Perishing Tyres

[antiquesam]

I'm on the road for a few days and did the tyre kicking test yesterday and no some fine breaks in the tyre wall. So a new tyre organised for today. In keeping with my normal thrifty approach to life, when asked what sort of tyre I would like I specified cheap. It's worth looking at them regularly though. Tyres that is.

 

[Nabsim]

I have normally gone for tyres that suit the vehicle I am driving, the way I am likely to use it and places I am wanting to go with it. Once a tyre fitted those three then I would probably buy the best value tyre.

On the van I only have the choice of two tyres from conti due to back axle load rating. Condition and pressures is more important than brand in most instances, if you can get a suitable tyre cheap then I can’t see the problem myself so long as it meets the criteria I mentioned first.

It’s down to individual preferences really like most things in life

 

[Tezza33]

I normally go for middle of the range tyres for value but my van failed the MOT yesterday with bulges on both rear tyres, looking at the alternatives I bit the bullet and it is being fitted with Michelin Crossclimates today, £118 each including fitting, balancing etc. but they might be the last tyres I buy

 

[shaunr68]

£118 each including fitting, balancing etc. but they might be the last tyres I buy

Budget brand could be the last tyres you buy too, but for a different reason

Following this thread with interest as I bought the Frankia recently and on inspection the tyres are 10 years old. Tons of tread, but they're getting binned as soon as possible!

Cheers

 

[daygoboy]

I change my own tyres, this is what I found when I deflated and
depressed the side walls, premium brand tyres. This tyre still had
7mm of tread left @ 70k miles. I don't put it down to age either, as I've stated
on the sister forum my guess is that it's constant front wheel stressing at sharpish turns
and many, many, many French roundabouts!
This delamination/cracking couldn't readily be detected on the inflated tyre, the MOT
mech. passed them.

 

[colinm]

I normally go for middle of the range tyres for value but my van failed the MOT yesterday with bulges on both rear tyres, looking at the alternatives I bit the bullet and it is being fitted with Michelin Crossclimates today, £118 each including fitting, balancing etc. but they might be the last tyres I buy

I've got some on one of my Suzi's, now they are available in van sizes they are on the short list next time I need to buy tyres.
I've brought cheap twice, both times when I was a lot younger and had little spare cash, both times I regretted it.

 

[Nabsim]

In cars I always found Michelin’s to be a bit hard so they gave decent mileage but that means less grip. I always seem to get tracking on white lines when overtaking. Not checked what is fitted on new car but last one had Bridgestones which were good. Drive a car completely differently to the van though and very light.

 

[Deleted member 12539]

I normally go for middle of the range tyres for value but my van failed the MOT yesterday with bulges on both rear tyres, looking at the alternatives I bit the bullet and it is being fitted with Michelin Crossclimates today, £118 each including fitting, balancing etc. but they might be the last tyres I buy

If I could afford it, I would also fit Michelin Cross Climate tyres to all 6 wheels. I could rotate the tyres as and when needed.
I had four of them fitted to a Vauxhall Meriva one winter, at just over £400, and they worked really well on fresh snow. I don't know what they would be like in the mud though.

 

[Tezza33]

If I could afford it, I would also fit Michelin Cross Climate tyres to all 6 wheels. I could rotate the tyres as and when needed.
I had four of them fitted to a Vauxhall Meriva one winter, at just over £400, and they worked really well on fresh snow. I don't know what they would be like in the mud though.

When I bought the van new in 2002 it came from the factory with MichelinX CampingCar tyres, hopeless on wet grass, light snow and mud, I never tried them in deep snow because I couldn't get past the fresh light snow to get to any :lol-053:, they were long lasting though but I replaced them with Hankook Winter tyres which have been great on snow, wet grass and mud, even on ice it felt more stable, I will post my findings on mud with the new ones

 

[colinm]

If I could afford it, I would also fit Michelin Cross Climate tyres to all 6 wheels. I could rotate the tyres as and when needed.
I had four of them fitted to a Vauxhall Meriva one winter, at just over £400, and they worked really well on fresh snow. I don't know what they would be like in the mud though.

Don't think they will turn a Motorhome into a mud plugger.
But on my Suzi, when I had one axle with Cross Climate's and the other with Conti Premium Contact's I would need to lock the centre diff in very slippery mud, with Cross Climate's all round have never needed to lock the centre diff.

 

[daygoboy]

Be interesting to carry out a blind test. My guess is most motorhome owners
wouldn't notice subtle differences in tyre brands even specific types. Don't most
of us drive our vans well within their general capabilities tyre grip, braking included. A bit less
grip with one make of tyre over another would probably hardly be noticed in what is
a fairly crudely constructed vehicle, essentially a utility delivery van. You just adjust
your driving to suit maybe hit the bend 2mph slower!

Now at the other end of the scale a sports type motorbike is a different proposition altogether,
it's prime purpose is to exploit the potential of a tyre, even if most of us don't in reality.

 

[caledonia]

I use my van all year round so I always fit mid range winter tyres. Last set I fitted were Kumho winter tyres and have been excellent in snow and mud. Will probably get 25,000 miles out them with regular corner to corner swapping. Not even the beast from the east could stop getting out.

 

[antiquesam]

I also use the van all year round and always go for cheap van tyres. I don't go fast and have never got into trouble, but then I used to drive Sprinters for a living and my employer always bought cheap and more often than not didn't change the tyres for winter runs through Germany. You just don't drive like a prat.

 

[colinm]

You just adjust
your driving to suit maybe hit the bend 2mph slower!

I don't go fast and have never got into trouble, ... You just don't drive like a prat.

Twice t'other week I was cruising at a leisurely pace when I had to slam the brakes on so hard the ABS activated, you can't always account for other drivers, in one of the incidents I would possibly have just clipped the rear of the car which pulled out in front of me if the tyres had a little less grip, even a no insurance job will have some cost and hassle which outweighs the additional costs of getting the best grip tyre, if it had been an insurance job the cost and hassle (even with NCB protection) would far outweigh the cost of a set of tyres, as it was we just carried on with just a few swearwords from me, gf complaining she had a sore spot on shoulder from seatbelt, and some sorting out of cupboards when we stopped.

 

[daygoboy]

Twice t'other week I was cruising at a leisurely pace when I had to slam the brakes on so hard the ABS activated, you can't always account for other drivers, in one of the incidents I would possibly have just clipped the rear of the car which pulled out in front of me if the tyres had a little less grip, even a no insurance job will have some cost and hassle which outweighs the additional costs of getting the best grip tyre, if it had been an insurance job the cost and hassle (even with NCB protection) would far outweigh the cost of a set of tyres, as it was we just carried on with just a few swearwords from me, gf complaining she had a sore spot on shoulder from seatbelt, and some sorting out of cupboards when we stopped.

If you had a little less grip you'd go just a just a bit more leisurely!
If you had a lot less grip you'd go even slower, that's the point
I was making, everything within the capability of the tyres you
happen to be on.
I don't know if there was anything behind you but if your tyres had been
even grippier he might well have clipped you! But at least it would most
likely be his fault.

 

[caledonia]

I also use the van all year round and always go for cheap van tyres. I don't go fast and have never got into trouble, but then I used to drive Sprinters for a living and my employer always bought cheap and more often than not didn't change the tyres for winter runs through Germany. You just don't drive like a prat.

I don’t drive like a prat but I can drive with confidence in 8 inches of snow at -8 and that’s why I like fit mid range winter tyres.

 

[daygoboy]

Truth is there's a balance to struck, each one of us puts more emphasis
on certain tyre aspects than might another person.
I bought so called premium tyres yes they lasted 70k miles, but had to
be chucked because the tread was delaminating, there was still 7mm +
average across width of tread left, so obviously not ideal for my usage.
What I would hope to buy is a reasonably grippy tyre does 100k miles
plus and has 3mm of tread left before it cracks up after 12 to 15 years use.
Not something that needs discarding down to just one source of failure.

The only thing that makes me happy about is that a lot of mhomers get much
less out of their boots and have more to complain about

 

[antiquesam]

I'm driving a 24 year old brick. I do about 6k a year. I never beat 60mph and the only reason to throw tyres away is because they perish. Why buy fancy tyres that exceed the capabilities of the vehicle?

 

[colinm]

If you had a little less grip you'd go just a just a bit more leisurely!
If you had a lot less grip you'd go even slower, that's the point
I was making, everything within the capability of the tyres you
happen to be on.
I don't know if there was anything behind you but if your tyres had been
even grippier he might well have clipped you! But at least it would most
likely be his fault.

You are grasping at straws, I said I was driving leisurely, not at any proportion of the tyres grip.

 

[colinm]

I'm driving a 24 year old brick. I do about 6k a year. I never beat 60mph and the only reason to throw tyres away is because they perish. Why buy fancy tyres that exceed the capabilities of the vehicle?

At 60mph, or any speed below, stand on the brakes, if the wheels don't lock then a better tyre will be of no use to you. If on the other hand your wheels lock, like the vast majority of vans, then the tyres don't exceed the capabilities of the van.