General Tyres - to fit budget tyres or not?
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General Tyres - to fit budget tyres or not?
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
Im guessing its to do with balancing, handling, fuel efficiency etc? But surely that applies to any car - they are all going to be optimum when they have a matching set of balanced wheels and good tyres have advantages but I fail to see how my Stilo has 'special needs' LOL.
Why
Im guessing its to do with balancing, handling, fuel efficiency etc? But surely that applies to any car - they are all going to be optimum when they have a matching set of balanced wheels and good tyres have advantages but I fail to see how my Stilo has 'special needs' LOL.
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
Think of it in terms of being said to say a Porsche or Ferrari owner
Why
Think of it in terms of being said to say a Porsche or Ferrari owner
OP
OP
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
Yeah but thats different.
Fiona tbh I'd happily use budgets if that what you want to use. Stilo eats front tyres, so budgets work out better tbh.
Think of it in terms of being said to say a Porsche or Ferrari owner
Yeah but thats different.
Fiona tbh I'd happily use budgets if that what you want to use. Stilo eats front tyres, so budgets work out better tbh.
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
Tyres are first line consideration when it comes to safety - and can quite literally mean the difference between life & death.
Any tyre wear issues should be resolved and if you really can't afford the tyres then take the corners easier
I don't but I've still got over 20k on my P7's and they're still running
WHY
You can't really be serious can you
Tyres are first line consideration when it comes to safety - and can quite literally mean the difference between life & death.
Any tyre wear issues should be resolved and if you really can't afford the tyres then take the corners easier
I don't but I've still got over 20k on my P7's and they're still running
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Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
I've always shod my car with budget tyres, never paid more than £50 each & never had any issues of any type, just had more money in my wallet when I left the tyre fitters!
I choose them carefully of course, & yes I do avoid the real scary ones no-one has ever heard of...
70,000 safe miles in 4 years can't be a fluke...
WHY
You can't really be serious can you
Tyres are first line consideration when it comes to safety - and can quite literally mean the difference between life & death.
Any tyre wear issues should be resolved and if you really can't afford the tyres then take the corners easier
I don't but I've still got over 20k on my P7's and they're still running
I've always shod my car with budget tyres, never paid more than £50 each & never had any issues of any type, just had more money in my wallet when I left the tyre fitters!
I choose them carefully of course, & yes I do avoid the real scary ones no-one has ever heard of...
70,000 safe miles in 4 years can't be a fluke...
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
A long time back I looked death in the face 3 times on a bend in the Italian/Swiss Alps (avoided 2 head ons and also avoided going over the edge). It wasn't crazy driving but a near fatal miscalculation on the existence of ice on a pass lunchtime in summer when returning from glacier skiing
I different choice of tyre might just have meant not only 3 deaths in my vehicle but also those in the oncoming car(s)
It's impossible to be certain but like I say I just look at it as insurance
I'm sure certain makes are indeed better than others but I tend to think of tyres as a form of insurance.
A long time back I looked death in the face 3 times on a bend in the Italian/Swiss Alps (avoided 2 head ons and also avoided going over the edge). It wasn't crazy driving but a near fatal miscalculation on the existence of ice on a pass lunchtime in summer when returning from glacier skiing
I different choice of tyre might just have meant not only 3 deaths in my vehicle but also those in the oncoming car(s)
It's impossible to be certain but like I say I just look at it as insurance
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Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
So perhaps a compromise here, would you say 'better' tyres are more important front or rear? Also how much do you think minimum spend should be per tyre?
The one that has the nail in it is a rear one on my car and also quite worn on the outer edge, would you perhaps suggest swapping the front wheels with back ones and putting two new tyres on the front?
So perhaps a compromise here, would you say 'better' tyres are more important front or rear? Also how much do you think minimum spend should be per tyre?
The one that has the nail in it is a rear one on my car and also quite worn on the outer edge, would you perhaps suggest swapping the front wheels with back ones and putting two new tyres on the front?
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
Mine don't. My Vredestein Ultracs still look as new after 2 years. No signs of uneven wear. I've got 2.8 bar in them.
I wouldn't use budget tyres on any car. Tyres and brakes stop the car, so I'd rather save some pennies somewhere else.
Mine don't. My Vredestein Ultracs still look as new after 2 years. No signs of uneven wear. I've got 2.8 bar in them.
I wouldn't use budget tyres on any car. Tyres and brakes stop the car, so I'd rather save some pennies somewhere else.
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
On a Stilo it's very important to swap tyres back to front once in while as that way you effectively double the mileage you get from a set of tyres (since they wear different front & rear).
I strongly advocate keeping all 4 tyres the same if you can (which is why you want them to all wear at the same rate) and it's a really bad idea to mix different makes/types on the same axle.
Should you fit brand new tyres to the front or back, of a FWD car, is a highly contentious but if you change all 4 at the same time then that ceases to be an issue
On a Stilo it's very important to swap tyres back to front once in while as that way you effectively double the mileage you get from a set of tyres (since they wear different front & rear).
I strongly advocate keeping all 4 tyres the same if you can (which is why you want them to all wear at the same rate) and it's a really bad idea to mix different makes/types on the same axle.
Should you fit brand new tyres to the front or back, of a FWD car, is a highly contentious but if you change all 4 at the same time then that ceases to be an issue
OP
OP
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
Wear is just down to my mileage, but when a car is evenly wearing mid range tyres in 12k, I'd say thats fairly excessive, and thats mainly motorway driving, and not wheel spinning and being abusive to the tyres like some people are.
Ultimatly, what is the difference between a decent budget and a rather expensive 'top of the range' tyre? Design on both will be as such to disipate water in rain etc.
But for the majority of driving in the UK decent budgets are fine!
What gets me more is those that get 2nd hand part worn tyres, don't start me on the issue of part worns.
What tyres did you have on the car out of interest?
On a similar note do you use winter tyres when average road temp drops below 7C for 4-5 months of the year in the UK?
Should be similar all round tbh, but new should go on the back
As for price per side, couldn't possibly comment, all depends on tyresize, quality (budget or mid-range etc), and ultimatly location. I'm paying £65 a corner for mid-range tyres on my Alloys, but was paying £40-£45 for mid range on my Steel wheels. But I know for a fact that £40-45 would probably struggle to get you an equivilent budget in the subberbs of London etc.
What rims have you got them on. Seems high, my 17inch Blades are only as 2.5 bar as per hand book.
WHY
You can't really be serious can you
Tyres are first line consideration when it comes to safety - and can quite literally mean the difference between life & death.
Any tyre wear issues should be resolved and if you really can't afford the tyres then take the corners easier
I don't but I've still got over 20k on my P7's and they're still running
Wear is just down to my mileage, but when a car is evenly wearing mid range tyres in 12k, I'd say thats fairly excessive, and thats mainly motorway driving, and not wheel spinning and being abusive to the tyres like some people are.
Ultimatly, what is the difference between a decent budget and a rather expensive 'top of the range' tyre? Design on both will be as such to disipate water in rain etc.
But for the majority of driving in the UK decent budgets are fine!
What gets me more is those that get 2nd hand part worn tyres, don't start me on the issue of part worns.
I'm sure certain makes are indeed better than others but I tend to think of tyres as a form of insurance.
A long time back I looked death in the face 3 times on a bend in the Italian/Swiss Alps (avoided 2 head ons and also avoided going over the edge). It wasn't crazy driving but a near fatal miscalculation on the existence of ice on a pass lunchtime in summer when returning from glacier skiing
I different choice of tyre might just have meant not only 3 deaths in my vehicle but also those in the oncoming car(s)
It's impossible to be certain but like I say I just look at it as insurance
What tyres did you have on the car out of interest?
On a similar note do you use winter tyres when average road temp drops below 7C for 4-5 months of the year in the UK?
Should be similar all round tbh, but new should go on the back
As for price per side, couldn't possibly comment, all depends on tyresize, quality (budget or mid-range etc), and ultimatly location. I'm paying £65 a corner for mid-range tyres on my Alloys, but was paying £40-£45 for mid range on my Steel wheels. But I know for a fact that £40-45 would probably struggle to get you an equivilent budget in the subberbs of London etc.
What rims have you got them on. Seems high, my 17inch Blades are only as 2.5 bar as per hand book.
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Depends what you call budget. Uniroyals are good tyres and can be got for around £50. I have very quiet Rallye 550s on my 1.4 but these are now out of production, replaced by Rain Expert.
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:yeahthat:
some tyres i would never use, stomil, Nankang
toyo t1r are cheap and i rate them very good
i go 2psi above what fiat say to to stop tyre edge wear, am sure they don't do parking on their tyre tests
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
This reason this is contentious is because:
Front wheel skid: No driver can correct this, although assuming the car doesn't make contact with a brick wall or another car etc whilst out of control then it does at least tend to auto correct.
Rear wheel skid: A competent driver can correct this although if uncorrected it will almost certainly bring the car to stop. Once again, the proviso here is that the car doesn't hit anything before coming to a stop.
Probably fair so say that the likelihood of hitting something with a rear slide is a lot greater than for a front. That said, sliding into an oncoming car or a brick wall due to losing the front end is very likely to be fatal.
The argument therefore arises because:
12k per a set is indeed excessive and I'd argue something is wrong with the geometry somewhere. The point to remember here is that excessive tyre wear, when due to misalignment, is likely to compromise the handling of the car so should be resolved as a matter of safety rather turning to cheaper tyres as a solution.
Michelin.
I don't think anyone in England uses winter tyres although I suspect some might in Scotland (certainly in the highlands). In the Alps, something like 100% of drivers use winter tyres - that being pure necessity.
Hmmm... not sure if you're suggesting Fiona is a novice driver.....but new should go on the back
This reason this is contentious is because:
Front wheel skid: No driver can correct this, although assuming the car doesn't make contact with a brick wall or another car etc whilst out of control then it does at least tend to auto correct.
Rear wheel skid: A competent driver can correct this although if uncorrected it will almost certainly bring the car to stop. Once again, the proviso here is that the car doesn't hit anything before coming to a stop.
Probably fair so say that the likelihood of hitting something with a rear slide is a lot greater than for a front. That said, sliding into an oncoming car or a brick wall due to losing the front end is very likely to be fatal.
The argument therefore arises because:
- If you're a competent driver then you'll want the best tyres on the front.
[*] - If you're a less competent driver then you'll want the best tyres on the rear.
OP
OP
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
But my point is, it wasn't excessive wear, high wear, but not excessive as in not even. It was even across the tyre width and both sides were worn evenly when compaired to each other.
Tracking was checked when they were replaced just in case, and that was spot on. Chap said alot of Stilo's he's had in were similar. :shrug:
Quite a few members on here do, not nessecarily Stilo drivers, but some GP and 500 owners do.
Ultimatly having a tyre correctly design for its job is more essential over the cost of it.
No point having a expensive tyre thats no good in snow/ice/cold road conditions etc.
I know that this winter now that I've alloys, so a spare set of steelies, that I'm going to be getting a set of winter tyres on the steel rims for the 3-4months that they're best suited for the car.
Not at all, Fiona has probably got more driving experience under her belt than I have in my 4 years of driving.
I've just got used to the fact that fronts wear quicker on my cars as they're driving wheels, and my rears wear very little, so when I get the fronts replaced I just get the rear put on the front and then the new rubber put onto the back.
Has always worked as a good system for me so far.
Ultimatly cost is going to be similar if you get 2 new tyres every 20,000 say, to if you revolve the tyres to get even wear front to rear and have to replace 4 tyres every 40,000 miles.
As for the point about the skids, valid points, but looking at the worse case situation for the two types of skid, assuming you do crash, lets say into a tree as they're almost solid and will cause alot of damage and injury.
Front wheel skid, being under steer, is a case of hitting something with the front of your car normally, rear wheel skid, being over steer will normally result into sliding into something sideways, so assuming that the collission is enevitable, your far better off smashing into it head-on at 30mph, than sliding side ways into it at 30. I know which one the Stilo or the majority of car is far more likly to enable me to walk out of.
Thats the way I look at it anyway.
But my point is, it wasn't excessive wear, high wear, but not excessive as in not even. It was even across the tyre width and both sides were worn evenly when compaired to each other.
Tracking was checked when they were replaced just in case, and that was spot on. Chap said alot of Stilo's he's had in were similar. :shrug:
Quite a few members on here do, not nessecarily Stilo drivers, but some GP and 500 owners do.
Ultimatly having a tyre correctly design for its job is more essential over the cost of it.
No point having a expensive tyre thats no good in snow/ice/cold road conditions etc.
I know that this winter now that I've alloys, so a spare set of steelies, that I'm going to be getting a set of winter tyres on the steel rims for the 3-4months that they're best suited for the car.
Hmmm... not sure if you're suggesting Fiona is a novice driver
Not at all, Fiona has probably got more driving experience under her belt than I have in my 4 years of driving.
I take your last paragraph first, I agree it helps with even wear front to rear, but thats not nessecarily the best way to look at it from a safety point.This reason this is contentious is because:
Front wheel skid: No driver can correct this, although assuming the car doesn't make contact with a brick wall or another car etc whilst out of control then it does at least tend to auto correct.
Rear wheel skid: A competent driver can correct this although if uncorrected it will almost certainly bring the car to stop. Once again, the proviso here is that the car doesn't hit anything before coming to a stop.
Probably fair so say that the likelihood of hitting something with a rear slide is a lot greater than for a front. That said, sliding into an oncoming car or a brick wall due to losing the front end is very likely to be fatal.
The argument therefore arises because:
There's also an unrelated reason for having the best tyres on the front which is due to the fact that front tyre ALWAYS wear faster on a FWD car. The logic being that if you ALWAYS keep the best tyres on the front then you'll end up with completely even tyre wear. This means you get to change all 4 tyres at the same time thereby neatly avoiding the prior discussion
- If you're a competent driver then you'll want the best tyres on the front.
[*]- If you're a less competent driver then you'll want the best tyres on the rear.
I've just got used to the fact that fronts wear quicker on my cars as they're driving wheels, and my rears wear very little, so when I get the fronts replaced I just get the rear put on the front and then the new rubber put onto the back.
Has always worked as a good system for me so far.
Ultimatly cost is going to be similar if you get 2 new tyres every 20,000 say, to if you revolve the tyres to get even wear front to rear and have to replace 4 tyres every 40,000 miles.
As for the point about the skids, valid points, but looking at the worse case situation for the two types of skid, assuming you do crash, lets say into a tree as they're almost solid and will cause alot of damage and injury.
Front wheel skid, being under steer, is a case of hitting something with the front of your car normally, rear wheel skid, being over steer will normally result into sliding into something sideways, so assuming that the collission is enevitable, your far better off smashing into it head-on at 30mph, than sliding side ways into it at 30. I know which one the Stilo or the majority of car is far more likly to enable me to walk out of.
Thats the way I look at it anyway.
Not at all, Fiona has probably got more driving experience under her belt than I have in my 4 years of driving.
Im in my forties and have kids the same age as many of you, so while I may be a more experienced driver I am the first to admit that I know very little about car maintenance. My history of cars has consisted of company cars, old bangers or leaving the man in my life to sort out the problems.
This may sound sad but this Stilo I have now is the nicest car I have ever had that I can truly call MINE, as in not linked to a job, or shared with anyone else. I have had far more expensive and newer cars at my disposal but they were not my own.
So for the first time I am really trying to get to know my way around it, take care of it, resolve issues as they arise etc. As some of you know my son just bought his first Stilo too so the more info I have the more I can help him as well.
In a short time reading this forum I have already resolved a few things or been more informed about what I may be dealing with before I approach a mechanic. I apologise if I come across as completely stupid at times. Ideally I just like to be able get in it drive it and have it work perfectly! So Im not a novice driver but Im the first to admit I know very little about car maintenance. Sorry this went off topic.
Im in my forties and have kids the same age as many of you, so while I may be a more experienced driver I am the first to admit that I know very little about car maintenance. My history of cars has consisted of company cars, old bangers or leaving the man in my life to sort out the problems.
This may sound sad but this Stilo I have now is the nicest car I have ever had that I can truly call MINE, as in not linked to a job, or shared with anyone else. I have had far more expensive and newer cars at my disposal but they were not my own.
So for the first time I am really trying to get to know my way around it, take care of it, resolve issues as they arise etc. As some of you know my son just bought his first Stilo too so the more info I have the more I can help him as well.
In a short time reading this forum I have already resolved a few things or been more informed about what I may be dealing with before I approach a mechanic. I apologise if I come across as completely stupid at times. Ideally I just like to be able get in it drive it and have it work perfectly! So Im not a novice driver but Im the first to admit I know very little about car maintenance. Sorry this went off topic.
Everyone has been there. I scratched my head trying to figure out where to put the jack the first time I was to change tires. And that was the only thing I had learnt except filling petrol - after I found out how to open the filler flap.
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Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
I'm 17" blades. Used to have slight inner wear on the front and outer wear on the rear axle. After rising the pressure to 2.8 bar at normal load and 3.0 bar on full load, the tires still looks like new. After 2 years. Now I do use winter tires for about 4 months every year though.
I'm 17" blades. Used to have slight inner wear on the front and outer wear on the rear axle. After rising the pressure to 2.8 bar at normal load and 3.0 bar on full load, the tires still looks like new.
After 2 years. Now I do use winter tires for about 4 months every year though.
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Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
An important thing to remember when considering tyres is not just tread pattern or compound, its the way the tyre reacts to different road surfaces. Tread flexibility and tyre wall stiffness are very important when it comes to grip. A flexible tread (this does not necessarily mean a soft compound) reacts dynamically to the grain in the road and can be a very important factor when it cones to grip both in the wet and dry. You need maximum contact with the road surface. Lack of tread flexibility can lead to poor contact on some road surfaces and result in loss of grip. Tyre wall stiffness needs to be balanced. To hard and you will feel every knock and bump and can cause instability under hard acceleration. To soft and the tyre can roll in bends leading to a rather bouncy cornering experience. Cheak Chicom buit tyres have a tendancy to mimick good quality tyres with tread pattern and compunds but are seriously let down by these other factors.
You get what you pay for.
An important thing to remember when considering tyres is not just tread pattern or compound, its the way the tyre reacts to different road surfaces. Tread flexibility and tyre wall stiffness are very important when it comes to grip. A flexible tread (this does not necessarily mean a soft compound) reacts dynamically to the grain in the road and can be a very important factor when it cones to grip both in the wet and dry. You need maximum contact with the road surface. Lack of tread flexibility can lead to poor contact on some road surfaces and result in loss of grip. Tyre wall stiffness needs to be balanced. To hard and you will feel every knock and bump and can cause instability under hard acceleration. To soft and the tyre can roll in bends leading to a rather bouncy cornering experience. Cheak Chicom buit tyres have a tendancy to mimick good quality tyres with tread pattern and compunds but are seriously let down by these other factors.
You get what you pay for.
Re: Grinding sound coming from front wheel area
Maybe, but Michelin and Goodyear are overpriced.
Maybe, but Michelin and Goodyear are overpriced.
