*UPDATED* One for the motorheads....very possiby a daft question coming up!

Lum

covmutley wrote: »

Probably bad tyres and too high tyre pressure?

Also, i think if they put the tyres on the wheels the wrong way round this can make the tread hold rather than disperse the water?

That is only true if the tyre uses a directional design, such as the Goodyear Eagle F1. This is clearly marked on the sidewall of the tyre with a big arrow and it's completely illegal to drive with one of those on backwards.

I reckon that if there is anything to this beyond just changed feel due to new tyres, it will be because the new tyres are summer tyres and the old ones were of a type more suited to cold weather.

Thomas_Crown

It's just the sheen that all new tyres have. It can take up to 500 miles to wear off.

cyclonebri1

focae wrote: »

Contrary to your later response, I have read the complete thread and I must say that I haven't heard such nonsense for a long time. Unless your old tyres were seriously worn so that they had no grip at all, I doubt if you should feel any difference in grip levels for normal road driving due to having new tyres fitted.

I was trying to suggest that you were slipping on the road due to road conditions and road conditions alone. I know that you said that it was no longer snowing...........but you don't need snow on the ground for black ice to be present. For the past few weeks I have felt the twitchy signs of ice on the road on several journeys. It seems to be more prevalent this year as they don't seem to be salting the roads as much as usual. As the weather improves and the roads become less greasy and/or icy I am sure you will notice a significant improvement in grip.

Then you fail to read what was actually said.

It's not the fact that the tyres are worn out, it's actually that they are worn "in". When new they have a deep tread depth that enables the block to move relative to wheel. This results in a lighter steering feel.
When the tyres are near the end of use this flex is removed, the tyres will have hardened with age which adds to the effect, and the tyres will have worn to give greater road contact during turning than when they were new.
All this plus the mould release chemicals adds to the feeling of lightness.

Yes, over inflation could cause this, but tyre fiiting outfits are now much more aware of there liabilities than they once were

view

focae wrote: »

Contrary to your later response, I have read the complete thread and I must say that I haven't heard such nonsense for a long time. Unless your old tyres were seriously worn so that they had no grip at all, I doubt if you should feel any difference in grip levels for normal road driving due to having new tyres fitted.

I was trying to suggest that you were slipping on the road due to road conditions and road conditions alone. I know that you said that it was no longer snowing...........but you don't need snow on the ground for black ice to be present. For the past few weeks I have felt the twitchy signs of ice on the road on several journeys. It seems to be more prevalent this year as they don't seem to be salting the roads as much as usual. As the weather improves and the roads become less greasy and/or icy I am sure you will notice a significant improvement in grip.

Ok, there's no ice, the roads aren't wet had the new tyres for a week now and the steering still feels very odd, am taking it back today to have a more thorough investigation than last time. It may seem 'nonsense' to you but to me I feel unsafe driving the car, and in my mind, I can't think of anything more frightening than travelling along at 60+ miles per hour and not feeling in full control of the car - for my safely and those others around me. If you find my plea for help nonsense then please don't spend the time to write back.

update.. Ok I just reread properly the comments, think you're saying the nonsense is in the replies not my plea for advice. - Will update on what the mechanic says today.

tomstickland

focae wrote: »

I haven't heard such nonsense for a long time. Unless your old tyres were seriously worn so that they had no grip at all, I doubt if you should feel any difference in grip levels for normal road driving due to having new tyres fitted..

It is quite normal for new tyres to have less grip until they have worn in (first 50 miles or so).

the steering still feels very odd

Are the tyres on the right way round (inside/outside correct for or rotation arrows the right way).
Did they swap the wheels round?
Tracking.

Are the tyres a like-for-like compared with the old ones? What brand are they?

vikingaero

What tyres did you buy Gill.

We had Goodyear Eagle F1's on one car which have a high rolling resistance (and high wear) and swapped over to Michelin Energys. The low rolling resistance made the steering feel really light, but you get used to it after a while.

Jon_Tiffany

In the dry a bald tyre will give the best grip (think F1 cars with slicks)

In the wet, a tyre with good tread will give much better grip than a bald tyre.

Overall, it is obviously safer to have tyres with plently of tread - you need thebest performance when the roads are slippery.

As a couple of others have already said, the apparent lack of grip could be due to the tyres needing a chance to bed in. They often have a coating of residues from the factory that needs to be worn off. I would certainly get someone to check that the wheel nuts are not loose.

focae

GoldenJill wrote: »

update.. Ok I just reread properly the comments, think you're saying the nonsense is in the replies not my plea for advice. - Will update on what the mechanic says today.

Absolutely right...............I still maintain that for 'normal' road use and 'normal' driving techniques (ie not driving as if on a track day), new tyres will feel little different to tyres with tread worn to the legal limit (ie. not completely bald). I doubt if most people could tell the difference in these circumstances.

Sure, if you are driving to the limits of adhesion in your GTI on country roads at quite fast past the speed limit then some of the other comments may have a bearing...........but I thought we were talking 'sane' winter driving here.

If it wasn't road conditions, then we all look forward to your mechanics update..........possible broken suspension spring, loose wheel nuts, worn suspension bushes or shock absorbers all being likey suspects.........the broken spring most likely given the number of pot holes appearing by the minute.

Please be sure that no offense was intended by my replies;)

tomstickland

vikingaero wrote: »

What tyres did you buy Gill.

We had Goodyear Eagle F1's on one car which have a high rolling resistance (and high wear) and swapped over to Michelin Energys. The low rolling resistance made the steering feel really light, but you get used to it after a while.

Eagle F1s are my favorite tyre; I swear by them for wet and dry grip levels.

cyclonebri1

focae wrote: »

Absolutely right...............I still maintain that for 'normal' road use and 'normal' driving techniques (ie not driving as if on a track day), new tyres will feel little different to tyres with tread worn to the legal limit (ie. not completely bald). I doubt if most people could tell the difference in these circumstances.

Sure, if you are driving to the limits of adhesion in your GTI on country roads at quite fast past the speed limit then some of the other comments may have a bearing...........but I thought we were talking 'sane' winter driving here.

If it wasn't road conditions, then we all look forward to your mechanics update..........possible broken suspension spring, loose wheel nuts, worn suspension bushes or shock absorbers all being likey suspects.........the broken spring most likely given the number of pot holes appearing by the minute.

Please be sure that no offense was intended by my replies;)

Again on the same tack as before, I don't think the op will be talking about lack of grip at high speed. Especially considering the weather. The effects I have been taliking about and are accepted in the motoring trade occour at low speed full lock type manoevers where the car is actually running on the very edges of it's tyres, it's these that take time to bed in untill more contact is made with the road. It makes the car much lighter to turn under these conditions than was the case before the tyre change.

My choice for grippy tyres would be Toyo's incidentally