is this tyre legal or not?

jase1

If anything dry grip will improve as the tyre is worn down. The reverse is true in the wet.

Flyboy152

photome wrote: »

As you read it, just because you disagree doesnt make me wrong.

I am only going from my own experience of driving 30000 plus mile a year for as long as I can remember and driving on so many different makes of tyres.

I have had cheap budget tyres that are definitely not better than a premium tyre with only 2mm left on

Can you please post where you do this thirty thousand miles per year, so that we can all avoid the area in winter especially when it rains.

Wig

jase1 wrote: »

I'll believe my own experience, and that of AutoExpress before trusting your viewpoint if you don't mind.

Wet stopping distance from 70mph on 1.6mm tread increased by between 35 and 45 metres over stopping distance at 3mm that was already degraded. Wet stopping distance from 70mph on (poor quality) budget tyre increased by between 8 and 14 metres over a brand new tyre.

Sounds fairly conclusive to me. New budget tyre would probably be comparable to premium tyre with 3mm on those figures, if not a little better.

We are all entitled to opinion but please don't present safety-related opinion as fact when studies suggest otherwise.

I'd like to know how wet was 'wet' in those studies, after all it's very rare to be driving in standing water IYSWIM.

jase1

Wig wrote: »

I'd like to know how wet was 'wet' in those studies, after all it's very rare to be driving in standing water IYSWIM.

1mm of standing water.

It must be said though that if you're going to be dismissive of the risk, why not just buy ditchfinders and save a pile of money?

Also, in my experience the very time you do have to slam on the anchors ends up being the wet conditions, because of others not driving to the conditions.

If you want to get the last few thousand miles out of the tyres that's fine, just be careful, but don't pretend there's no difference at all because that isn't true.

Wig

jase1 wrote: »

It must be said though that if you're going to be dismissive of the risk, why not just buy ditchfinders and save a pile of money?

I have for the last 20 years always bought "ditchfinders" except on 2 occasions 1 were firestones, which I noticed no difference on and lasted the same no. of miles, and very recently I got some Avons, which was not in expectation of performance and have not been dissappointed in that respect (i.e. noticed no dicernable difference).


Although always had ditchfinders never ever have I found any ditches.

jase1

Fair enough -- a lot depends on driving style anyway, and I've used "ditchfinders" myself without incident -- with the caveat that if you put four different ones on each corner, some worn to just over legal, and have a fault with the suspension the car becomes, errr, interesting

If you're sensible you should be fine -- some cars could be construed as ditchfinders relative to others but are driven millions of miles without incident. But, you have to have mechanical sympathy and be able to act on the subtle cues the car is giving you, and many people aren't capable of doing that.

bigjl

Wig wrote: »

I have for the last 20 years always bought "ditchfinders" except on 2 occasions 1 were firestones, which I noticed no difference on and lasted the same no. of miles, and very recently I got some Avons, which was not in expectation of performance and have not been dissappointed in that respect (i.e. noticed no dicernable difference).


Although always had ditchfinders never ever have I found any ditches.

Actually a set of Firestones was a set of tyres that i personally considered "ditchfinders"!

Though you have to remember that not all a makers tyres are designed for grip, for example the Michelin Energy is far inferior to the Michelin HP Primacy as far as wet weather grip goes, though my backto back tests were in different Zafiras, not had the chance to drive any other car with different types of tyre very often.

Interestingly I am driving a MK4 Astra at the moment, used to drive them a few years ago when the service used Good Year, and I am sure the handling was better than it was with the Michelin Energy tyres fitted to the one I am currently driving.

These are just observations, as when driven as you would normally the Michelin Energy was a nice quiet tyre.

But I had to move some equipment for work, in a hurry, so pressed on a bit, claimed a few exemptions, but with very little extra speeed they started to slide on a large roundabout off the A406.

I certainly wouldn't class MIchelin Energy tyres as ditchfinders.

Perhaps this is now a bit of a harsh phrase to use, as very few tyres these days are truly bad, like they where say 10 years ago, driven as I'm sure you do wig, smoothly and safely, then most tyres will privide decent levels of grip, even in the wet.

But, I do think that the cheaper tyres will run out of grip a bit sooner than more expensive tyres.

I was talking to an FRU driver about wet weather grip with the Michelin Alpin (A4) tyres recently, and he reckoned they where the best wet weather tyres he had ever used. I am keeping this in mind for next winter, I reckon I may try to put money by for a set of decent winter tyres. Not sure if I can afford the Michelin Alpin, they are about £130 in 205/55/16 H.

jase1

> £130 in 205/55/16 H.

Pfft. There's being safe and there's taking things too far.

mikey72

Firestone is part of Bridgestone now.
mytyres can do you a Michelin for £107, it'll be half that in October.

bigjl

jase1 wrote: »

> £130 in 205/55/16 H.

Pfft. There's being safe and there's taking things too far.

This is the price at Elite this week, hopefully this is just a glitch caused by lack of supply recently.

Though you get what you pay for in my mind.

Michelin tyres have always been expensive.

And winter tyres are also more expensive, regardless of what make they are.

I looked at some unknown make winter tyre a few months ago, they where £90 fitted in 205/55/16, for an unknown tyre, no thanks.