than the old Pirellis, maybe because they are new and have a greater depth of tread.
Not had the chance to test the handling, but it's bound to be OK - the CC3 has loads of grip in reserve in normal use.
Looks like a good purchase, provided the tyres wear reasonably well, and only time will tell that.
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Y'all be able to test em on ice & snow pretty soon :(
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...Y'all be able to test em on ice & snow pretty soon :( ...
I could have eked another thousand or more miles out of the old tyres, but I would rather face winter with new ones.
The extra tread could make the difference between rubbish in snow and really rubbish in snow.
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I always find buying tyres a bit like cutting the grass. You know when you have to do it but can't immediately think of something you would rather less do. But when you've actually done it you feel quite good about it. Strange aren't we?
I bought a set of wiper blades for the Qashqai today. Two fronts and a rear. Nissan ones. £42. Glad I'm not paying.
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...something you would rather less do, but when you've actually done it you feel quite good about it...
Spot on, rarely can £400 have been spent on something that provides so little gratification.
Posting about it on here is a way of wringing a tiny bit of extra value from the transaction.
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What made you go for Barum's Iffy, nothing against them it's just an unusual choice and what other makes did you dismiss in favour of them.
Do any manufacturers or indeed independent blade manufacturers still offer blade refills for their blade holders or is slipping a new piece of rubber in deemed too difficult (or too inexpensive) for a customer, used to be about a quarter the price of a new complete blade i recall....damned rip off now as Hump's free spending of his ex's proves..;)
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...What made you go for Barum's Iffy...
Didn't do a great deal of research.
The CC3 takes an uncommon size - 205/50X17 93W - the three or four places I tried had only three or four tyres at around £100.
I was offered Avons a couple of times and Kumho.
I don't have access to enough information to say definitely Kumhos are much better than Barums or vice-versa.
So my choice was influenced by service and availability as much as by brand - I expect many people buy tyres in the same way.
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>> The CC3 takes an uncommon size - 205/50X17 93W
>>
How heavy is a Focus CC ? That is quite a load rating !
Volvo cars are not renowned for being lightweight, mine has a five cylinder 2.4 diesel over the front wheels and only runs on 91's.
I know modern cabriolets have extra bracing but that must be some weight penalty.
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>> How heavy is a Focus CC ? That is quite a load rating !
The C2 VTS is on 94 rated tyres which is even dafter, is it for stiffer sidewalls or is there some other reason for these odd load bearing requirements.
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It's the W rating too. Can anyone justify sticking 168mph rated tyres on a 2 litre diesel. Not having a dig here Iffy but the motor manufacturers and insurance companies in the UK extract the urea Royaly.
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...Can anyone justify sticking 168mph rated tyres on a 2 litre diesel...
Don't think it would reach 168mph if I drove it off a cliff - isn't the terminal velocity of a falling object roughly 120mph?
Last edited by: Iffy on Thu 14 Oct 10 at 21:19
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...I know modern cabriolets have extra bracing but that must be some weight penalty...
It's a heavy old bus - the engineering out of scuttle shake can only be achieved by extra metal.
Last edited by: Iffy on Thu 14 Oct 10 at 21:12
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They're sort of "special" ones, very techy bendy aerodynamic things. ( sorry Iffy ) They even asked if I'd like to have them fitted by a technician while I waited. I declined their offer on the basis that they clip on in much the same way as any others. Who the devil gets their wiper blades "fitted" for Pete's sake ?
Anyway, back to Iffy's dodgy, sorry I mean inexpensive, well not exactly cheap that is but possibly slightly proletarian tyres....
:-)
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...but possibly slightly proletarian tyres...
Humph, your tyre snobbery tells me you've been in Cheshire too long.
At least I don't have to mount an armed guard on the dust caps.
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>> Who the devil gets their wiper blades "fitted" for Pete's sake
>> ?
A lot more people than you think probably. I have to admit it takes me a few minutes to work out how to hook them on the right way round. Never been good at puzzles :-)
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Funny you should mention replacement rubber for wiper blades.
Last week I went to Halfords for new Bosch wiper blades for the Yaris.
The pair indicated in their guide for the model did not have the spoiler on the drivers side and was a cool £20 ish. Buy the two separately boxed upped it to nearer £25 at which point I exited.
Local Factor round the corner - £6 for a pair of replacement rubbers and that included fitting. One happy bunny at that price.
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Honda did - or used to: I did this on my 53-reg Civic. Apparently you could only replace the rubber once, or so they alleged.
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Have you notified your insurance co. you have deviated from The OE tyre manufacturer Ford use ? :-)
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That's a very expensive size Iffy, quite why i haven't a clue.
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Why rotate the tyres so that you have to renew all 4 at the one time? Why not renew your fronts as and when they are worn out and the same with the rears?
If the backs are the priority for grip and fitting new tyres to, why is it that in front wheel drive cars the fronts wear out quicker, meaning they are obviously putting more wear and stress on the fronts?
I'll now exit stage left....... :)
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>> , why is it that in front wheel drive cars the fronts wear out quicker, meaning they are
>> obviously putting more wear and stress on the fronts?
Simples the front wheels are doing 99% of the work, pulling the car along, steering the car, and taking most of the braking force.
All the rear wheels do is follow the front ones and act as a stabiliser.
On a proper car (RWD) the rear wheels take the strain of moving the car, letting the fronts do the important stuff like steering and braking without loosing grip.
even with the rear wheels spinning you can steer the car, try steering a FWD with spinning driven wheels........
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...On a proper car (RWD) the rear wheels...
swiss tony,
Tsk tsk.
Would you like to stand in front of the CC3 and let me run you over?
Then you can tell me if it's a proper car or not.
As regards swapping the tyres front to back, it says do so in the handbook.
Don't suppose it makes any difference to overall tyre wear.
Makes no difference to me if I buy two tyres then two tyres, or four at once.
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>> On a proper car (RWD) ....
A "proper" car? Indeed, Brother Swiss Tony! Freemasons have their secret signs, and of course so do we of "The True Faith of the Worshippers of Rear Wheel Drive". As soon as I saw that phrase which you used to put down all those wrong-headed followers of the false God of FWD, I knew that you were one of us.
When we take over World Government we'll just ban FWD cars altogether! Of course, we'll need to ban snow at the same time.... and slush....and ice.....and frost.....and heavy rain.
And while we are at it, we should shoot a few of the pro-FWD people to make an example. Culling a few of these undesirables would help ease congestion on the roads a bit as well. "Two birds with one stone", as it were.
Yet even as I put forward these wholly moderate suggestions, Brother Swiss Tony, I am troubled.
It bothers me that the driving wheels on my RWD car seem to consume tyres at a much faster rate than the driving wheels did when I drove FWD cars. For example,I've just had to replace my rear tyres ....AGAIN! They don't seem to last five and twenty minutes! (And before anyone suggests it - no, it is not my bad driving that is responsible for the tyre wear.)
Why do I suffer such tyre wear, I wonder? Am I, like Job in the Old Testament, being tested in my faith? Am I being taught wisdom by being shown that, just like the life of a Bridgestone ER300 Turanza Run Flat Tyre, a human life is but a blink of an eye? Or is it that the Traction Control is on the blink?
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>> >> On a proper car (RWD) ....
>>
Londoner, your wisdom shines like a beacon in the dark, dark night of FWD ignorance.
My BM ate rear tyres faster than fronts too, but even then they lasted longer than the fronts did on my previous over-torqued FWD Audi.
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And a terrible winter shall smite the land and the worshippers of the false god RWD shall be trapped in their dwellings and the followers of FWD shall venture forth.But they too shall be sorely tested and find their faith sadly misplaced and shall turn to the mighty god 4WD for deliverance. So it was and so it shall be.
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....hence the X1 - best of both worlds.
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...hence the X1 - best of both worlds...
Pity it looks like a Hyundai. :)
I saw a 5-series hatchback thing the other day.
A lot of BMWs seem to have been hit with the ugly stick - if you ask me, which of course nobody did.
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>> And a terrible winter shall smite the land and the worshippers of the false god
>> RWD shall be trapped in their dwellings and the followers of FWD shall venture forth.But
>> they too shall be sorely tested and find their faith sadly misplaced and shall turn
>> to the mighty god 4WD for deliverance. So it was and so it shall be.
>>
I'll have you know my FWD was stuck in my garden last year, same as the previous FWD, (Mondeo, and Ren Megan) the only way I could get them out was driving in, and reversing out (ie RWD!)
My drive is a fairly steep hill, and weight transference means FWD get zero traction.
carefully driven and with narrowish tyres RWD is ok in snow IMO.
But there again, I used to go out in snow on my motorbike, just for fun. And I never fell off in snow.
care with throttle, clutch and brakes, that what you need to do.
last year I saw Sooooo many plonkers reving the brazils of their cars, and wondering why they weren't going anywhere!
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>> I'll have you know my FWD was stuck in my garden last year, same as
>> the previous FWD, (Mondeo, and Ren Megan) the only way I could get them out
>> was driving in, and reversing out (ie RWD!)
Let them carry on in blissful ignorance Swiss, for they know not what they do.
Nature's quickest and most agile and beautiful creatures don't pull themselves with their front legs the power comes from the back, the also rans might do it differently..;)
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Do you push a wheelbarrow or pull it? Case rests.
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>> Do you push a wheelbarrow or pull it? Case rests.
>>
Do you push your wheeled suitcase or pull it behind you or hitch a trailer the front of a car or pull it behind the car ?
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>> Won on appeal gmac !
>>
Naw, the jury is still out.
The trailer is inadmissible, as it doesn't comprise a permanent part of the vehicle.
And we need clarification as most (if not all) wheeled suitcases only have one axle.......
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>> The trailer is inadmissible, as it doesn't comprise a permanent part of the vehicle.
>>
An artic isn't going to earn very much without one.
>> And we need clarification as most (if not all) wheeled suitcases only have one axle.......
>>
>>
RWD was fine for the time it was used, it was where the technology was at but things have moved on. The mini seemed to do quite well rallying in the 60's vs all those superior RWD's.
I recall SAAB saying you couldn't put much more than 200bhp through the front wheels then Ford took a Volvo R engine and put 345bhp through the fronts and engineered torque steer out while still managing 0-60 in 5.4 seconds, Focus RS500.
BMW have already announced future cars will be FWD, a diesel Ferrari or Lamborghini can't be too far away.
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OK then, what would you rather ride, a front wheel drive bicycle / motorbike or a rear wheel drive one ? And what's more wheeled suitcases catch on your ankles. Supermarket trolleys are RWD, Prams are RWD. It's just natural. Can't be reasonably argued otherwise. Try pulling the aforementioned wheelbarrow up a slippery slope...
I commend it to the jury.
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Despite gmac's submission I have to say you're right Humph, dragging a suitcase along is a hit and miss thing and prone to oversteer - wheelbarrows are precise and probably the most un-evolved bit of kit you can buy - so maybe QED
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I think it's watertight PU, unless the jury's been nobbled of course...
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>> OK then, what would you rather ride, a front wheel drive bicycle / motorbike or
>> a rear wheel drive one ? And what's more wheeled suitcases catch on your ankles.
>> Supermarket trolleys are RWD, Prams are RWD. It's just natural. Can't be reasonably argued otherwise.
>> Try pulling the aforementioned wheelbarrow up a slippery slope...
>>
Was the Flying Scotsman wrong? I don't get clipped the ankles either as I adjust the handle so there is room. I wouldn't like to be pushing a suitcase that digs in at the end of the moving walkway and going over the top. I've never ridden a FWD bike of any sort. Torque steer could be a problem but then the risk of high-siding would be gone.
It's horses for courses. Each method has it's challenges. Humph enjoys his RWD, I've always owned FWD and have driven RWD cars over extended periods. For road use it's never struck me as a must have.
Look at Touring cars, the FWD cars don't head for the outside of the bend at the first sign of deviation from the straight ahead due to engineering.
Porsche took years to get to grips with the pendulum effect of hanging the engine out the back. They persevered and taimed the beast.
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In fairness, most of my cars in recent years have been FWD. Not through preference but through lack of choice of RWD ones. Some FWD cars are a very nioe drive but given the choice at sensible prices I'd still favour RWD. They just feel better to me anyway.
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Possibly all the examples I have given have been nature's Bumblebee. They shouldn't but they do.
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>> I've never ridden a FWD bike of any sort. Torque steer could be a problem ....
Most children's first experience is on a FWD trike...and they have lots of torque steer.
But usually by the time they reach about three they realise the folly of their ways and move on to a RWD bike.
:-)
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>> >> I've never ridden a FWD bike of any sort. Torque steer could be a
>> problem ....
>>
>> Most children's first experience is on a FWD trike...and they have lots of torque steer.
>> But usually by the time they reach about three they realise the folly of their
>> ways and move on to a RWD bike.
>> :-)
>>
Often after coming a cropper due to the fact that steering and drive fight each other, unless tamed by technology......... ;-)
manys the time I've seen a little one fall off one of those trike's due to their leg coming off the pedal, whilst cornering, and getting caught under the trike.
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>> Often after coming a cropper due to the fact that steering and drive fight each
>> other, unless tamed by technology......... ;-)
>>
>> manys the time I've seen a little one fall off one of those trike's due
>> to their leg coming off the pedal, whilst cornering, and getting caught under the trike.
>>
Again there's a counter to that, all RWD is rubbish because Jeremy Clarkeson made a Reliant Robin tip over. :-)
Last edited by: gmac on Sat 16 Oct 10 at 13:28
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Ah the sweet sound of straw being clutched at..
:-)
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>> Ah the sweet sound of straw being clutched at..
>>
>> :-)
>>
could it be the last one before the camels back breaks?
This has reminded me of the time I had 2 cars, a Sierra (mine) and an Escort 3 (my at the time wife's)
there is one nice righthand bend near me, that I know very well.
So well, I knew (by experiment) my limits, (as well as each car's, as much as I dared anyway...)
I will say, in the Escort I could go round 5-10 mph faster - But... the Sierra was giving me loads of feedback, where as the Escort just went round.
Until.... one day in the Escort, I added about 2mph to my speed... just how I caught the car, and didn't plough though the hedge I don't know....
That was the day, I decided I was a RWD fan!
Last edited by: swiss tony on Sat 16 Oct 10 at 15:02
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Lost me there Humph comparing a trike and a Robin Reliant has nothing to do with which wheels are driven and highlights the unstable nature of the design while trying to attribute it to something else.
Maybe ST would like to try the same corner in a Focus RS500 ? When that loses grip it would make no difference if it FWD, RWD, AWD, 4x4 he would not be catching it.
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Oh I know gmac, I'm just indulging in a little bit of internet ping pong. I'm not really very biased either way but I do like the feel of RWD better on balance. Although even a crumbly old Mondeo can be fun to drive too though just because it has a basically good chassis despite it being FWD. The Westfield though was just other-worldly in terms of driver feedback and involvement not least due to it being RWD. The Qashqai which in the case of my one is a 4WD is very efficient but just plain boring to drive and doesn't like being hurried to change direction at all. You almost feel like apologising to it for the inconvenience you are about to cause it when you come to a corner.
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...my Mondeo can be fun to drive too though just because it has a basically good chassis despite it being FWD...
Many of those who profess to dislike FWD would change their tune if they drove a properly engineered solution.
A Focus or a Mondeo, or to prove there's nothing new under the sun, an old Mini.
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>> A Focus or a Mondeo, or to prove there's nothing new under the sun, an old Mini.
Agreed, especially if you treat them to a decent set of tyres...
:-)
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>> >> A Focus or a Mondeo, or to prove there's nothing new under the sun,
>> an old Mini.
>>
>> Agreed, especially if you treat them to a decent set of tyres...
>>
I currently run a Mk2 mondy... I must say I prefer it's handling to the Mk3...... I must have driven upwards of 10 Mk3's BTW, of differing engines/specs - not had an outing in a Mk4 yet though......
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...Agreed, especially if you treat them to a decent set of tyres...
Decent radial tyres were a big upgrade for my 1968 Mini van.
They were slightly wider than standard, and protruded ever-so-slightly beyond the bodywork.
I asked the MOT tester if he would pass it, and he said he would, partly because he regarded the radial tyres as a safety upgrade.
We worked at the same garage, and I think he was trying to keep me out of the hedge.
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>> not had an outing in a Mk4 yet though......
Not me, they do get a very good write up though. I really like the estate especially. If I was buying another long term, do anything, car I'd be tempted by one. I'm mildly disappointed that they have gone to a cambelt engine though. Don't trust them after three bad experiences over the years. Probably just superstition on my part.
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>> Many of those who profess to dislike FWD would change their tune if they drove a properly engineered solution.
Hmmm... there's just no comparison to the way they drive though.
My RWD 728i clocks in at 197bhp. My FWD Vrs clocks in at 208bhp.
Setting off, the RWD wins, it grabs you by the hips to force you forward, you are a part of the action.
Turning in, for me, it's probably a draw.
Accelerating out of a corner the RWD wins by a country mile, there's a really marked difference between the two here.
If RWD was a 9 stone dog's solitary, assured bark, then FWD would be a persistently yappy thing, that probably expended the same amount of energy overall but never quite managed to seem as sure of itself.
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...Hmmm... there's just no comparison to the way they drive though...
Skoda,
I suspect you are a keener driver than me.
For my driving of bowling along across country at 60mph or so, a decent FWD set-up means not having to slow down too much for bends, and having a bit of fun without risking the no claims bonus.
FWD gives better traction in poor conditions, and is less likely to punish you when your attention wavers - the steering of a Focus is pretty much go where you point it.
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>> I'm not really very biased either way but I do like the feel of RWD better on balance. Although even a crumbly old Mondeo can be fun to drive too
>> though just because it has a basically good chassis despite it being FWD. The Westfield
>> though was just other-worldly in terms of driver feedback and involvement not least due to it being RWD.
I'd say Humph, that we are birds of a feather here.
most of the cars I've owned have been FWD, but what I prefer with RWD is the feedback...
That said, many new cars are having feedback dialled out... the manufactures preferring to let the car make the decisions, and by doing so making the car (IMHO) bland, and boring to drive.
there are some cars I have driven, (being in the trade I have had opportunities to drive a vast range) that if I didn't know, I would be hard pushed to tell if they were FWD or RWD.
Also, I have decided, that my favourite 'drive' would be a reasonably powered, balanced, non electrically enhanced RWD. (Westfield perhaps?) ;-)
Too much power = hard work to drive within my (and the laws) limits.
Too many electronics = lack of feedback / sense of control... ABS is good... but I am already fitted with traction control, its called being sensible with the throttle!
ESP? that is where feedback comes in - where the car 'tells' you its getting toward the edge and to BACK OFF!!!
Right gmac... where's that Focus RS500 you promised me??
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>> That said, many new cars are having feedback dialled out... the manufactures preferring to let
>> the car make the decisions, and by doing so making the car (IMHO) bland, and
>> boring to drive.
>> there are some cars I have driven, (being in the trade I have had opportunities
>> to drive a vast range) that if I didn't know, I would be hard pushed
>> to tell if they were FWD or RWD.
>>
Maybe I was too late to RWD, this could be the reason I've never felt like I've been missing out.
15 years ago a mate I worked with had a 2.8i Capri, he was a biker and absolutley loved that car. Never gave me a shot :-( That could have made my mind up back then.
>> Right gmac... where's that Focus RS500 you promised me??
>>
You'll have to take a ticket and get in line...Oh ! they've all gone. :-(
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My first boss had a 3.0S Capri which he used to let me borrow sometimes. He looked and drove just like Gene Hunt from "Life on Mars". The car was metallic brown with gold painted alloys and a gold stripe down the side ( classy eh ? )
I used to get sent to fill it up with petrol or to run an errand for him. By today's standards it wouldn't be seen as all that quick but back then it was quite something. The errands always seemed to take an hour or so longer than was strictly necessary...
Last edited by: Humph D'bout on Sat 16 Oct 10 at 16:54
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>> Maybe I was too late to RWD, this could be the reason I've never felt
>> like I've been missing out.
>> 15 years ago a mate I worked with had a 2.8i Capri, he was a
>> biker and absolutley loved that car. Never gave me a shot :-( That could have
>> made my mind up back then.
>>
Hmmmm the Capri.
Now there IMO is a car that maybe proves the FWD fans right!
I have driven loads in my time, and the 2.8 was, it has to be said, a right handful!
basic chassis from the 50's the linage goes back to the Anglia 100E I believe.
heavy, powerful (for the time) engine..... yup, they were fun!
As an aside, I have never understood why Ford didn't build a new Capri based on Sierra running gear.. the XR4i was loads better in the twisty bits than the best sorted Capri ever dreamt to be.
Last edited by: swiss tony on Sat 16 Oct 10 at 17:02
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>> then Ford took a Volvo R engine and put 345bhp through the fronts and engineered torque steer out while still managing 0-60 in 5.4 seconds, Focus RS500.
That's not the full story though, the RS500, as with the RS before it actively limit the amount of torque available to 1st and 2nd gear. The only reason Ford did this was the FWD layout.
If the focus rs500 was rear wheel drive, the usable limit or torque would be significantly higher. The 0-60 time would be lower.
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>> If the focus rs500 was rear wheel drive, the usable limit or torque would be
>> significantly higher. The 0-60 time would be lower.
>>
And by a fair bit I'd wager.
Take weight transference into account and any RWD is able to use more torque.
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>> If the focus rs500 was rear wheel drive, the usable limit or torque would be significantly higher. The 0-60 time would be lower.
>> And by a fair bit I'd wager.
>> Take weight transference into account and any RWD is able to use more torque.
I don't deny it. BMW M3 saloon shaves 0.5 second off with an extra 79bhp though it does ONLY produce 295lb ft torque to the Ford's 340. Shows how much they wind the Ford back in the lower gears to get it going.
I wonder how they compare 50-70 ?
Here's your RS500 test drive: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAZ54yXOD0c
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>> RWD was fine for the time it was used
Car's are still 4 wheels and an engine. Yes, Ford have managed to put more power through the front wheels, but look what they have to do in order to make it handle without torque steer (I love'em of course, the Focus RS, saw one floor it at low speeds at close proximity, what a noise, 5cylinder thrum, whistling turbo and chattering wastegate, oh yes!)
I'm more comfortable with rear wheel drive, especially if things start getting out of hand, I find it easy to correct, but being a BMW with good balance, it's easier than the Mark 2 Escort I had, especially in the wet.. I don't think I realise how well it handles now it's got Eibach spring/Bilstein damper combination and polybushes front and rear, until I get to a roundabout at the same time as another car and just track round with no braking and slingshot out the other side well ahead but with no real effort. Yes it's a harsher ride now but I'll miss that seat of the pants feel and communication when it finally goes.
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>> and just track round with no braking and slingshot out the other side well ahead
>> but with no real effort. Yes it's a harsher ride now but I'll miss that
>> seat of the pants feel and communication when it finally goes.
>>
And that's a good description of the MB coupe i'm missing already despite it still being sat on the drive unadvertised.
Standard suspension but all of the important parts renewed, 17" tyres replacing the standard 15" which although giving that magic carpet ride would make the car roll, set up as it is the totally planted limpet like high speed effortless cornering is so pleasurable...no TC no ESP it only has ABS, nothing else needed.
I doubt i'll ever have the funds to own a proper RWD again, from my own perspective they are best in 6+ cylinder auto form with oodles of sure footed grip, no dodgy tyre choices an obvious necessity especially in winter, but that applies to any car if they are to be driven anything other than mimsingly....oddly enough my 225/45 x 17 winter tyred RWD MB got out of our snowed in steep approach roads with no problems where most FWD's failed except for the few capable of reversing up the hill..
Glad i enjoyed the natural progression through the ages of RWD, from cart sprung handfuls (Hilux? though that's immeasurably better on the researched non standard tyre spec) through to thoroughly competent designs.
FWD may be the new thing though i doubt proper engined BMW's or MB's or Lexusi or many others will be pulled from the front for many years.
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>> FWD may be the new thing though i doubt proper engined BMW's or MB's or
>> Lexusi or many others will be pulled from the front for many years.
>>
Maybe not 'proper engined BMW's' But...... preview.tinyurl.com/bmwfwd
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>> Maybe not 'proper engined BMW's' But...... preview.tinyurl.com/bmwfwd
That could be a good thing for Saab, if they pull it off. A Saab with their superb seats and good looks coupled with a decent chassis honed by BMW. A perfect marriage, although there's always a fly in the ointment somewhere..
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>> And that's a good description of the MB coupe i'm missing already..
I knew you wouldn't be able to part with it quickly :-)
It's a lovely day today, well it is down here anyway. You better give it a good thrashing around the local roads, just to make sure it doesn't start seizing up, you understand...
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ebay is the cheapest for Bosch wipers - SuperPlus anyway.
£95 a corner seems pricey for a budget brand tyre. An extra tenner would have bought a premium brand surely.
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...£95 a corner seems pricey for a budget brand tyre. An extra tenner would have bought a premium brand surely...
Supermini size maybe, not for CC3 size, which as gb says earlier in the thread, seems to be expensive.
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Odd size may account for high price - there are lower prices of £70 fitted by the likes of Etyre but no brand mentioned.
Blackcircles special are Falken @ £340 fitted but are they as good as / better than Barums?
Needed a tyre yesterday, one worn front and I asked about 1 other as it was 3-4 mm. Went to local Independent, tyre fitter looked at car, suggested rear on front and fit new tyre to rear. Took keys, 20 mins later car returned, very pleasant, said no need to change 2nd tyre just now as car does low mileage.
£43 for tyre, no extra for valve, no extra for balancing, no disposal charge - 195/60/15 for just over £43, very pleasant fitter and no attempt to con etc etc - a marked difference from some nationwide fast fitting tyre and exhaust companies.
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I'm guessing top brands in this size will be nearer £130 a corner. My C5 with a similar size will need new front tyres next year unless I do the front/rear swap to even them out for all 4 the following year. I see budgets for mine are just under £100, Goodyears etc £130ish and OE MIchelins near £150.
Falken are an OK budget tyre but in my experience on the Mondeo their wet grip levels collapse below 4mm more than others.
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Why does everyone one say "a corner" when discussing the price of tyres. Why not "each". or is the former more streetwise? :-)
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And what would they say for a Reliant Robin...?
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A triangle's got three corners.
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"A triangle's got three corners."
Yes but it's not a triangle, it's an oblong with three wheels.
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Sorry... it's HJ type speak. Gives the impression you've lived a bit, you know your way round a motor, you know a deal when you see it. The reality however is quite different.....
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People who haven't bought tyres for a while might be in for a bit of a shock. The price of rubber on world markets has reached a record level and car tyres consist of around 70% rubber. All tyre manufacturers either have or will be raising their prices substantially in the next months.
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I hope the Barums work out well for you. See what you mean about prices in your size - mytyres has a Yokohama at £108 and a Goodyear at £112 but then you'd have to pay for fitting on top...
I had a dilemma when I needed new tyres for the Galaxy. Bought mid range Avons at £90 instead of spending £120 on a premium brand. Whilst the Avons were grippy the longevity was abysmal.
No more mid range tyres for me, lesson learnt.
Last edited by: Marc on Fri 15 Oct 10 at 12:03
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...Bought mid range Avons at £90 longevity was abysmal...
Marc,
I bought Avons for the last Focus and they didn't last well.
It's unlikely the Avons I was offered this time round would be identical, but experience with the last lot makes me inclined to steer clear.
Thanks for the good wishes for the Barums.
Done a few more miles now and they are definitely a little better at bump absorption, which I'm pleased about.
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>> Decided to go for four Barum Bravuris...in Durham City.
>>
Was the "City" added for Roger Whittaker's benefit ?
For completeness you should have written Durham City on the Wear as he makes reference to the Tyne in the song.
Last edited by: gmac on Fri 15 Oct 10 at 10:32
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...Was the "City" added for Roger Whittaker's benefit ?...
"City" was not added, it's what the place is called.
The problem with "Durham" is it can mean either Durham City, or the county, County Durham.
And I don't think Roger Whittaker has much to do with it, Durham City has been there for more than 1,000 years, and even he's not that old.
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Didn't RW sing about "Durham Town", anyway?
Back to the tyres, I bought a set of four Bravuris for my other half's RAV4 - it never goes off road. so 'road' tyres made sense. They were the original Bravuris, BTW - not the Bravuris II.
Even more sense at £140 (for four) 235/60R16 100W including postage, via a well-known auction site - plus £10 a corner to fit.
She's quite happy with them, too......
Last edited by: Old Sock on Fri 15 Oct 10 at 12:16
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>> Didn't RW sing about "Durham Town", anyway?
>>
And he implied it was on the R Tyne; unforgivable.
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...And he implied it was on the R Tyne; unforgivable...
As Hawk says, one verse implied 'Durham Town' was on the Tyne:
When I was a boy, I spent my time,
Sitting on the banks of the river Tyne.
Watching all the ships going down the line, they were leaving,
Leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving me.
www.lyrics007.com/Roger%20Whittaker%20Lyrics/Durham%20Town%20Lyrics.html
As I said earlier, it's Durham City, although to confuse matters, the civic centre which is bang in the middle of Durham City, is called Durham Town Hall.
So there is a town hall in a place which has one of the finest cathedrals in the country, if not the world.
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>> four Barum Bravuris at £95 a corner from National Tyres
www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/ts/search/tyredetails.aspx?code=2055017BA2W
AFAIAA this is National's online concern. If you go back and hassle them, they may cough up if they've an extended price-match deal.
Tyres should be OK, I had some on my old Cavalier, which is broadly similar.
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...If you go back and hassle them, they may cough up if they've an extended price-match deal...
Tread pattern is slightly different, mine are Bravuris ZR and the ones in the link are marked Bravuris FR.
It might be no more than the tyre equivalent of badge engineering, but is probably enough for them to wiggle out of any price match.
Or, perish the thought, mine might be the next model up.
I was asked to go back for a free wheel nut torque check, which I probably will early next week, so 'my' (thanks, FT) computer researches might get a mention then.
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>> I was asked to go back for a free wheel nut torque check, ..............
I prefer to do it myself ~ I reduce the torque then tighten to the specified figure with my torque wrench. You could argue that I won't do them any more accurately, but the important thing to me is that they're done to my satisfaction.
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...I prefer to do it myself...
So would I, if I had a torque wrench.
Having said that, I think torquing wheel nuts is not that important.
I fitted and refitted lots of wheels years ago, and just nipped them up by feel, as did everyone else in the garage.
None ever came off.
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Having lost two caravan wheels which were torqued up by myself I am somewhat paranoid about tightening wheel nuts.
But then I no longer have a caravan :-)
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...Having lost two caravan wheels...
Both at the same time?
Would have been a sled.
Read somewhere - might have been on here - caravan wheel nuts are more prone to coming undone than car ones.
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I lost a N/S wheel off a caravan on the M6.
IIRC N/S wheels on some vehicles had a left-hand thread.
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>> Read somewhere - might have been on here - caravan wheel nuts are more prone
>> to coming undone than car ones.
>>
>>
There was a lot of talk about this in the Caravan Club mag of several years ago. I wondered if it was anything to do with the wheels not being balanced. My caravan wheels are balanced, as they have been for years. I've never lost a trailer wheel in 40 years of towing but statistically that doesn't prove anything. Yes I do torque the nuts up. Yes they do have plastic thingies on to stop the nuts unwinding like some buses. Yes the threads have copaslip on like my dad recommended.
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>>I fitted and refitted lots of wheels years ago, and just nipped them up by feel, as did everyone else in the garage.
None ever came off.<<<
Nobody survived to come back and complain?
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>> The CC3 takes an uncommon size - 205/50X17 93W
>>
Not too uncommon, my just sold Mondeo was the same likewise our new 1 Series though in run-flat form.
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I let the Barums run in for about 100 miles, but gave the CC3 a bit of a belt today.
A couple of army lads from Catterick in a VW Golf GTI were keen to have a go, so I demonstrated Focus handling around a roundabout and a bend or two, and then spooled the old bus up to a good speed on the A1.
The Barums held the road well enough, road noise is unchanged, and I think there's a slight improvement in the ride.
I recommend them, provided they don't wear out too quickly.
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Four new boots - Dog
