Hello, I am a Newbie and know sod all about cars, but do love my little green Fiat Panda 4x4. It's helped me get back into driving, but have had some problems with recurrent split tyres. I used to charge down our bumpy old lane in my Mum's old Fiesta and never had any problem with split tyres – now I have a 4 wheel drive have had problems even though I am much more careful driving more slowly.

Here is a post I have just added to another thread about tyres. HELP!

Hello. I have a green diesel*Fiat*Panda 4 wheel drive 2013 which I love, but wonder whether it was such a good purchase.
I have to drive down a very bumpy lane and I have split a tyre twice in a year and was shocked to find I needed to buy a pair of tyres.
My garage chap said "why did you buy a four wheel drive?"
I also had a slow puncture and had to replace that tyre – but only the one.
It's also a pain that you don't have a spare tyre you can replace, so you are dependent on a garage to help. Something to do with the balancing of the four wheel drive? Though I think mine was ok as I stopped and didn't drive it anywhere.
And being a Saturday my local garage don't seem to be open.
I really need to get my head around this and understand it.
I am devoid of any car know how and any info to help explain would be v helpful, eg.
1. replacing a pair of tyres – is this to do with front and back?
2. is there no way I could carry a spare tyre, or have one at home that i could replace myself?
3. wheel balance? how do I know if it needs it or not

I live in a rural area, so I am dependent on the car.*
Any info or links to something I can read up would be much appreciated.
Thank you, Hils

You can buy a spacesaver spare wheel to fit in under your boot.

The idea of replacing in pairs is so that tyres across an axle have similar wear which is safer.

Are you buying cheap? I've used only Continental and Michelins this past 23 years and in that time had only one puncture. I've had friends who will only ever buy the cheapest possible and they've had numerous flats.

When you say split, do you mean tears in the sidewall of the tyre?

If this is the case, these are normally caused by sharp rocks, slow down and drive around the obstacles.

I've done a lot of offroad driving, both in big 4x4s and small cars, regardless of what you're driving, the key is to take it slow and watch what each wheel is going over.

If it's dark, putting your front foglights on helps, a lot.

You can get tyres with reinforced sidewalls, but I'd suggest walking the track and removing any sharp rocks.

I am surprised. The standard Panda tyres are normally tough


Does the 4X4 use different ?


If you are "cutting" the tyre on something sharp nothing will help. You need to find the sharp object and remove or avoid.




"stopped to fit our spare pair of rear shock absorbers, drop the sump guard and give it away - surely we have seen the last rough patch - and change the wheels around. The front tyres, being bald, now run on the back. We are taking time out in Cairo to visit a tyre dealer to buy two new tyres. The Firestone van tyres have been impressive, good in sand and not a single puncture so far, but two won’t be going any further."

http://www.africarecordrun.com/blog.html

On the 4x4 (as discussed on the other thread) you should not allow the tyres to wear unevenly.

Normally the car is front wheel drive. The viscous coupling recognises when a front wheel is spinning and transfers power to the back wheels. If the fronts are allowed to wear too much compared to the back, that 4x4 drive coupling will be working more than it should and possibly overheating.

In normal use the wheels should be swapped front to back to wear them all at much the same rate. When one tyre is damaged and the others are worn you might need to get 4 new tyres - depending how worn the others are.

Fully treaded tyres on one side and thin treads on the other side would actually suit the 4x4 coupling but (clearly) that will affect the car's handling and can be dangerous.

Ideally, you need to deal with the tyre ripping pothole/rock. But driving more slowly will allow you to avoid such hazards.