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Budget tyres any to avoid?


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Posted

I just remembered that the absolute worst tyres (for wet grip) I ever had were Firestone Firehawks - fitted to the silver Celeste 2000GT used as my avatar.

 

They were so hard that they lasted 40,000 miles over a 3 year period and you always knew the car would plough straight on in the wet at any reasonable speed!

 

They were replaced by Falkens just before I sold the Celeste.

Posted
I just remembered that the absolute worst tyres (for wet grip) I ever had were Firestone Firehawks - fitted to the silver Celeste 2000GT used as my avatar.

 

They were so hard that they lasted 40,000 miles over a 3 year period and you always knew the car would plough straight on in the wet at any reasonable speed!

 

They were replaced by Falkens just before I sold the Celeste.

 

I had a pair of Firestones put on my Rover 214Si in 2003, which behaved exactly the same way in the wet afterwards :o

 

Don't know how long they lasted, as I weighed the car in in 2004.

Posted

Fight fire with fire (if that is the right metaphor to use :wink: ) Ask to see the risk assessment, see if the temperature of the coffee had been measured with a suitably calibrated instrument by a 'competent person', (that's always a good'un as no-one is really sure what a competent person is - the Health and Safety at Work Act is helpfully vague in its definition) For good measure ask to check if the facilities for drinking coffee, etc, meet the requirements of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, 1992 (most important that last bit :wink:) Finally, point out that any shortcomings could result in a visit by an ambulance-chasing shyster, this is what they are really scared of :twisted:

 

As what is now an off-topic aside, I was told by one of these part-worn tyre emporia that their stock all came from Germany, where you have to replace tyres in pairs, so even if one new one is damaged, its perfectly good opposite number has to be replaced too. True or False?

Posted
As what is now an off-topic aside, I was told by one of these part-worn tyre emporia that their stock all came from Germany, where you have to replace tyres in pairs, so even if one new one is damaged, its perfectly good opposite number has to be replaced too. True or False?

 

As far as I'm aware, that's correct. The tread depth requirements are stricter, too. I think tyres are allowed a minimum of 3mm of tread before they become illegal.

 

On the subject of part-worns, I'm quite happy to have them on my cars, as long as they are in good condition and have a decent amount of tread. Indeed, TV2 has a £30 part-worn (5mm of tread) Dunlop SP on its spare wheel, my reasoning being that I'd rather not pay £60 or so for a brand new tyre which will most likely sit in the boot unused for most of its life.

Posted

It's more to do with spilling the coffee and creating a slip hazard than the temperature of the coffee.

 

Anyway, The Polo I had last year had Kwik-fit cheapies on the front - I could cope with not going around corners as fast, but I found the stopping distance alarming.

Posted

I have Firestone firehawks on the back of my Imp , lively is a good term , confidence giving does not apply

Posted
It's more to do with spilling the coffee and creating a slip hazard than the temperature of the coffee.

:oops: Not to worry, there are always unsafe floor surfaces :wink:

 

I had Uniroyal Rainmasters on the Alfa; they lived up to their name, seemed to last OK and were quite a bit cheaper than the big names :)

Posted
( except Camacs of course )

 

What's wrong with them? I've never experienced bad tyres in the dry, and I haven't driven long enough on them to notice any faults. I'll have to change them ASAP as they're really old.

Posted
I just remembered that the absolute worst tyres (for wet grip) I ever had were Firestone Firehawks - fitted to the silver Celeste 2000GT used as my avatar.

 

I'm no fan of Firestones, but they were OE on the Mk1 Focus when that came out and they worked bloody well on those. Seem to wear out very quickly and don't seem to grip too well on anything else. Crap on Capris and RWD Escorts - that's for certain.

 

I've got a set of Maxxis on the Heep at the moment, a few comedy oversteer moments when I forget I'm driving something that doesn't handle but otherwise they seem fine. Mate of mine is a Maxxis dealer (for motorbike tyres mainly) and he rates them pretty highly for a budget tyre. As he makes the same commission from them as from any other tyre he flogs I believe him. He uses 'em on his own cars too.

 

The Jag is on Contintentals (front) and P-Zeros (rear). I'm not gonna be going down the budget road with tyres for that though. That'll be getting the best set of matching part worns I can find. I'm a fair believer in part worns and despite having had a few hundred of 'em over the years I've never had a problem with 'em. Just check they're not patched to death before you buy. One patch is ok, any more and I'll look for another tyre.

Posted

I once fitted a pair of Firestones to my 2CV in the 125 width flavour. They wore out in months! I even moved them to the back in a desperate attempt to get more life out of them (Michelines tend to last a good 80,000 miles and often fall apart before wearing out on the rear) and still don't think I got a year out of them. I do drive the 2CV in a ridiculous manner, but that was still quite poor. Mind you, the Toyos that are on it now are only a couple of years old and the edges are getting low. Maybe I should corner more slowly...

Posted
I have Firestone firehawks on the back of my Imp , lively is a good term , confidence giving does not apply

 

Oh shit... I have put them on the back of my SD1, but as I am nearly a pensioner they only need to be safe up to 35 mph :evil:

Posted
Federal are to be avoided at all costs. Some people rate Vredstein tyres but they're on my shitlist too.

 

What's wrong with Federal? Do you mean all their tyres or just budget ones? I've been considering some RS-Rs which seem to get good reviews.

 

I expect it was their budget ones I had but they won't be getting a second chance with me.

 

Cheers.. Still not made a decision. Not sure if to replace 2 or all 4 and then whether I should 'risk' mixing different brands front to back. The 595 RS-Rs seem to get very good reviews supposedly suit my car quite well. Cheap too, but unlike many do want something super grippy and willing to pay for it.

Posted

I would avoid anything with an obviously Chinese name, Champiros and Fate-Os.

 

I bought some Avons recently, they are still made in England so can't be that bad, were quite a bit cheaper than the Goodyear Excellences that were OE fit (mondeo Mk4). Land Rovers all seem to be on Bridgestone Dueller ATs round here and a friend has just put a set of 4 on his SWB Series II (fitted with a 200tdi engine) that cost £650....

 

Continental and Michelin used to have separate mid range brands, can't for the life of me remember either of the names :roll: .

Posted

 

Cheers.. Still not made a decision. Not sure if to replace 2 or all 4 and then whether I should 'risk' mixing different brands front to back. The 595 RS-Rs seem to get very good reviews supposedly suit my car quite well. Cheap too, but unlike many do want something super grippy and willing to pay for it.

 

I would have thought as long as they are paired on each axle, they should be fine (if your vehicle is not 4WD).

 

Tyre specialists always advise to put the 'best' - be that the better brand, thicker thread, grippier or whatever - on the back.

Posted
As what is now an off-topic aside, I was told by one of these part-worn tyre emporia that their stock all came from Germany, where you have to replace tyres in pairs, so even if one new one is damaged, its perfectly good opposite number has to be replaced too. True or False?

 

As far as I'm aware, that's correct. The tread depth requirements are stricter, too. I think tyres are allowed a minimum of 3mm of tread before they become illegal.

 

 

 

I don't think you are allowed to repair punctures in Germany either, so good tyres get exported to more shite-friendly countries and then repaired.

Posted

Crumbs, maybe if they spent less time worrying about tyres and more time worrying about haircuts, the Germans wouldn't look so absurd on holiday.

Posted
I would avoid anything with an obviously Chinese name, Champiros and Fate-Os.

 

Fate - Os are comically bad. I would never trust a tyre with a brand name better suited to emo breakfast cereal. Similarly, I don't know why anyone thought a massive car conglomerate named after a conifer was a good idea.

 

Mark (Halifax) bought his NA diesel Xantia with Fate - Os fitted. It would have trouble pulling a greased stick out of a pig's arse and yet every roundabout tackled above 25 mph induced yards of howling understeer. It didn't help that the spheres had locked solid, we had two pushbike frames in the back and that I was recovering from gastroenteroitis, either......

Posted

I will endeavor to take a photo of the "Goodstone" tyres fitted to the set of Cosmics I bought a little while ago. Reckoning is they probably have the worst aspects of Good Years and Fire/Bridgestones all combined into one horrendous package. If they were in better condition I'd use them, after painting the lettering white.

Posted

When I bought my Rover 214Si in summer 2000, it was fitted with Sime tyres on the back, which are Malaysian in origin but based on old Continental technology. They were quite good, but I haven't seen them since.

Posted

Fate Os are Argentina's revenge for a little spat we had in 1982.

 

If anybody gets offered NOS 'Armstrongs', bear in mind they are a Ford Rapid Fit own brand that haven't been made since about 2001.

Posted

 

Cheers.. Still not made a decision. Not sure if to replace 2 or all 4 and then whether I should 'risk' mixing different brands front to back. The 595 RS-Rs seem to get very good reviews supposedly suit my car quite well. Cheap too, but unlike many do want something super grippy and willing to pay for it.

 

I would have thought as long as they are paired on each axle, they should be fine (if your vehicle is not 4WD).

 

Tyre specialists always advise to put the 'best' - be that the better brand, thicker thread, grippier or whatever - on the back.

 

Yeah I think I was aware of the 'best on the back' regardless of driven wheels. The different brands on axles is part of me wanting the best for the car in terms of handling etc, and part of me wanting it to look right rather than have different tread patterns etc.

Posted
Fate Os are Argentina's revenge for a little spat we had in 1982.

 

If anybody gets offered NOS 'Armstrongs', bear in mind they are a Ford Rapid Fit own brand that haven't been made since about 2001.

 

Kwik-Fit Centaur Supreme 2000s FTW! Or not.

Guest Leonard Hatred
Posted
Yeah I think I was aware of the 'best on the back' regardless of driven wheels

 

Why's that? To avoid lift off/snap oversteer in a FWD car?

Posted
When I bought my Rover 214Si in summer 2000, it was fitted with Sime tyres on the back, which are Malaysian in origin but based on old Continental technology. They were quite good, but I haven't seen them since.

 

Hey, I remember those, they were pretty good! Roadhog was another budget brand that was OK but has since disappeared.

Posted
When I bought my Rover 214Si in summer 2000, it was fitted with Sime tyres on the back, which are Malaysian in origin but based on old Continental technology. They were quite good, but I haven't seen them since.

 

Hey, I remember those, they were pretty good! Roadhog was another budget brand that was OK but has since disappeared.

 

I remember Roadhogs being advertised in "Fast Ford" magazine in the 1990s, but I never actually saw them on a car. The brand had a pretty nifty logo which depicted a red hedgehog on wheels :P

Posted

When I bought my Ford Cougar many moons ago it had Kumhos on it. They wore down extremely quickly, so I tried a 'premium' brand (Goodyear) to try and eke out more miles from a set of tyres. It worked, and the handling was transformed - the car almost felt competent.

 

In conclusion, Kumhos seem shit on circa year 2000 Ford faux-sports cars.

 

I've also tried Yokohamas and Uniroyals on various shonky SEATs over the years and they seem pretty good - not TOO dear, grip well, last a long time and (crucially, given the weather round my way) disperse water in a meaningful way.

 

I tried all kinds of tyres on a Pug 106 1.4 diseasel I used to have. None improved things even slightly. The car remained unremittingly shit.

Posted
Yeah I think I was aware of the 'best on the back' regardless of driven wheels

 

Why's that? To avoid lift off/snap oversteer in a FWD car?

 

It's basically cos slippy front = understeer / easy to control. Slippy back = oversteer / backwards into a hedge / central res / old people & children waiting for a bus. That's the theory, anyway. There's a 10000007 page thread on RR about it IIRC, full of people who are apparently "published tyre-scientist"s all measuring their cocks at each other.

Posted

A tyre fitter once recommended to me that I put the better pair of tyres on the back of my (FWD) car. His reasoning was that you 'feel' whether the front tyres are on their last legs through the steering. Putting the better tyres on the back supposedly means that the ones you can't 'feel' so well are always going to grip better, and so are less likely to catch you unawares.

Posted

Happy to report that the Semperit on one side, Vredestein on the other side used tyre combo is win. After last week's Elgin trip, and today's high-speed Aberdeen trip; all is well. Stacks of grip on the twisty bits, and ok on economy too.

Not sure about this 'better tyres on the back' thing: given that my rear pairs outlast my fronts 2 or 3:1, I'd reckon that the better ones need to be on the front, on an FWD chassis. There's obviously more work going on there, so that's where the best advantage should go.

Better still, have 4 good tyres on there; I quite like feeling what all 4 of them are doing...

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