V50 Wheels/Tyres : So what's the best course of action now..

[andy_d]

welcome to the Oh so simple world of "tyres"

almost all of use manage to get the 205/55 bit and the R17 for the size
the speed and load rating tho ,,,





isnt set to what "you" drive the car at, its set at what the manuf's claim its top speed is,, (and we wont fuss about book top speed never being attainable in the real world,, cos the insurance clowns dont either)

so on your tyres the 93W ,,
W - speed rate
93 "load rate" = made up of weight of the car, + possible load carrying capacity/weight of the car

Can I fit a higher / lower speed rating?

Changing the speed rating on can be dependent on the type of vehicle you own.

If you are buying tyres for a 4x4 we recommend that you keep to the original speed ratings as fitted when the 4x4 rolled off the production line. If you wish to make changes then you should verify the change is suitable from the vehicle manufacturer. Blackcircles.com cannot take responsibility for any mechanical issues that are caused as a result of a change of speed ratings.

However, for cars the fitting of a higher speed rating is fine. If you do choose a tyre with a higher speed rating though, we recommend that you match the tyres across the axels, avoiding having different speed ratings fitted on either side of the car.

We do not recommend lowering the speed rating to anything less than was fitted to your vehicle as original equipment on the production line.

The only exception to this is a winter tyre. This is due to the fact that they are generally available in lower speed ratings than the more standard ‘summer’ tyres. This because vehicles generally travel at much slower maximum speeds in winter conditions.

Often the reduction in speed rating will be only one rating, - e.g. V to H but not T.

However, to avoid any issues you should check what size and speed rating is recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. Usually this information can be found on the car pressure sticker or the handbook of the car.

(nicked from blackcircles )

so while common sense says "but there is No way even off a cliff my car will get to 168mph never mind more !" as they are the "recommended" ones going to a lower rate wouldnt be advisable really,,

the "nice" a/b/c/etc stickers for the tyres for "fuel" and "wet grip"

Fuel , your going to affect the fuel Far more than the tyres , if you keep the tyres at the recommended pressure How you drive will have far more impact on your MPG than some sticker saying "a/b/c/etc" its a guide of little use in reality
on/off the brake/gas V engine braking , anticipation etc and how fast/hard you press either pedal ,, all going to make far more impact than "a to f" rate

wet grip, isnt as clear cut either,, again tyre pressures, suspension condition, loaded weight in the car,, where said weight is,, Road surface (dry, pot holes. bumpy, covered in diesel , long hot spell then rain,, etc) and how you press/squeeze/stomp the stop pedal play a part, But its an indicator to "there ok/not bad / theres better out there" , far more so than the "fuel efficiency" sticker :P

dont get too hung up on "all season" tyres that are called "all season" ,, any tyre that isnt touted as a "summer" or "winter" tyre is,, all season


Totally agree with your thinking "use these tyres till there worn out, and look to change about/on/just before the onset of winter" , fresh matched rubber for the blegh - good move in my book, but i happily ran toyo proxi TR1 tyres in the snow , Loved the dry grip/wet grip, and got 39mpg (S40 1.8vvt engine Auto box, driven like fuel was Free!!!) using them

being a "f" rated tyre ,,

[olliemayo]

I won't buy premium brand tyres now. We get so many punctures where we live because it's rural and it is pointless. Mid range Koreans now all round and I keep them inflated right all the time. Just a 20% pressure loss increases your braking distance and all the claims made by premium tyre manufacturers is hot air anyway unless you want the few percent difference in performance because you have a Porsche or something.

Get all 4 tyres changed to the same make, I wouldn't run around with different brands on a car and definitely not on a 4WD car.

[CathDog]

Originally Posted by olliemayo

I won't buy premium brand tyres now. We get so many punctures where we live because it's rural and it is pointless. Mid range Koreans now all round and I keep them inflated right all the time. Just a 20% pressure loss increases your braking distance and all the claims made by premium tyre manufacturers is hot air anyway unless you want the few percent difference in performance because you have a Porsche or something.

Get all 4 tyres changed to the same make, I wouldn't run around with different brands on a car and definitely not on a 4WD car.

The problem I am having with this excellent advice is the mainstream tire sellers (who also fit) don't seem to sell mid range ones for the V50 1.6 Drive (R17) 93W (one fa autos sells a 93V vs W which is possible? its 101£ tho)

Would you spend 404£ at fa autos and walk away satisfied on price and quality? I can't see any deals or vouchers for them googling.

The alternative just buying the tires.. which also has limited not cheap choice (the cheaper ones are 93V vs 93W rated), the first cheapest 93W is the Pirelli Cinturato All Season Plus at 97£ I would have to have them delivered and then take them to a garage and I have to wrestle 4 heavy dirty tires into the car.. probably in the rain this being England, the only plus being the boot should be big enough..) and negotiate with the garage the price of putting them on, balancing and disposing.. when I could have them fitted all in for 118£ at national autocenters and might get a bit off using this voucher in the comments from hotukdeals/yellow pages? 15% off DV412 voucher

To look for tyres to just buy and deliver I used http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk.

Maybe there are other sites, though I am a bit tired of tires now having googled through yesterday while watching the football and tennis. I should probably do some studying now..

[Tannaton]

I disagree strongly with some of the advice already given. Winter tyres make a significant different to grip in a number of winter related conditions, they are most certainly not marketing beef droppings, in the same way that they earth is not flat.

Although I am also tyre obsessive, this is not just my opinion it is factual. Have a look at these :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drOtBWhGxks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfuE00qdhLA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STaximkaQxo&t=27s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elP_34ltdWI

The last video also shows that winter tyres substantially reduce the stopping distance of a car in the wet (not snow or ice) conditions, they are not just about snow and ice. The most utilised benefit is better stopping and cornering on cooler and damp days - when the temperature is below 7 degrees. The only downside of winter tyres is slightly longer stopping conditions in hot, dry weather.

Many people who live in the flatter parts of the country get through winters just fine on normal summer tyres but if you live in a hilly area there will be a time when not having winter/all seasons is the difference between getting stuck, being able to make an important journey or not, or worse having a prang.

Also - you should always put your best set of tyres on the REAR. This is documented in your owners manual, and here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa9hzcjdi5Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mziDnY1cOU

By best set of tyres I mean those with the most tread, not necessarily the best brand... This becomes less relevant if all tyres have good tread (i.e. 5mm or more)

So what to do next?

My recommendation would be:

- You really should get the slow puncture repaired a.s.a.p., it's only going to get worse and one day you might get caught out with a flat tyre or worse - losing control of the car.

- You don't say (unless I missed it) the tread depth of your tyres, assuming they are all good (5mm or more) then you have 3 options in my head:

1 - Just keep them (after getting the puncture repaired). It's not "best practice" to have un-matched tyres on the same axle, but it's legal and given the sedate way in which you drive you are unlikely to notice any difference if the tyres are in good condition. This is your lowest cost option and "acceptable".

2 - Swap the cheap Chinese ones for another matching set (the Cooper is a quite a good tyre, there are also some other good "value" tyres available such as the Avon ZV7). This is your second lowest cost option and gets you to "best practice".

3 - If you do want to try winter tyres, the Michelin Cross Climates are probably the most praised winter tyre on this forum (for 2WD vehicles) at the moment but there are cheaper options which are almost as good such as the Yokohama W drive and Hankook Winter I*cept (Have a look on openeo.co.uk - you can arrange local fitting through the site). Given that you drive quite sedately you can run winter tyres all year round - you don't need 2 sets of wheels. I have done this for the past 4 years on my XC90. You will get slightly faster wear in the summer but not nearly enough to justify the cost of 2 sets of tyres and paying for them to be changed twice a year. This is your highest cost option but gives you the best all-round, safest set-up.

If you do change all 4 you can change the size slightly and this might reduce the cost but you need to be careful to preserve the rolling circumference as this will affect the accuracy of your speedometer otherwise. If you're not confident on how to do this - best seek advice or keep the original size.

Another thing I would say is if the car is new to you - get a 4 wheel alignment done with a laser system. The S40/V50 platform has front suspension which is susceptible to being knocked out of alignment from kerbing and potholes - the first you notice is the hard to see inside edge of the tyre gets scrubbed off and it's ruined.

And finally to dispel another myth - having different size tyres on a car will not affect the ABS or DSTC functions. The system works by monitoring changes in wheel speed not actual speed. Otherwise how would it be possible to use a temporary spare wheel ? That said though this should only happen in a "get you home" scenario.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by CathDog

The problem I am having.... ...the mainstream tire sellers (who also fit) don't seem to sell mid range ones for the V50 1.6 Drive (R17) 93W (one fa autos sells a 93V vs W which is possible? its 101£ tho)

www.oponeo.co.uk

You can arrange local fitting through the site when you purchase.

Easy to use and helpful search engine, always read the label.....

[CathDog]

I'm reading through and watching the videos, thank you, by the way by the two times you mentioned my 'sedate' driving, you meant getting optimal mpg and not wasting the future generations natural resources right?

[CathDog]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

www.oponeo.co.uk

You can arrange local fitting through the site when you purchase.

Easy to use and helpful search engine, always read the label.....

Thank you, the local garage to me that they have as a fitting partner is a well rated one, I had a look and am having the same problem for lack of a better word that there are no mid range 93W all season or winter, they do have budget (93W ones and the Michelin which would be my preferred and a broader range of 93V) but I'm scared the delinte is a false economy. I couldn't find any reviews for this particular tyre though someone has asked on the forum about Delinte

Screen Shot 2018-07-08 at 11.54.51.jpg

I want to think getting all seasons is a cheaper than winter and an ok option for me given my driving style. I mean the video comparing all season vs winter tires in Canada in -20 winter at speed would be more dramatic than the UK situation so I am thinking with some care I should be ok with all season. I just have to be quick enough to get out of the way of all the other drivers on summer tires slip sliding and rolling uncontrollably backwards and sideways on the ice tho . I can't believe its not illegal to drive in summer tires if there is snow or ice on the ground.

[olliemayo]

Winter tyres are a different ball game, those do work, but again unless you are going abroad do you need them?

I see you are in Somerset, ring up Phillips tyres in Shepton Mallet and they will sort you, used them for years just like we use Shipham for our servicing and MOT.

You don't really need winter tyres in the UK, even in all the snowfall we had this year, I could drive around quite happily.

[Billggski]

Despite the overwhelming evidence that winter tyres are much safer when the temperature is below 6C, some folk still think it's a scam.
My last Dunlop 01 summer tyres actually said "do not use below 6C" in their specification.
All weather tyres are a compromise, not as good as summer tyres when its warm, not as good as winter tyres when its cold.

[CathDog]

Originally Posted by Billggski

Despite the overwhelming evidence that winter tyres are much safer when the temperature is below 6C, some folk still think it's a scam.
My last Dunlop 01 summer tyres actually said "do not use below 6C" in their specification.
All weather tyres are a compromise, not as good as summer tyres when its warm, not as good as winter tyres when its cold.

I came across this video and the Michelin CrossClimate seem to be better than at least one all weather, though that one seemed to do ok too.. the summer tires tho

+ YouTube Video