Tyres - What is the Truth?

red_eye

Anyway the OP is mainly motorway so all weather not driving sub30's urban. The OP has 2 tonne of VW EOS that has more mass then a shopping trolly, so fighting for budgets is a bit pointless. Dont think the OP wanted this to be a tyre !!!!ing contest:rotfl:

AMO

red_eye wrote: »

I never lose grip, simple as that.

I used to say that myself. I'm not really a racy driver. I think that everyone thinks that budget tyres are good up until the first time they see their budget tyres skid. It's always unexpected and its always quite a shocker as you think that your driving is quite calm.

The first and only time my car skidded was on a roundabout that had been resurfaced. Okay, you move off in first gear turning right and as you move into second gear the back of your car moves on its own. Your not really going that fast. After that you change your tune. Until that, you'd believe that your driving is spot on and all this stuff about premium tyres is not really essential.

The way I see it, even for my mum or wife who may only be doing small local trips around supermarkets and schools etc, unless I can guarantee that they will never go out when roads are icy or on roads that have been recently resurfaced - which is pretty much never - I am not going to gamble on budget tyres.

Personal experience is the ultimate judge for the individual. If there was a final point to it, I would always consider myself a slightly more confident driver than my wife or mum on the road and so I can't really argue the case that they should drive around with inferior tyres whatever the driving requirement.

jase1

AMO wrote: »

I used to say that myself. I'm not really a racy driver. I think that everyone thinks that budget tyres are good up until the first time they see their budget tyres skid. It's always unexpected and its always quite a shocker as you think that your driving is quite calm.

True enough, but you could say the same thing of tyres with less than 3mm of tread, which are often worse than having new budget tyres -- yes even the most expensive premium tyres.

It's something that is conveniently forgotten when people talk about tyres lasting.

AMO

mikey72 wrote: »

wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_resistance

Exactly my point!

If you covered oil slick on your tyres for example, you reduce rolling resistance and therefore lose grip / stickiness. Therefore higher MPG but more skidding. It's ultimately pointing to the same thing. Just a case of whether you are describing an attribute of the tyre properties or the effect.

AMO

Wig wrote: »

Not sure what your point is?

for me 175/65/14

cheap = £28
mid £50
Expensive = £70 - £85

That's virtually half the price.

Hi Wig. Is that still the case? Before the economic downturn when the pound was relatively strong, you could go to most places and ask for budget tyres and get all 4 corners replaced for around £100 for cars like Ford Fiestas.

The 175/65T14 spec you list is a good example. However, if you go to http://www.blackcircles.com and put in those details Fully Fitted, the prices start from around £45 for Yokohama Premium tyres followed closely by Continentals, Pirellis and Mitchelins at £50. It is possible to find premium up to around £90, but both Premium and Mid-Range also sit on the £50 price mark and budget is not so cheap anymore.

If you look for the Black Circles budget (I would avoid this as you don't know what pick of the cheapest of the cheap you'd end up with) it costs £42ish fitted.

So I have always recommended friends in today's environment to just pay Premium at the £50 fitted mark (as opposed to £42 fitted at the Budget end) if they have something like a Ford Fiesta.

I don't see fully fitted tyres at the £22 mark anymore and you have to go out of your way to get it at this kind of price now.

AMO

jase1 wrote: »

True enough, but you could say the same thing of tyres with less than 3mm of tread, which are often worse than having new budget tyres -- yes even the most expensive premium tyres.

It's something that is conveniently forgotten when people talk about tyres lasting.

Oh absolutely. I think many people get it wrong when they relate Premium tyres also with long lasting. The bottom line has always been that Premium tyres grip the road better and are harder and therefore will die on you quicker than rock hard budget tyres.

In my situation, going round the roundabout with budgets at the rear, it was on full tread. It's much harder to develop wear on the wear tyres compared to the front and even harder still on budget tyres as they are comparitively rock hard.

I got quite a shocker when they skidded at full tread.

mikey72

AMO wrote: »

Exactly my point!

If you covered oil slick on your tyres for example, you reduce rolling resistance and therefore lose grip / stickiness. Therefore higher MPG but more skidding. It's ultimately pointing to the same thing. Just a case of whether you are describing an attribute of the tyre properties or the effect.

Rolling resistance is mainly caused by the sidewalll deforming at the bottom when you roll. Not the tread sticking to the road and having to be pulled off.
It'll still deform just a much on ice, oil, and on good tarmac, regardless of friction.
So grip doesn't have a lot of effect on rolling resistance.
Another way to overcome it is to keep the tyres pumped up, so they have to deform less when they move, and so take less energy.

Wig

AMO wrote: »

Hi Wig. Is that still the case? Before the economic downturn when the pound was relatively strong, you could go to most places and ask for budget tyres and get all 4 corners replaced for around £100 for cars like Ford Fiestas.

The 175/65T14 spec you list is a good example. However, if you go to http://www.blackcircles.com and put in those details Fully Fitted, the prices start from around £45 for Yokohama Premium tyres followed closely by Continentals, Pirellis and Mitchelins at £50. It is possible to find premium up to around £90, but both Premium and Mid-Range also sit on the £50 price mark and budget is not so cheap anymore.

If you look for the Black Circles budget (I would avoid this as you don't know what pick of the cheapest of the cheap you'd end up with) it costs £42ish fitted.

So I have always recommended friends in today's environment to just pay Premium at the £50 fitted mark (as opposed to £42 fitted at the Budget end) if they have something like a Ford Fiesta.

I don't see fully fitted tyres at the £22 mark anymore and you have to go out of your way to get it at this kind of price now.

It is definatly the case, £28 fully fitted (6 months ago), you have to go to your local independent tyre fitters to get that price, none of this internet rubbish. I have two fitters near me who both quote in that price range. And the fitter I used was cheaper than blackcircles across the board he could source any tyre within 24 hours and fit it for less than Blackcircles.

Obviously Rubber prices rise and so maybe they are quoting £29 now.

mikey72

European tye prices have definately shot up in the past year or two.
What's your local fitter like for prices on them?

vanillabear

Go To Tesco-tyres.com...

Its in association with blackcircles.com but you earn clubcard points.

And I Got It Fitted At A Kwik Fit £100 For Two Pirelli Tyres 400 clubcards points.

Kyle