Nice People 12: Nice in Nice

Generali

Another sad tale of faking a medical condition to feather their nest (link - SFW). Why do they do it?

GDB2222

Generali wrote: »

Another sad tale of faking a medical condition to feather their nest (link - SFW). Why do they do it?

I heard about that. Pandas are cleverer, or more trainable, than I realised.

GDB2222

LydiaJ wrote: »

Just checking on what I said a few days ago about tyres. I've learnt a bit more since.

All three of the vehicles that lost control had rear tyre treads of between 2 and 3mm (legal limit 1.6mm). Bloke next door who travels for work tells me his company tells its employees to change their tyres when they get to 3mm. Unanimous opinion of all expert witnesses in the case is that danger of losing control of car is much worse if your rear wheels aquaplane than if your front ones do, so you should always put the newer tyres on the rear wheels - "Better to back".

The wisdom you hear elsewhere is to put the newer tyres on the front, because a rear wheel blow-out is easier to control. However, I think I'll take the advice, albeit second hand, of your expert witnesses. Did they say what a sensible minimum depth of tread is? And did they measure the tread depth on the cars that did not crash?

LydiaJ

GDB2222 wrote: »

Did they say what a sensible minimum depth of tread is?

No, afraid not.

GDB2222 wrote: »

And did they measure the tread depth on the cars that did not crash?

Not the ones that didn't crash at all, no. Their drivers gave witness statements and were then allowed to get back in their cars and drive away while the police investigation continued.

Generali

GDB2222 wrote: »

The wisdom you hear elsewhere is to put the newer tyres on the front, because a rear wheel blow-out is easier to control. However, I think I'll take the advice, albeit second hand, of your expert witnesses. Did they say what a sensible minimum depth of tread is? And did they measure the tread depth on the cars that did not crash?

I would guess that you're better off with the good tyres on the front in a front wheel drive and on the back in a rear wheel drive car. Certainly in a front wheel drive car as the rear wheels are basically there to keep your exhaust pipe off the floor.

lostinrates

LydiaJ wrote: »

- "Better to back".

Does this depend what kind of 'wheel drive ' you have?

In any case, thank you. In this area I have had to ask for tyres to go on back rather than them being auto magically rotated. Even somewhere where the poster was on the wall and I pointed at it.

lostinrates

GDB2222 wrote: »

The wisdom you hear elsewhere is to put the newer tyres on the front, because a rear wheel blow-out is easier to control. However, I think I'll take the advice, albeit second hand, of your expert witnesses. Did they say what a sensible minimum depth of tread is? And did they measure the tread depth on the cars that did not crash?

I'm wary of saying this because no sooner you say something it happens ...but, I have never had an actual blowout. ( well, on a lorry when I wasn't driving)

But I do have to drive in rain often.

lostinrates

Oh good grief. Still not a blow out but very nearly another Puncture. Its bra shopping time again. I knew I should've have talked about it.

GDB2222

lostinrates wrote: »

I'm wary of saying this because no sooner you say something it happens ...but, I have never had an actual blowout. ( well, on a lorry when I wasn't driving)

But I do have to drive in rain often.

Indeed! .

LydiaJ

Generali wrote: »

I would guess that you're better off with the good tyres on the front in a front wheel drive and on the back in a rear wheel drive car. Certainly in a front wheel drive car as the rear wheels are basically there to keep your exhaust pipe off the floor.

lostinrates wrote: »

Does this depend what kind of 'wheel drive ' you have?

In any case, thank you. In this area I have had to ask for tyres to go on back rather than them being auto magically rotated. Even somewhere where the poster was on the wall and I pointed at it.

Apparently not.

Kwik Fit:

In the unlikely event that a tyre deflates suddenly, then it is easier to control the vehicle if this occurs at the front of the vehicle.
For improved handling and stability it is now recommended that the ‘best’ tyres should always be fitted at the rear of the vehicle.
This is irrespective of whether the car is front or rear wheel drive.

The AA:

New tyres to the front or rear?
Check the handbook first as some give vehicle specific advice.

Generally it's good practice to fit the best/newest tyres on the rear – in wet conditions, this favours understeer rather than oversteer.

So if you have the front tyres renewed it's best to have the rear ones moved to the front and the new tyres fitted to the rear.

Tyres with deep tread are less likely to puncture and it's more difficult to control a car with a damaged rear tyre.

In wet conditions, the grooves in the tyre channel water outwards. If they're not deep enough, you get a layer of water between the tyre and the road and lose grip - aquaplaning. This is bad on any wheels, but if it happens on the front you get understeer, which is easier for a normal driver to correct than oversteer, which is what happens if the back wheels aquaplane. That's what the expert witnesses all said, anyway.