Tyre Time

[pitch3110]

Well after 15k+ the Pzero's are finally giving up.

Changed fronts for rears at 11k and although all four now have 1-2mm to the blocks with the onset of winter I will change them over the next month or so.

The Pzero's look the biz but the wear rate is shocking and I don't think they are that great IMO.

Given that the car is only 143PS running on the devils fuel, grip is not really a big buying point, the wear rate is the purchasing factor.

I have run bridgy's on the GTI which were pretty good and at present F452's which again after the first few hundred miles have gripped like stink, although have worn due to their soft conpound (and the fact there is 230PS going through the two boots at the front).

The A4 though, a bit different and am wanting miles for my £ as I have mentioned.

Tyre wall brand envy is not my thing, so not fussed what they are as long as they do the job.

Right troops, views please.............

Ta
Pitch

Oh....and its its Bday on Tuesday..........where the heck did that year go.......

[Sportwag]

Happy Birthday Pitch!

I am still running Pirelli Cinturatos (OEM fit) on the std 18" rims and these offer about as much grip as greased banana skins. Winter was a total nightmare so avoid these - will probably go back to Conti's next.

[kodkod.84]

I always ran Dunlop Sport Maxx but then swapped over to Conti SportContact 3s.

Glad I did- a much quieter ride and I don't get the annoying 'skipping' on full lock whilst stationary (B7 owners will know what I mean here, not sure if it applies to the B8)

[Niko]

Pitch,

My first B8 I had Cont Sport contact and covered 24K when I traded in for the Sline. Even at 24K the tyres had 3 to 4 K left in them. When the Pirelli's get to change time I will defo go the Continental route again. They also had a small lip over the sidewall which protected the alloys against minor kerbing

[robtt09]

Fitted Vredstein Ultrac Sessanto ( Guigario design no less!) on my 3.00tdi for 5k now and they are very very good.Got rid of tramlining issues I had and give fantastic wet grip. They are slightly cheaper too and ,if you are into design, their tread pattern is different to any other tyre I have seen

[ScottyUK]

Tyre wall brand envy is not my thing, so not fussed what they are as long as they do the job.

Strange comment :confused:

Maybe I'm missing the meaning?

[Eshrules]

He means he recognises that some unknown names are as good as their more expensive counterparts.

A lot of the more expensive brands are now producing budget/cheaper tyres, under a different name.

[pitch3110]

He means he recognises that some unknown names are as good as their more expensive counterparts.

A lot of the more expensive brands are now producing budget/cheaper tyres, under a different name.


Very well put sir and you have hit the nail on the head...

I have acquaintances who mock at and Falken, Kumho, Vrder..whatever and Toyo as they are considered cheap and nasty c#ap, when they really are not that bad and pound for pound prob very good.

Pitch

[pitch3110]

Just read that back.....edit.....lose the 'and' before Falken

ta

[ScottyUK]

Aha !

I hadn't considered people buy tyres coz of some brand following or marketing speil.

Makes sense.

Feed back/word of mouth is always the best .... unless it's a brand new product that no one's tried ;)

[MFGF]

Going by my experiences on my previous A6, Michelin Pilot Sports are the ones to go for if you want longer wear life out of the tyres. They lasted over a third longer (in terms of mileage) than the Continentals, and offered much better rim protection too. They were not cheap, though!!

Cheers!

MF.

PS Happy birthday Pitch!! 29 again? ;)

[golfgt140]

Well after 15k+ the Pzero's are finally giving up.

Changed fronts for rears at 11k and although all four now have 1-2mm to the blocks with the onset of winter I will change them over the next month or so.

The Pzero's look the biz but the wear rate is shocking and I don't think they are that great IMO.

Given that the car is only 143PS running on the devils fuel, grip is not really a big buying point, the wear rate is the purchasing factor.

I have run bridgy's on the GTI which were pretty good and at present F452's which again after the first few hundred miles have gripped like stink, although have worn due to their soft conpound (and the fact there is 230PS going through the two boots at the front).

The A4 though, a bit different and am wanting miles for my £ as I have mentioned.

Tyre wall brand envy is not my thing, so not fussed what they are as long as they do the job.

Right troops, views please.............

Ta
Pitch

Oh....and its its Bday on Tuesday..........where the heck did that year go.......

Wish you'd posted that last week! I replaced my Dunlop Sport Maxx GT's (fronts) last week after 23,000 miles. I really liked the Dunlops and I thought the grip was excellent- the wear was certainly pretty good. I'd read in several places that they were poor in the wet though. So I wanted to try something else for the winter.

I have a really good tyre place near me and they persuaded me into Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's. Most expensive bl**dy tyres they had at £220 + vat! Maybe they seen me coming, but I wanted to try something really good. Its too early to comment with accuracy on the tyres performance, but they do feel really, really grippy (in the dry anyway). There are new PS3's out now which are supposed to be better, but the tyre place said they weren't available in 19's yet.

I'd wanted a set of all weather tyres that would be better in snow, but I couldn't live with the increased wear and road noise you are supposed to get. Fingers crossed for a mild winter.

Good luck.

Check out the below site. My wife was in hysterics when she saw it on my lap top!

www.tyrereviews.co.uk (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk)

[c parnell]

When i picked up my used 143 se avant, Audi Derby had fitted Falken ZE912's. I have to say i was a bit disapointed having normally had the more premium brands. Well after 27,000 miles on the front they still have 2mm on them so i now have them on the back.:biglaugh:
Cheers
Clive

[phil miller]

When i picked up my used 143 se avant, Audi Derby had fitted Falken ZE912's. I have to say i was a bit disapointed having normally had the more premium brands. Well after 27,000 miles on the front they still have 2mm on them so i now have them on the back.:biglaugh:
Cheers
Clive

27,000 miles thats very good indeed, i might try them on my golf when i need some new ones, what are they like in the wet?

[Hammy969]

Evening Guys

My B8 is still running the OE Dunlops (19") with 16,000 miles on the clock. They have not been swapped front to rear.

They have been good but they are now starting to tram line with about 3 mm left.

I have previously run Toyos on my previous A3 quattro and A4 B7.
The toyos provided good wet and dry grip. The side wall were slightly softer which gave good ride characteristics without affecting the handling.

This is my 2 pence worth. Good luck.

Ham :D

[c parnell]

27,000 miles thats very good indeed, i might try them on my golf when i need some new ones, what are they like in the wet?
I think they seem fine. I just had an A5 sportback for 3 days with the same size wheels and tyres with new Dunlops and couldn't say they gave any more grip.
clive

[vwawudi]

Evening Guys

My B8 is still running the OE Dunlops (19") with 16,000 miles on the clock. They have not been swapped front to rear.

They have been good but they are now starting to tram line with about 3 mm left.

I have previously run Toyos on my previous A3 quattro and A4 B7.
The toyos provided good wet and dry grip. The side wall were slightly softer which gave good ride characteristics without affecting the handling.

This is my 2 pence worth. Good luck.

Ham :D

N00b question here: what exactly does tram lining feel like? I occasionally get an odd, skiddy, loss of grip feeling when there's some surface water pooling on the road but I would never have put that down as 'proper' tram lining.

Is there more to it than this?

[pitch3110]

Sods law........flat this afternoon which I thought could be repaired but it was a staple so over 6mm.

Heck some of the companies round here know how to charge.

255/35x19.....for a pair all in.
Cheapest 452's which I have on the GTI = £294
Bridgestone RE050 all so had these on the Golf = £300
Kumho KU31 = £316
Rosso's which I am replacing = £470
Dunlop Sport Maxx GT = £360

Went for the Dunlops due to wear feedback both here and elsewhere and they are a factory fit (for what it's worth).

If I can manage 20k plus for a pair of fronts I will be very happy.
The 15k for the set of Pzero's has not been good.

Many thanks chaps for the feedback which I am sure others will find helpful.

Ta
Pitch

[bogey888]

Falken F452's the way to go if you want value for money in my opinion. Had 2 sets on my B7, 20,000+ miles on each set (driving in and out of London most days).
Have Dunlop SportMaxx at the moment on the B8, but will be opting for Falken's when they wear down.

[vwawudi]

Sods law........flat this afternoon which I thought could be repaired but it was a staple so over 6mm.

Heck some of the companies round here know how to charge.

255/35x19.....for a pair all in.
Cheapest 452's which I have on the GTI = £294
Bridgestone RE050 all so had these on the Golf = £300
Kumho KU31 = £316
Rosso's which I am replacing = £470
Dunlop Sport Maxx GT = £360

Went for the Dunlops due to wear feedback both here and elsewhere and they are a factory fit (for what it's worth).

If I can manage 20k plus for a pair of fronts I will be very happy.
The 15k for the set of Pzero's has not been good.

Many thanks chaps for the feedback which I am sure others will find helpful.

Ta
Pitch

Pitch, do you have Tyre Insurance? Does anyone think it's worth it?

[kodkod.84]

I have tyre insurance through STS Tyre Pros where I get my tyres- £15 a tyre for a years worth of cover including blow outs and vandalism etc.

Have had to use it twice due to running over foreign objects so I would recommend it especially when looking at £150+ per new tyre

[pitch3110]

That sounds pretty good to me.

STS were way out compared to others I spoke to in the town regarding quotes though.

Worth a thought though

Ta
Pitch

[Legs]

I have Bridgestones fitted as OE on 18 inch 5 spokes, dont think the 30mm drop makes much difference and after 19k miles all 4 tyres need replaced. Its a company car so I don't think I'll get much say in what type of tyre I'm given but I'm going to try and get something different, the Bridgestones were hopeless last winter, first sign of snow and they were spinning round uselessly. I'm only fwd mind you, quattro would have made a difference. I'll let you know what I get tomorrow!

The only good news is, no matter what I get I don't have to pay any more than I currently pay to get them changed when they wear out so life span isn't an issue, just grip and feel.

[Hammy969]

N00b question here: what exactly does tram lining feel like? I occasionally get an odd, skiddy, loss of grip feeling when there's some surface water pooling on the road but I would never have put that down as 'proper' tram lining.

Is there more to it than this?

Hi VWAWDI

Tram lining is where the car follows the 2 wheel tracks formed in the road by constant thumping from heavy vehicles. It feels like the car wants to streer itself to follow the rutts.

IMO when the tread depth decrease towards the legal limit this gets worse.

Hope this explains

Ham

[marksaudi]

Hi all, just thougt I'd add my two-penneth!!!

I had the Bridgestone Potenzas on my 08 1.8T SE as original fit, but had to replace the fronts at 12k!!! I fitted Khumo Ectasports, which I found to be leagues ahead of the Potenzas in comfort, grip, directness of steering, noise etc...and they only cost £90 each through 'blackcircles.com'.

I bought an 09 1.8T SE Avant earlier this year which has Continental Sport Contact II's fitted. So far these are great. Excellent wet and dry grip and a good steering feel, although no better than the Khumos and nearly double the price.

Brand snobbery has no place, as many tyre reviews prove!!!

[vwawudi]

Hi VWAWDI

Tram lining is where the car follows the 2 wheel tracks formed in the road by constant thumping from heavy vehicles. It feels like the car wants to streer itself to follow the rutts.

IMO when the tread depth decrease towards the legal limit this gets worse.

Hope this explains

Ham

Thanks a lot.

I guess what I am experiencing is aquaplaning!

[Plife]

Nearly 18k on my Dunlop Sport Maxx GT, 19's. I've had no issues with them but have noticed increased noise as they have worn down. Not had any issues with grip levels. Still got just over 4mm on the fronts and nearly 5mm on the rears, swapped then round at 10k. Wear is much better than I was imagining so will probably stick with the Dunlops again.

[pitch3110]

Cheers all once again.

The pair of Dunlop Sport Maxx GT's have been fitted on the front and car feels a whole lot nicer.

I know you should not compare old ones for new, but quieter and steering feedback is great.
MPG seems up also.

Looking forward to not replacing them for a long time

Ta
Pitch

[juniperz]

This was a timely thread, as I thought I needed to replace my front Pirelli P7 245/45 R17s imminently. I went Kwikly to our lease company's preferred fitter, and was told that one was legal but could be replaced, but the lease company wouldn't authorise the other one because it still had a couple of thousand miles left on it. Grrrr! They had no Pirellis and were going to put some Contis on (don't know which - not a tyre aficionado). I left it for today, hoping that the better one wears down before the other one goes illegal, though I guess that is a bit risky in many ways.

I didn't fancy the idea of driving about with one brand new and one nearly-done - surely it would just go around in circles?? ;)

Maybe I will try another branch next week, and tell them what needs to be done...

[Legs]

The Bridgestone Potenzas have now been replaced with Dunlops. Kwik Fit also had Michelins available but the Fleet Support Mob wouldn't let them fit them, I was stuck with the Dunlops. I've only driven the car about 3 miles back from Kwik Fit but they feel OK, roads were damp and greasy but grip felt fine. I'll see how I get on over the next day or two and report back in case any of you guys are looking to replace your tyres.

Juniperz - maybe you already did this but.................tell Kwik Fit that you have a lease car and that you want the fronts replaced because they are "completely worn" and that they should tell the lease company that. As far as I know the lease companies don't get the worn tyres back so it should be a win win situation for both you and the Kwik Fit if you are given two new tyres. I can't understand why they did that, maybe leave it a couple of weeks and try a different branch?

[juniperz]

Juniperz - maybe you already did this but.................tell Kwik Fit that you have a lease car and that you want the fronts replaced because they are "completely worn" and that they should tell the lease company that. As far as I know the lease companies don't get the worn tyres back so it should be a win win situation for both you and the Kwik Fit if you are given two new tyres. I can't understand why they did that, maybe leave it a couple of weeks and try a different branch?
Yes, that is my plan. I need to leave it a while because the KwikFit to LeasePlan referral is electronic and it will have had the tread depth quoted. If I try again tomorrow, they will know that "completely worn" is a bit fishy, unless I have been doing a lot of fast starts with the traction control off... That's worth a thought though!

I wonder whether the lease companies do audits of replaced tyres, so the fitters have to be careful.

[Legs]

I know they are pretty careful, they do try to make sure that the tyres are completely worn before they change them, with my last car (non Audi) I was back 3 times to get all 4 tyres replaced. A real pain.

As you say, give it a couple of weeks..................

..........or you could always go outside in the morning to find someone has put a screwdriver through the sidewall!!!! ;)

[juniperz]

..........or you could always go outside in the morning to find someone has put a screwdriver through the sidewall!!!! ;)
I suppose stranger things have happened!!!

[Hammy969]

Guys

Got this months EVO through yesterday and there is a tyre test in it, worth a look. The Contis came out top. The order of the rest I can't rememeber, but all the above tyres were tested, I did note that the Dunlops were in the top half ahead of the Pirellis.

If anybody is interested I can dig out the order.

Ham ;)

[Sportwag]

This was a timely thread, as I thought I needed to replace my front Pirelli P7 245/45 R17s imminently. I went Kwikly to our lease company's preferred fitter, and was told that one was legal but could be replaced, but the lease company wouldn't authorise the other one because it still had a couple of thousand miles left on it. Grrrr! They had no Pirellis and were going to put some Contis on (don't know which - not a tyre aficionado). I left it for today, hoping that the better one wears down before the other one goes illegal, though I guess that is a bit risky in many ways.

I didn't fancy the idea of driving about with one brand new and one nearly-done - surely it would just go around in circles?? ;)

Maybe I will try another branch next week, and tell them what needs to be done...

I would insist on both fronts being replaced at the same time and both being the same brand not mixing (otherwise handling and potentially braking could be affected).

[Sportwag]

Yes, that is my plan. I need to leave it a while because the KwikFit to LeasePlan referral is electronic and it will have had the tread depth quoted. If I try again tomorrow, they will know that "completely worn" is a bit fishy, unless I have been doing a lot of fast starts with the traction control off... That's worth a thought though!

I wonder whether the lease companies do audits of replaced tyres, so the fitters have to be careful.

Leave it 7-10 days and go find a quiet carpark (with the Traction Control switched off).

[traby]

Just fitted Conti Sport Contact 5p's to my 143 Sline.

Much lesss tramlinning than the prev Conti 3 and seem to have great grip.

Will replace the back Dunlops when they are down on tread.

[Legs]

Had my Dunlops (company lease car so no choice) a couple of weeks now and I like them better than the OE Bridgestone Potenzas; definitely less tramlining and the car seems quieter. Grip is good too.

[theskyfox]

Just my two cents. Ive got pirelli pzeros on mine at the moment. Theyre good value for money I think, but they do seem to wear pretty quick on the wheels with torque. I find they dont tend to grip very well once they start to wear down too....and theyre a real danger in the winter, they pretty much seem to lose traction in the ice/snow. But then guess thats to be expected when theyre sold as a "summer" tyre. Will be getting a spare set of winters tho just for the cold months! Would like to say they are superb in the wet/summer months though!

-Andrew

[markp306]

Pitch,

My first B8 I had Cont Sport contact and covered 24K when I traded in for the Sline. Even at 24K the tyres had 3 to 4 K left in them. When the Pirelli's get to change time I will defo go the Continental route again. They also had a small lip over the sidewall which protected the alloys against minor kerbing

I also stuck with Continental Sport Contact as they are a great all-rounder (apart from the snow, where that sidewall lip wasn't enough to save the alloy). I didn't manage that sort of milage either! Fronts changed at 18k :Blush2:

Conti's were the original fit on my TDI. I moved away from OEM on a previous car some time back and regretted it, so I tend to stick with what the manufacturer recommends. I just assume they've already done the "homework". I admit, Conti are not the cheapest, but not as much as (eg) a Michelin or Pirelli.

[magt1000]

Cheers all once again.

The pair of Dunlop Sport Maxx GT's have been fitted on the front and car feels a whole lot nicer.

I know you should not compare old ones for new, but quieter and steering feedback is great.
MPG seems up also.

Looking forward to not replacing them for a long time

Ta
Pitch

Hi Pitch,

Based on the discussion on here (no pressure then fellow members!) I've bitten the bullet and decided to have a pair of those fitted to the front my motor on Saturday.

How are they bedding in? What are they like in the wet?

Thanks in advance.

M.

[pitch3110]

Good choice and I am sure you will be happy.
TBH I have been using the ED30 a lot so have not really experienced them in the wet.

But mileage will be the big +.
Having said this I am thinking I might change it at present.

Pitch

[juniperz]

I would insist on both fronts being replaced at the same time and both being the same brand not mixing (otherwise handling and potentially braking could be affected).


Leave it 7-10 days and go find a quiet carpark (with the Traction Control switched off).

I did leave it a week then (on 22nd Oct) I turned off ESP and did a few wheel spin starts and 2nd gear foot-down roundabouts and KwikFit duly found that replacement of both front tyres was warranted. I was hoping for Contis but the lease company told them to fit Goodyear "EfficientGrip" - never heard of them.
Since then, I spent half-term south west of Fort William, so I knocked up over 1300 miles and have no complaints. Lots of twisty single track roads with occasional sudden braking and they seems to grip, er, efficiently.
A bit of a trek to get there from Bristol, but the roads around there were fantastic - possibly more fun for the driver than for the wife and two daughters! (Stayed in a nice lodge in a near the small village of Strontian - would recommend - www.seaviewgrazings.co.uk (http://www.seaviewgrazings.co.uk) )