Tyre thread, quality ones for ditchfinder prices

[forddeliveryboy]

Need new tyres? Too late - should've already bought them. I once ended up at a tyre place, and baulked at the £180 for two new Michelins the car needed and saved my wallet. Except it probably didn't in the end, they wore fast and in order to stay safe I had to reduce my speed, not good at all. 

 

I've long been a fan of unused spare wheels which have lived in the darkness under the boot, originally direct from scrapyards, now from ebay. If you use common sizes it's often easy to source Michelins, Contis, or Pirelli for a fraction of the new price. I've bought 9 year old unused tyres which weren't quite so sticky as factory-fresh ones, but if you wear off the first half mm fast, I've found them to be as good as intended. 

 

As with cheap dampers, cheap tyres ruin a car's comfort and quietness (as well as grip and handling) so I'm happy to spend half an hour extra finding some good'uns. Here's a cheapish one which fits all sorts of old and newer cars - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wheel-195-65-15-Continental-New-/282292636072?hash=item41b9f3c9a8:g:zwAAAOSw-0xYUufe and another which would do a BX driver proud - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-new-Michelin-tyre-wheel-175-65-R14/162320297197 - and another cheapish if you can be bovvered.

[New POD]

The heat cycling of a brand new tyre in a boot will change it's properties over time. I once fitted a 20 year old spare which was unused, and over 3000 miles nearly lost the car on every bend. Eventually I fitted 4 new decent tyres and it was like a different car.  

[sierraman]

Had a pair of Barums fitted this morning, very good tyre, made by Continental. £87 a pair for 205/55/16. In fact they are OE to quite a few cars now.

[ShiteRider]

I had a set of avonspeeds on my old fiesta, did 40k+ on them and still had over 3mm on them when the car had rotted away around them.

[Dave_Q]

There is just zero point buying even nearly new second hand tyres. 

 

Just go to tyreleader and filter by brand, Toyo, Kumho, Falken, etc are all fine and generally about £30-40 a corner in sensible sizes.

 

eg: https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/uniroyal/rainexpert-3/195-65-r15-91h-79592

 

This may be £10 more than the 307 spare in the first post but that tyre is dated 2011, I'd rather pay a tenner extra for actual new ones really.

 

 

I did use to struggle on buying part worns and used tyres, driving around trying to get a pair in the right size in a decent brand etc, but I've sacked all that off now and I'm strictly new tyres.

 

Every man and his taxi driver is buying partworns now and where you might have got a decent one for £20 in the past, it's now much closer to the price of new.

[Guest bangerfan101]

I'm a big fan of the unused spare wheel when I need tires. Just make sure you check them over properly.

 

I got one from a yard that looked mint. Still had bobbles from the mould on it, no cracks still holding air.

 

Couple of weeks of driving it up an down A1 to work and the valve shit itself. The entire centre brass bit delaminated from the rubber and blew clean out.

 

Scarey times doing 70 at rush hour

[sierraman]

Stopped buying part worns when Top Tread in Rotherham attempted to sell me 2 x 14 year old continental tyres, neither marked up as part worn, for £45. Just wouldn't do it now.

 

I'd much sooner take my chances on some King Meiler remoulds for about a tenner more if it really got that tight for money. You've no come back at all with a lot of these outfits selling part worns.

 

Cannot for the life of me see why taxi drivers use them, it actually costs more when you consider the tread to £ ratio.

[hpi_matrix]

My partners Yaris developed a small leak on the bead/rim, as the tyre had started to crack (ever so slightly) and was a bit worn so I thought id whack a part worn on as id have to pay to take the old tyre off to sort the problem anyway.

 

I bought a Michelin tyre for £20 delivered, unfortunately when it arrived it didn't have the age markings you see on tyres made within the last 15 years and was cracked.

The reply from the seller when I complained regarding the age issue: "There is no age limit to tyres, we are still selling cross ply for vintage cars 30 yr plus, age is not a factor when selling" 

 

In the end I got my money back (ebay purchase) and chucked the tyre in the bin.

[sierraman]

£20 delivered... another £10 to fit it... a new one can't have been FOr than £30-40 for a Yaris?

[The_Equalizer]

After having an old tire let go on me coming on the the M25 I don't bother with trying to cut corners. Decent new rubber all round end of.

[hpi_matrix]

£20 delivered... another £10 to fit it... a new one can't have been FOr than £30-40 for a Yaris?

 

Decent budget named brand would be £40 as you say. So with a part worn id save over 50%.

 

I think id still rather a half decent part worn (under 5 years old), then a no name budget. Though I'am getting to that age in life where I cant be bothered with the effort of being such a tight mingebag.

[dave21478]

I went through a phase of using part worns a lot a few years ago, and it was ok value. ish. Now though, most places are selling half-worn LickLongDongs for only ten to twenty less than Falken or Uniroyal.

Fuck that.

 

Was it someone on this forum who got all Rain Man with a spreadsheet tracking their costs on tyres and showing that part worns were actually no better value in the long run?

[Bren]

I bought two new 235/35 19" off ebay for £75 delivered. Admittedly they are chinese but what do you expect at those prices?

[overrun]

Had a pair of Barums fitted this morning, very good tyre, made by Continental. £87 a pair for 205/55/16. In fact they are OE to quite a few cars now.

 

When I needed a pair for the front of mine (235/40/18) I settled on Barum's for the above reasons. They have been on for a few thousand miles now, and although the wet grip isn't Michelin Pilot Sport level, they are still alright. I think I paid £140 the pair.

 

My dad also needed a pair of fronts in the same dimensions, the other week. His has Davanti's on, now. They seem fine.

[Mr A Lawrence]

Bought 2 X 214/45-17w XL uniglory passion tyres for the jag, £35 each + £2.50 delivery from www.camskil.co.uk.

 

Had then fitted for free at my old workplace.

 

Nice grip in the wet or dry, quiet and nice looking tyres.

[Lankytim]

I also used to be a big fan of part worns, You could get any size of premium branded tyre for £15-£25 fitted and they were never that old. Those days seem to be long over now. I once bought a set of part worns for my Citroen XM for £100 fitted- bargain. When I went to pick it up 3 were snow tyres and one was a summer, all on 3mm of tread. When I complained they managed to dig out a set of 4 summer tyres. When I had a close look the following day the fronts were feathered badly on the inside and one rear was on backwards. Frigging useless.

 

After I nearly stacked the thing on wet roundabout I had a pair of new NEXEN tyres fitted to the front, £60 delivered. One of the shit part worns that was removed had had tyre weld in it in a previous life. Never again.

 

The only time I use part worn tyres now is if I buy a scrapper and it's got nice hoops on it. Seems to be the only way of getting anything with decent tread and made this century nowadays without going new.

 

A new phenomenon I've spotted with part worn suppliers is selling worn out budget tyres. Imagine a LONGSTONE tyre on the wear bars, buffed up with tyre shine. The vendors must know they're going to end up killing someone.

[Arthur Foxhake]

My local scrapper fits and balances part worns for a tenner.

You have a choice and they don't get offended if you say no.

I've used them on vans and old beaters I drive for years, always new rubber on the family wagon though.

Wouldn't forgive myself if a dodgy ten quid tyre was to blame for a shunt involving the Mrs or little'uns.

[Parky]

I remember seeing a 2 year old top line S Class Merc at Kwik Fit having new tyres.

 

Owner was Rolex'd up, very nice suit, bespoke shoes and with a £70k plus motor must have had a few quid to splash about. However he insisted on the cheapest tyres they had (Marangoni or Arrowspeed) which he then paid for by pulling out a Mike Ashley sized stash of fifties.

 

I suppose he didn't accumulate that wealth through spending recklessly but I would have thought that thing would have been a bit of a handful in the wet on the cheapest rubber going.

[tooSavvy]

My works van has had two Landsail fitted on the front, during servicing, and... so far... in all weathers they haven't scared me/hedged it/tramlined a roundabout.

 

TS

[stephen01]

Decent budget named brand would be £40 as you say. So with a part worn id save over 50%.

 

I think id still rather a half decent part worn (under 5 years old), then a no name budget. Though I'am getting to that age in life where I cant be bothered with the effort of being such a tight mingebag.

 

Not when you factor in fitting, which @ 10 quid a tyre brings total cost up to Â£120 as opposed to £160 for a new set, bringing your saving in @ 25%. UNLESS you can get them fitted etc for free.

 

 

Had a pair of Barums fitted this morning, very good tyre, made by Continental. £87 a pair for 205/55/16. In fact they are OE to quite a few cars now.

 

Still running two Barums on the rear of the CRV, had all 4 and it was really good

[twosmoke300]

Good god - not another tyre thread !

[sierraman]

Where had they been for the last 14 years was my question? Who knows?

[Guest bangerfan101]

Around 2010 I worked for autoquake car supermarket in Leeds. The cars were all under 10 years old.

 

When they started going tits up during the recession. They were importing part worns from Germany as the legal limit there was 5mm at the time.

 

Screws in, curbed to fuck. The lot.

 

By the container load!!!

 

 

 

Went into administration and bought out by car craft I believe.....

 

 

Been in the building trade ever since

[forddeliveryboy]

I've avoided part-worns from dealers (tho' happy enough to trust them within reason on a car purchase if they pass the visual and behind-the-wheel tests) ever since one exploded on a mate's car at a typical (UK) M-way speed back in the mid-90s.

 

But, I'm prepared to put my trust in a decent make tyre if it has never been used and has been kept in the dark, limited heat cycles included. I've always removed them from the rim, had a good inspection and (I'd never thought of this before, till the failing valve was mentioned above) had a new valve, I think the oldest has been nine years. And yes, I can see how elastomers will be well past it by 20 years, although you can ruin a brand new tyre by heat-cycling it for the first time incorrectly. 

 

A 2009 top quality tyre will have hardened off a little, but not so much that it still doesn't grip better than a new Uniroyal across the board, for eg. (And more often than not, once the first mm or less has been worn away, they grip like a new one). In my experience. Having said that, Barums and BFGoodrich are blooming good cheaper tyres - a family (fwd) Volvo has a pair of Barums on the front which were almost new when the car was bought, have covered nearly 20k and still have half their tread remaining and grip reliably well wet or dry, hot or cold. I'm amazed, not sure whether it's the car (some, like VWs seem to go through tyres fast) which does seem light on tyres, like a 124 Merc, or whether these Barums are as good as (or better than) Contis, but without the grip. 

[stripped fred]

Since I discovered tyreleader on here I buy new and then get them fitted at a local polish run outfit for £10 a wheel. He proudly told me last time that he's open every day apart from Christmas day and he stays open until late. Excellent service. A good mid range tyre like uniroyal, kumho, barum etc. I also won't leave them on until they're down to the legal limit.

[wuvvum]

There is just zero point buying even nearly new second hand tyres. 

 

Just go to tyreleader and filter by brand, Toyo, Kumho, Falken, etc are all fine and generally about £30-40 a corner in sensible sizes.

 

eg: https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/uniroyal/rainexpert-3/195-65-r15-91h-79592

 

I'm looking on there for tyres for the red Rover (185/55x15).  I'm now at the bottom of page 2 and over the £40 mark and still haven't seen a tyre made by anyone I've heard of.  I think I might stick with the part worns for now...

[Dave_Q]

I'm looking on there for tyres for the red Rover (185/55x15). I'm now at the bottom of page 2 and over the £40 mark and still haven't seen a tyre made by anyone I've heard of. I think I might stick with the part worns for now...

From a quick look you can get Toyo proxes for ~£43 each or Falkens for £45.

 

I guess it depends how much you pay for your partworns and how much tread they have.

 

If I was you I'd go for 195/50/15, 1ish% difference in rolling radius but then you get your pick of mid range tyres for £35 or so, I guess maybe 185/55 isn't a very common size.

[Lacquer Peel]

I found a pair of good part worns in the woods a while ago and sold them on for £30.

 

I'd like to fit bigger wheels to my van, I think new tyres are the way to go. Would I need quite low profile tyres going from 14s to 15s?

[beko1987]

The rainexpert 3s for my zx were £45 a tyre and bloody good, if not a little fast wearing.

 

Im waiting until I can afford new rubber all round for the xantia, they last longer. I ran part words for a while, xm had part words on and I had to replace a few because they just wore down quicker.

 

Going for nice hard rubber 9n the xant so it doesn't wear down fast. I'll happily buy part works if I pop a tyre and need to get out of the shit though!

[sierraman]

I found a pair of good part worns in the woods a while ago and sold them on for £30.

 

I'd like to fit bigger wheels to my van, I think new tyres are the way to go. Would I need quite low profile tyres going from 14s to 15s?

Makes a change to finding jazz mags in the woods.