Handling - and new v part worn tyres?

[Bonefish Blues]

I buy part worn tyres all the time. Most of us do.

I bought 4 on the i3 in May. They were already fitted when I bought the car, which was most convenient. Part-Worns, sold by the individual tyre and non-fitted are rather better of course, since one can closely examine the inside of the tyre as well as the outside.

Yours, not understanding the prejudice against them

 

[StevenRB45]

I think in general if someone got rid of a partially worn tyre...

It was for a reason.

Eg. The Vittos on the Toyota went in the scrap pile with 8mm of tread on them.

You could look at those and think "wow I've scored a bargain".

Other than the moment you put them on a car and realise they weren't round.

Or indeed another on the C3 that was a Goodyear with 7mm on it.. unfortunately it also had a puncture that wouldn't take a repair so would probably lose a pound a week... forever or eventually that plug would fail entirely at which point it would lose 30 psi in around 4 minutes.

But then I'm also the sort of person who buys a used car and puts 4 brand new tyres on it a month later...so possibly a bit of an extremist.

 

[AnthonyH]

My depth gauge arrived and i checked all of the tyres, they are all legal, but a couple are on 2mm.

The new tyre that i have on there is at 6mm, it made me wonder if budget tyres come with less tread, or maybe i've driven on it more than i remember.

While i bought my first 2 ever part worns recently, i'd not be interested in fixing punctures. That reminds me of my bike when i was a kid, and the punctures once repaired would only last a while before i was back to a flat.

 

[bugsymike]

I buy part worn tyres all the time. Most of us do.

I bought 4 on the i3 in May. They were already fitted when I bought the car, which was most convenient. Part-Worns, sold by the individual tyre and non-fitted are rather better of course, since one can closely examine the inside of the tyre as well as the outside.

Yours, not understanding the prejudice against them

If it is all someone can afford then I understand it being preferable to running on bald tyres, but having seen the inside of some of these s/h ones complete with past punture repairs and some with interior bulges and other damage , such as signs of overheating where run underinflated from earlier puncture, also when my mate started up back then I checked some of his tyres for him and often was cut on steels bracing inside the tyes damaged etc. something a less conscientious fitter may not pick up, back then a lorry with 1700 tyres on we would return nearly 50% as dangerous!
I have also seen dodgy car salesmen with Ferrai, Rolls Royce, etc. buy these tyres, so the thought that a 150mph + car some unsuspecting new owner has just spent many £1000s to buy does not bear thinking about.
Personally a budget new tyre is preferrable, apart from anything else, if you buy an s/h tyre with 4mm of tread you will probably only get 2mm of use before it wears uneven and is scrap, where as a budget new at least you will start with 6-7mm giving you at least 4-5mm of usuable tread.

 

[AnthonyH]

If it is all someone can afford then I understand it being preferable to running on bald tyres, but having seen the inside of some of these s/h ones complete with past punture repairs and some with interior bulges and other damage , such as signs of overheating where run underinflated from earlier puncture, also when my mate started up back then I checked some of his tyres for him and often was cut on steels bracing inside the tyes damaged etc. something a less conscientious fitter may not pick up, back then a lorry with 1700 tyres on we would return nearly 50% as dangerous!
I have also seen dodgy car salesmen with Ferrai, Rolls Royce, etc. buy these tyres, so the thought that a 150mph + car some unsuspecting new owner has just spent many £1000s to buy does not bear thinking about.
Personally a budget new tyre is preferrable, apart from anything else, if you buy an s/h tyre with 4mm of tread you will probably only get 2mm of use before it wears uneven and is scrap, where as a budget new at least you will start with 6-7mm giving you at least 4-5mm of usuable tread.

What i read recently that changed my mind is that the technology to manufacture re-treads has improved enormously over the years. I believe they were dangerous in the past but now safe. But of course opinions vary.

 

[bugsymike]

What i read recently that changed my mind is that the technology to manufacture re-treads has improved enormously over the years. I believe they were dangerous in the past but now safe. But of course opinions vary.

Compared with when I started as an apprentice late 60s when we were driving on skinney cross ply tyres which were lethal in the wet, but great for practicing rear wheel drifts and handbrake turns, the retreads then often separated from the original carcase and you often would see a band of rubber tyre tread at the side of the road, so modern retreads are built to a much higher standard.
Never the less the old adage "you get what you pay for" is still very true.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

If it is all someone can afford then I understand it being preferable to running on bald tyres, but having seen the inside of some of these s/h ones complete with past punture repairs and some with interior bulges and other damage , such as signs of overheating where run underinflated from earlier puncture, also when my mate started up back then I checked some of his tyres for him and often was cut on steels bracing inside the tyes damaged etc. something a less conscientious fitter may not pick up, back then a lorry with 1700 tyres on we would return nearly 50% as dangerous!
I have also seen dodgy car salesmen with Ferrai, Rolls Royce, etc. buy these tyres, so the thought that a 150mph + car some unsuspecting new owner has just spent many £1000s to buy does not bear thinking about.
Personally a budget new tyre is preferrable, apart from anything else, if you buy an s/h tyre with 4mm of tread you will probably only get 2mm of use before it wears uneven and is scrap, where as a budget new at least you will start with 6-7mm giving you at least 4-5mm of usuable tread.

I know that many premium tyres are fitted part-worn to prestige vehicles - there are specialist companies whose trade is doing exactly that. That includes via official franchised dealers. They're pressure-tested and inspected, and as safe as any other tyre - in fact I would argue, it would be safer than say a 911 which is on a forecourt which has tyres with plenty of tread but which harbours a latent, but unseen issue.

If someone buys an obviously defective tyre and allows it to be fitted then they are foolish. A part worn tyre allows inspection of inside and outside. I wouldn't dream of allowing a part worn to be fitted without inspecting it myself and asking how it has been tested.

My point, generally, is that rigour is not extended to tyres already fitted to cars bought second hand (or to those already fitted to rims - in fact like these which I have just bought for winter, and unboxed yesterday) Tyres are all perfect, evenly worn, nothing impaled in them, not very old (3 years from production)

On budget new vs part worn premium, tbh I've never bought a budget tyre so if that was the only choice, I'd be going part worn, but tbh the differential between the top performers and the mid range tyres is now so small, there really shouldn't be a need to buy true budgets.

 

[rmjbn1]

I'm not surprised the handling's a bit iffy

I'd be very wary of those rear tyres if it's raining. If you hit a white line going around a corner in the wet the thing could swap ends on you faster than you know.

Shame, seems wear isn't too bad in the middle of the tread, but the inside shoulders are shot.

Makes me wonder if there's too much camber on the rears? Or toe? Tracking report after it's had new boots would make interesting reading Probably no provision for adjusting rear camber & toe though.

Right rear could be under-inflation as well? I keep a small tyre pressure guage in the door pocket and check pressures every couple of weeks and before any long journey.

And I'll join the queue asking for the front left to be condemned

I know tyres are miserably expensive now, but it'll feel transformed with three tyres to match that one new one

 

[AnthonyH]

I'm not surprised the handling's a bit iffy

I'd be very wary of those rear tyres if it's raining. If you hit a white line going around a corner in the wet the thing could swap ends on you faster than you know.

Shame, seems wear isn't too bad in the middle of the tread, but the inside shoulders are shot.
View attachment 474755View attachment 474756
Makes me wonder if there's too much camber on the rears? Or toe? Tracking report after it's had new boots would make interesting reading Probably no provision for adjusting rear camber & toe though.

Right rear could be under-inflation as well? I keep a small tyre pressure guage in the door pocket and check pressures every couple of weeks and before any long journey.

And I'll join the queue asking for the front left to be condemned

I know tyres are miserably expensive now, but it'll feel transformed with three tyres to match that one new one

The rear tyres lost their inner tread when they were on the front and i had a tracking problem. It tracks fine now and i will replace these.

I'm stupidly attached to the front left because its so old the rubber is like rock and it doesn't seem to wear at all. But its rubbish yes!

I need two front tyres on my 500X as well. Its not currently on the road and i'll be starting a strut mount job tomorrow if the part arrives early enough. So thats 5 tyres i need now

 

[StevenRB45]

Most places do a decent discount on multiples.

When getting my 4 for the Toyota, buying 4 got you 20% off..nearly buy 3 get one free.

Although I suspect the discount was probably more than the total budget that will be spent on tyres for the grande.

I used to be attached a set of Toyos a few years ago..until one day they nearly attached me to the scenery. Wet weather performance on the hardened up tyres was cack but I was driving round it...until one day I was in a little bit of a hurry and nearly ended up in to a lamppost.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The rear tyres lost their inner tread when they were on the front and i had a tracking problem. It tracks fine now and i will replace these.

I'm stupidly attached to the front left because its so old the rubber is like rock and it doesn't seem to wear at all. But its rubbish yes!

I need two front tyres on my 500X as well. Its not currently on the road and i'll be starting a strut mount job tomorrow if the part arrives early enough. So thats 5 tyres i need now

I think you need to find someone like Steven my local mobile tyre man. He mostly serves the small independent garages within the bounds of the city by pass. Well known to them but doesn't do much by way of "private" customers - simply because he keeps busy enough with his regular customers. I was put onto him by a trade friend, also a Steven by coincidence, and he's very happy to come round to my house and work out of the back (side door actually) of his quite large van. Suits me to a tee as it lets me do all the removing and refitting of wheels while he does his "tyre thing". He can supply any make I can think of but always has a suggestion for a cheaper option in the same quality band. Consequently I tend now to just give him a size and wait for him to ring me back with brands and prices. He can usually come round within two days and his prices equal those achievable at the discount outlets.

 

[Greasytrucker]

i'll be starting a strut mount job tomorrow if the part arrives early enough.

New thread starting in the next couple of days……watch this space

 

[AnthonyH]

Most places do a decent discount on multiples.

When getting my 4 for the Toyota, buying 4 got you 20% off..nearly buy 3 get one free.

Although I suspect the discount was probably more than the total budget that will be spent on tyres for the grande.

I used to be attached a set of Toyos a few years ago..until one day they nearly attached me to the scenery. Wet weather performance on the hardened up tyres was cack but I was driving round it...until one day I was in a little bit of a hurry and nearly ended up in to a lamppost.

I know an average budget Punto tyre is around £70, i won't try to guess how much your tyres were, but a lot!

I just checked the dot code on that crusty tyre, its 2074. I know sometimes the codes get reversed or muddled up, so the options are 47th week of 2002 or 47th week or 2020. Hmmm.

 

[AnthonyH]

I think you need to find someone like Steven my local mobile tyre man. He mostly serves the small independent garages within the bounds of the city by pass. Well known to them but doesn't do much by way of "private" customers - simply because he keeps busy enough with his regular customers. I was put onto him by a trade friend, also a Steven by coincidence, and he's very happy to come round to my house and work out of the back (side door actually) of his quite large van. Suits me to a tee as it lets me do all the removing and refitting of wheels while he does his "tyre thing". He can supply any make I can think of but always has a suggestion for a cheaper option in the same quality band. Consequently I tend now to just give him a size and wait for him to ring me back with brands and prices. He can usually come round within two days and his prices equal those achievable at the discount outlets.

This does sound like a good option, i see a lot of mobile tyre vans on my travels. I'm generally adverse to garages but to have a garage job done at home is a good idea.

 

[AnthonyH]

New thread starting in the next couple of days……watch this space

I started that thread yesterday lol. Hardly anybody has read it yet, no doubt i'll be spamming the thread for help before long lol.

Replacing strut mount | FIAT 500X

The strut mount on my 500X is dinging. I presume it is that anyway. Its very rusty in there and i don't think those bolts are coming off in one piece. Any idea where i can get new bolts? What chance i can get away with replacing just the strut mount and not the whole strut? Will the droplink...

www.fiatforum.com

 

[StevenRB45]

I know an average budget Punto tyre is around £70, i won't try to guess how much your tyres were, but a lot!

You'd be surprised...

Goodyear Vector 4 season after discounts for buying 4 were 81 each in a 16 205/55.

101 at full price then 20 quid off each for buying 4.

Although I have the same tyre size as every taxi in the land so a budget tyre is 35 quid...

 

[AnthonyH]

You'd be surprised...

Goodyear Vector 4 season after discounts for buying 4 were 81 each in a 16 205/55.

View attachment 474759

101 at full price then 20 quid off each for buying 4.

Although I have the same tyre size as every taxi in the land so a budget tyre is 35 quid...

Must admit they look good.

I just checked the price of tyres for the 500X and they're from around £70 upwards, not much more than punto really, average £100

 

[Bonefish Blues]

You'd be surprised...

Goodyear Vector 4 season after discounts for buying 4 were 81 each in a 16 205/55.

View attachment 474759

101 at full price then 20 quid off each for buying 4.

Although I have the same tyre size as every taxi in the land so a budget tyre is 35 quid...

£100 after discount in my size for the i3 (155/70 R19) I've got a stack of 4 awaiting fitment.

 

[AnthonyH]

New thread starting in the next couple of days……watch this space

The strut mount job has gone very very very badly. I figure you're the guy to come up with a repair option...

Replacing strut mount | FIAT 500X

The strut mount on my 500X is dinging. I presume it is that anyway. Its very rusty in there and i don't think those bolts are coming off in one piece. Any idea where i can get new bolts? What chance i can get away with replacing just the strut mount and not the whole strut? Will the droplink...

www.fiatforum.com