tyres and brake! help!

happymaggie

hello, all,

i have mini copper registered in Nov 2001. i have done MOT recently. in the report, they wrote, nearside front tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.D.1), nearside front brake pad wearing thin (3.5.1f), offside front brake pad wearing thin (3.5.1f), both rear tyres outer sidewall deteriorated.

what are the figures mean? should i change the typres and brake immediately?how long can i keep the tyre before changing? can i refurbish the tyre instead of buying a new one.

thanks!

anewman

Just get the tyres replaced and the front brake pads replaced. Get the rear brake shoes checked too. Have you had the car serviced? The pads should have been picked up on then - and there's more on the car that can go wrong if not serviced.

The figures will just be from their manual or whatever they use for the MOT test. So 3.5.1f will encompass tyre condition

Thunderbird_2

Hi

I assume these are advisory notes.

I don't recommend "refurbishing" the tyres at all. If you can't afford new budget tyres at the moment, then, you can opt to buy second hand ones for about £10 per corner till you have more money to replace them all before the rainy season. Can you use the spare tyre to replace the nearside front tyre till you can afford replacing them.

A single near legal limit tyre begs the question why not both sides? Is there a problem with the brake (siezed caliper or collapsed brake flexible pipes [ EDIT: Actually, I would think the brake pads will get affected quicker than the tyres, should there be any problem] or front wheels alignment? I assume the suspension was ok, as the car passed the MOT. When was the car last serviced?

Regarding the brakes, you may get away with it for a one or two months max and then you MUST replace them, depending how bad the are worn and how many miles you do.

A badly worn tyre might get you a fine and points on your licence, or even worse, an accident. The rear tyres, depending on how badly they are deteriorated ( Cracks?), they might cause you a problem.

Good luck

EDIT: anewman, you are typing too fast for me to keep up!!lol

BillScarab

Tyres and brakes are two major safety items so you need to get them sorted really. Also if you leave the brake bads they will wear down until eventually they score the discs which will make it a far more expensive job. Replacing brake pads is usually an easy job to do at home if you know anyone who is a competent DIY mechanic.

jimbo_the_jetset

Tyres keep the car where you want it. Brakes stop you.

GET THEM CHANGED!! It really isn't worth it.

And don't leave it too long, deteriorated sidewalls on tyres usually means the rubber is cracking. If these give way when you are doing high speed it is bad news. If you leave the brake pads too long they will wear down to the metal and end up scratching the discs which would then need replacing. So act soon.

p.s. phone around for 3/4 prices, most garages will usually beat competitors prices in order to get your business, especially for tyres

AdrianHi

I'm virtually certain your Mini is fitted with run flat tyres (September 2001 onwards build dates use run flats), my BMW 3 series has them too.

There are two reasons why you might have uneven, especially edge wear.
1. Tyre pressures are not being maintained at there correct level. This makes the tyre ride more on the stiff side wall which can cause tram lining effects, makes the ride harsh and can make the edges of the tyres wear out very quickly.
2. Run flat tyres - they just wear this way by their very nature -some do some don't. Run flats take longer to heat up (when the air pressure in the tyre increases to the real operating pressure) so on short journeys or cold wet conditions the tyre may never reach the pressure it should be at. If this describes your driving conditions increase the tyre pressures over specification by 0.1 bar to 0.2 bar to compensate (even BMW recommend this if you get into correspondence with them on this issue).

No one will refurbish a run flat tyre, buy new ones then check and correct tyre pressures as above every 2 to 4 weeks without fail!
Another option (which many BMW and Mini owners do) is to fit standard tyres and use a tyre foam gel kit and compressor if you don;t have a spare wheel. You will find your car rides and grips better on standards tyres anyway. Run flats are also 20% more expensive than regular tyres and they are sometimes hard to find in stock.

happymaggie

hello, all, thank you all for the reply!

happymaggie

i just check my tyre, it wrote as 175/65 r 15 84h, does it mean that the tyre is normal rather than run flat tyre?

any suggestions for any cheaper tyre center?

thanks

happymaggie

i got quato from tyre shopper, for 57 each, is that fair price?

by the way, do i need change both front tyres? i am little worry about as one side is brand new, another one is not. will it be a balance problems? (sorry, i have no knowledge in car at all)

thank you all!

anewman

Try blackcircles.com

Also so long as the other tyre is ok it won't matter to just replace the one. But if the spare is better then it may be a good idea to swap the spare for the good front one and keep that as a spare instead.

happymaggie

thank you! i checked that blackcircles.com. no tyres is available. what a pity!