My wife's car has 3mm of tread on one front tyre, 4mm on the other front and a 7mm on each of the back ones. On her mileage, (10-12k pa ) at least the 3mm one will need to be replaced before Easter. Given the probability of worse weather January - March than March - May, I was thinking I might as well get two new tyres it now for sake of the minimal savings to be made versus the increased safety it would gain.
Yes / No ?
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Wed 29 Dec 10 at 14:03
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Avoiding the VAT increase may balance out some of the minimal saving.
John
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Humph - you of all people!!
It's a no brainer. Put the back ones on the front and the new ones on the back. Far superior traction and grip from 7mm than 3mm at the front. And in this weather, I know what I would do - get thee to a tyre shop!
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I know, you're right guys. I'll get them done. In mitigation I am Scottish though. You understand Espada don't you? :-)
Trip home go smoothly ?
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Yes thanks - home safely and the S-Max has been across the road to the Shell garage for its Albanian hand job - sorry hand car wash ;-). Looks the business now. Whilst I was overseas, Espadrille was in London with the kids at the M-i-Ls in it and it was filthy. About to take the A-Class over now.
Landed at 10:07 and was home in north Manchester (hand luggage only) before 11:00. Passport control at Manchester is getting pretty efficient these days.
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The answer might depend on the state of the spare. A pristine 8 mm, or bald?
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At least you have one! I'm jealous. Did consider run flats when changing the tyres last week on the S-Max but was put off by the retailer who warned of dreadful ride on 18" wheels.
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What about just rotating them? Put the 3-4mm's on the back and the 7mm's on the front?
Then you can get a set of 4x matched with a healthy discount when they're all done :-)
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If it was my car I might Skoda but it's only last February she aquaplaned in heavy rain and rolled / wrote off her old car. I'd just feel better about getting them done. She's not perfect of course but I'm sort of fond of her really.
:-)
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Humph if i was your wife, i'd award a couple of brownie points for that sentiment :-)
You'd have negative equity when i got to the "She's not perfect" bit mind.
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In the interests of safety I change mine in pairs when one has got down to 3 mm or thereabouts. I don't wait until the tread depth is at the legal minimum.
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I'm doing it. Decision made. Thanks chaps.
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Sensible man - where are getting them from?
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Dunno yet. Got a very good deal on the 17" ones for my car from Kwik Fit on line funnily enough. These for her car aren't too dear though anyway being 16" jobs. I'm on to it now.
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Well, acceptable price at Kwik Fit at £83 odds each for Bridgestones ( 215/65/16H ) to match the back ones. Can't get a booking before Jan 6th though which in effect means Saturday Jan 8th before I could get the car in. I'll have a mooch around to see if anywhere else could do it sooner.
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I always use Sheldons in Manchester (moved recently to Liverpool Street on the Salford side not far from the end of the M602). They give good advice and can get tyres in within a few hours if not in stock.
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What? Like, new ones or "hot" ones?
:-)
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Only asking, Salford and all..."get them within hours"
:-)
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It is around the corner from my office.
Are you therefore impugning the good character of a [puffs chest out and harumphs] "Chartered Surveyor"?
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No of course not Espada. Just teasing. Thanks for the tip.
Would it be safe to leave the keys do you think...
:-)
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......where would you go to that you would need to leave the keys? Apart from coming to see me..........
You could go to Sainsbury's...........
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Tell you what, Sainsburys do a good sit in lunch for not much if you don't mind the pensioners.
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>>>Well, acceptable price at Kwik Fit at £83 odds each for Bridgestones ( 215/65/16H )
Don't forget the extra £11 for valve, balance and disposal at Kwik Fit.
£94 doesn't look as good does it?
I like to use a local independent opposite the Saab garage in Derby. Always beats web prices.
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Never checked mine, but the car has only done 10K, so I guess they are OK, but I suppose I should check them occasionally.
Can anybody recommend a tyre gauge?
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We replaced the misses 3mm front tyres in Sept. Money very well spent indeed, it never felt anything less than stable in the snow ( or in the Lake District where it rained alot in Sept ).
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I find they grip better on snow when the cord is showing through.
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Glad you decided to swap both - I'd feel safer with both at maximum tread instead of one still with only 4mm.
On leased company vehicles they are reluctant to swap both when there has been a puncture. This has happened twice to me and the other tyre on the same axle was due a change soon anyway. As soon as you question the safety aspect they have always backed down and done both.
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>>On leased company vehicles they are reluctant to swap both when there has been a puncture. This has happened twice to me and the other tyre on the same axle was due a change soon anyway. As soon as you question the safety aspect they have always backed down and done both.
Will need to find a link but I read recently that many police forces replaced all 4 tyres every time one got a puncture!
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>> Can anybody recommend a tyre gauge?
Honestly can't remember where mine came from. Had it for a very long time. Would've thought Halfords or any accessories place would sell you one. Mine is just a "T" shaped thing with a sliding inner guage you shove into the gap in the treads to get a reading. Nothing fancy but it works well enough.
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I've got a really cheap and nasty depth gauge but it works brilliantly. The pin drives a pointer on a dial. It's geared so that 1mm of tread depth is a lot more than 1mm on the dial, making it really easy to read.
I have been looking out for something similar but better made and never seen one, only those 'orrible stick things.
John
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That looks like my one F.
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>> www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/231729/draper_27298.html
>>
Mine is a Draper 27298, but I can't remember where I bought it.
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Had a timely reminder just now.
Waiting for daughter to confirm the size and load for her Civic, she still hasn't....kids...aarrgh.
Yesterday 195/65 x 15V Kuhmo KH21 all seasons £68.30.
Today same site (Mytyres) £91 and a bit.
Moral, if you spot a bargain press that buy button.
Me, i'm back to the drawing board, when she finally gets round to doing her bit.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 29 Dec 10 at 21:50
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MyTyres (who are excellent) are less excellent today...
I've been watching the DPD parcel tracking link over the past couple of days. First my tyres went from North east Germany to west central... bit closer to here, that's good. Then down to Italy - maybe there's a DPD courier hub at the airport there?
Then to the milan depot. That's a bit strange i thought. Then "Out for delivery"! That's definitely not right. I emailed MyTyres and they got back within the hour. Mind at rest. Then i checked DPD and it said delivered! All 4 packages, to some address in Milan.
I've been given the wrong tracking numbers (or a guy in milan's just received some snow tyres...)
They'll confirm the new numbers tomorrow but i expect they'll be delivered tomorrow morning anyway.
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Nice geography lesson tho.
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Maybe yesterday they had no stock and would have been "sorry try tomorrow..."
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I logged a call for servers for a customer in the UK. The computer company (i.e. the hardware supplier) thought it was in Mexico and was going to send parts to Mexico city!
Sometimes they complain when the 'computer says no' and sometimes you wish it had :-)
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GB,
Our 1.6 auto has 195/65/15 88H on it, though Vs would do of course.
I did check mtyres a few days ago and those Kumhos weren't there - might be worth checking now and then.
Last edited by: Manatee on Wed 29 Dec 10 at 22:54
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>> Our 1.6 auto has 195/65/15 88H on it, though Vs would do of course.
The current set on the car are V rated (not sure of the load rating and needed confirmation of all before i bought the wrong set), it's possible for the 2.0 litre that may well be requirement, will have to check.
Those Kuhmo's have been there for at least two days at 68ish, damn and double damn.
I have bought from Mytyres many times in the past, when i've spotted something i was looking for that were very cheap they have always honoured the advertised price, though often the price has jumped a lot within the day, have never had a 'no stock available' reply...unlike Camskills where over the last couple of years that seems to be the norm.
Unless the all season tyre situation changes in the next month then she may well be having Uniroyal rain somethings, 3mm now and that's low enough, always bought me winter stuff in the summer before this sudden car change has caught me on the hop.
Out of interest Mytyres have a serarch facility for fitting centres, i used a local one who charged double that advertised on Mytyres site, i contacted Mytyres who wanted details including a scanned copy of receipt, they not the tyre fitters reimbursed me the difference and subsequently the price was altered on their site...good customer service i thought.
Anyway back to Hump's thread sorry Hump didn't mean to nick it, wot you getting for the Cashow matey? unless i missed it when reading.
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Not at all GB, nick away !
Probably Bridgestone Duellers. That's what's on the back and coincidentally albeit in a bigger size on mine. Seem pretty good and are OE on most Squashys. Slightly tempted to bin them all and put all seasons on all four wheels though. Wallet protesting at that notion a bit but heart says it would be a plan.
In that instance Yokohama Geolanders look favourite.
Dunno now. Need to do something soon.
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I had Geolanders on the Subarus I had. Not that great TBH on the snow.
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Oh, OK, probably just saved me a few quid ! Thanks.
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>>>Slightly tempted to bin them all and put all seasons on all four wheels though. Wallet protesting at that notion a bit but heart says it would be a plan. In that instance Yokohama Geolanders look favourite.
Are the Geolanders available in all season Humph... I thought they were more a soft-roader summer tyre??
A proper all-season type with a winter rating might be better??
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According to the blurb they are all season Fenlander. Doesn't matter now though, Espada has put me off them. I remember his Subaru sledging incident...
See - mytyres.co.uk - Details: Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S 215/65 R16 98H G012,RBL
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Perhaps I didn't make my point well... I wasn't trying to encourage you to get the Geolander but stating as far as I can see from their website they are not proper all-season tyres despite being in the all-season part of the mytyres listing.
I can't see the maker state they have any attributes for cold weather or winter conditions and as far as I can see they don't say they carry the snowflake symbol.
www.yokohamatire.com/tires/geolandar_ats.pdf
I meant you may be better off with a true all-season snowflake logod tyre to get good winter performance.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 30 Dec 10 at 17:41
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You know, when I bought my 'house on a hill' I said to my wife (in 2003) we haven't had a proper winter for years. It'll be OK! - The vendors left me with two bags of grit which took me six winters to get through.
I have already finished two bags this winter alone. And new Kumhos are better in the snow than Geolanders.
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Got a set of Geolandars in the shed waiting to go on ebay, couple of thousand miles was enough, the price of them you'd think they'd be wonderful, agree with Espada to avoid.
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When I needed to replace the Geolanders on the Outback I bought something more sport saloon orientated tyres and the difference in road grip was significant.
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What size are they GB ? Tum ti tum ti tum, ( feigns disinterest ) Might take them off your hands for a nominal fee...
:-)
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>> Might take them off your hands for a nominal fee...
Better get some Carlos Fandango's and a lift kit then, unless you can squeeze 265/70 x 16's under the wings..;)
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It'd look like a Tonka toy with those on GB. Once upon a time maybe. Not now. Old fools tend to look even dafter than young fools...
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>> Probably Bridgestone Duellers. That's what's on the back and coincidentally albeit in a bigger size
>> on mine. Seem pretty good and are OE on most Squashys. Slightly tempted to bin
>> them all and put all seasons on all four wheels though. Wallet protesting at that
>> notion a bit but heart says it would be a plan.
I'm pretty sure the Duellers are M+S marked Humph, though there are different versions. If so, not worth binning 2 good ones.
Do I recall correctly that Mme. D'Bout's car is 2 wheel drive Humph? If not there's a whole tyre rotating thread waiting to happen...
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Yes it's 2wd...and the thought had occured to me. If it was mine I wouldn't hesitate to bung the worn fronts on the back and vice versa but the tooth suckers have got to me...
:-)
Edit - must check that M&S thing. Too dark and cold now...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Thu 30 Dec 10 at 20:00
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>> Edit - must check that M&S thing. Too dark and cold now...
>>
On the M+S thing - my expert pal has been looking into tyres for me for Mrs M's car. M+S is a bit odd, in that there isn't really a standard definition; neither do vendors reliably, if at all, list tyres as M+S anyway. In practice you have to see them to check.
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>> Can anybody recommend a tyre gauge?
A 10p piece, or the end of a short steel rule - or I think there are some in Aldi at the moment for a couple of pounds.
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1p piece - Is that the current one, the one delayed and about to appear or an older one. Are the measurements all the same.
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>> 1p piece - Is that the current one
I don't know. There's a 9p difference between what you and I said.
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Bridgestone were offering a very good one free of charge.....
Pat
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>>Bridgestone were offering a very good one free of charge.....
I'm expecting mine any day now...
:)
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>> Bridgestone were offering a very good one free of charge.....
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Really where, how?
Having spent £500 + on four RE050A runflats in the last two months the least they can do is let me have one ...
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>> >> Bridgestone were offering a very good one free of charge.....
>> >>
>>
>> Really where, how?
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>> Having spent £500 + on four RE050A runflats in the last two months the least
>> they can do is let me have one ...
Well they were offering one for free, none of us know how good it is because none of us have received one!
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They've not even sent me any advertising bumpf through instead of the tread checker. Complete monkeys.
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I think DD emailed them a while back, but I guess they've been under pressure of late.
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I did and to quote the reply I got from Bridgestone - "Due to unprecedented demand, there is delay in getting requests fulfilled"
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What's going on, nearly every site listing Uniroyal tyres in the size i need have raised prices since yesterday.
Is it a bit of early profiteering before the VAT goes up?
Bought a pair tonight before inflation outpaces my earnings.
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Tyred out? - Tooslow
