Tyres

[Captain Answer]

Are you a bargain budget buyer? Top of the line? Rotate your tyres? Replace when bold? Check there inflated?

[Ben]

I always rotate my tyres, back to front and fronts to backs. I always try to buy 4 at a time. I hate tread patterns that differ per wheel. As for cost, i dont see the point in paying more than say £100 a corner, the cheaper the better in fact but not to the detriment of the tyre. I have begun to research my tryes recently on www.mytyres.co.uk so that i can make an informed choice when i'm next due. However i do like the tyres that are currently on the car - Bridgestone Turanzas, so i may stick with these.

Due to the type of rim i have, incidently, i know nothing about them only they ar 2 part alloys
and


currently i have 225 45 R17 on and wondered if i could fit 235's on?

p.s. I hate brake dust and as such have bought a bespoke cleaning brush.

[Captain Answer]

I always rotate my tyres, back to front and fronts to backs. I always try to buy 4 at a time. I hate tread patterns that differ per wheel. As for cost, i dont see the point in paying more than say £100 a corner, the cheaper the better in fact but not to the detriment of the tyre. I have begun to research my tryes recently on www.mytyres.co.uk so that i can make an informed choice when i'm next due. However i do like the tyres that are currently on the car - Bridgestone Turanzas, so i may stick with these.

Due to the type of rim i have, incidently, i know nothing about them only they ar 2 part alloys
and


currently i have 225 45 R17 on and wondered if i could fit 235's on?

p.s. I hate brake dust and as such have bought a bespoke cleaning brush.

235's should be fine

When you say rotate, do you wait until your fronts are looking a bit worn then run down the rears till there the same, or do you do it properly?

[Ben]

Not sure what you mean by properly? if all 4 were brand new, the fronts wear down quicker than the backs so when i feel they are about 50% - 60% gone i swap them over. Front left to rear left, front right to rear right and vice versa.

[Eshrules]

Not sure what you mean by properly? if all 4 were brand new, the fronts wear down quicker than the backs so when i feel they are about 50% - 60% gone i swap them over. Front left to rear left, front right to rear right and vice versa.

exactly the way i do it. since getting my golf, ive had to get 3 replacement tyres for the same corner, so im loath to go out and buy a full set of 4 identical tyres, it would be sods law that id end up with a puncture.

my fronts werent looking too clever, so i have swapped rears to fronts and vice versa, exactly the same way as you have ben.

i swear by hancooks, good quality value tyre and for the speeds and journeys i do, they wear well and hold well. i dont do a massive amount of motorway work, so its important i have a good all round tyre, high speeds aren't generally an issue, although they have held well at a moderate speed on the m.way.

i too, hate brake dust, but choose the good old method of elbow grease and a toothbrush for mine, i need to get my wheels off at some time to clean the backs of them.... they dont look like they've been done since the year dot.

[Lord Nelson]

When it was time for me to change, i was skint, and i needed all 4 tyres replacing....so i went for budget tyres....found a guy who did me 4 x Wanli tyres for £300...225/40/18 with ZR rating!
I got these probably about 8 months ago (not sure) and they are wearing great, they hold the road well and i think they look good. the tread is similar to the Toyo Proxes.
fact is, i would def buy again!

[Ben]

i too, hate brake dust, but choose the good old method of elbow grease and a toothbrush for mine, i need to get my wheels off at some time to clean the backs of them.... they dont look like they've been done since the year dot.

The 1st time i cleaned the wheels i took them off, this was the weekend after a bought the car (vw said they cleaned the car, all i can assume is they cleaned the wrong one as it was filthy. I even found money in it!),since then i can just squeeze my hand thru the spokes but it sometimes gets stuck. As a result i purchased a brush and none acidic wheel cleaner off the auto smart van that comes round work. I may post a pic tonight of said brush. they make very light work with fantasitc results. (Elbow grease is a free product available to all eager humans)

[Captain Answer]

my fronts werent looking too clever, so i have swapped rears to fronts and vice versa, exactly the same way as you have ben.

Doing thats actually quite dangerous, if one of the worn tyres gives out at speed/in a corner the sudden loss of traction from the rear end will spin the car like a bottle top

The proper way to rotate your tyres is to do em every few thousand miles, I don't bother with front wheel drive cars though, just run down your fronts till they are 4mm and replace

[RickT]

Just to add to this....

I always buy 2 new ones for the front and leave the rears untill they get pretty low... and then replace the rears..

On my last set of rears I got 45k miles out of them... where as on the front i have changed then 3 times..

RicKT

[skymaster]

I personally go for the best grip tyres I can get and try to change them well before they get to 3mm. I use Goodyear F1s at present and check the pressure every fortnight.

With tyres you cant scrimp if you intend on going at any great speed. A good set of rubber can make all the difference when it comes to being in the S**T on the road and needing to stop fast.