165/65/14 and 165/70/14

[Way2go]

I know you've got 2 wheels on the front RxBx but why do you keep posting in "stereo" ?

[DavidRutherford]

You can have 65 to the Front and 70 to the rear but not 70 front and 65 rear (commonsense really)

For RWD cars perhaps, but not necessarily for FWD. For many years DS's (and possibly early CX's) left the factory with smaller rear tyres...

I would rather have the standard sized tyre to the front and the larger at the rear even in a FWD.

Indeed, many CX's (right up to late MK1's) have 195/70 R14's on the front and 185/70 R14's on the rear.

[Aerodynamica]

For RWD cars perhaps, but not necessarily for FWD. For many years DS's (and possibly early CX's) left the factory with smaller rear tyres...

I would rather have the standard sized tyre to the front and the larger at the rear even in a FWD.

Indeed, many CX's (right up to late MK1's) have 195/70 R14's on the front and 185/70 R14's on the rear.

-Isn't it 185s front and 175s rear - fairly sure that's what the S1s have.

I quite like it for a novelty point of view but it's annoying where you only have one tyre to change or where you want to even out the life of the rears by swapping them to the front. Often these cars end up with the front tyres being changed frequently and the rears staying on for eons - not wearing down much but aging quite a bit.

The original BX Mk1 tyres were an odd size too: 165s but they had an oddly low or high (can't recall) profile that is no longer available. I heard once that if a car is not fitted with the manufacturer's spec. tyres that it was illegal? but if that's true and the odd sized Michelins for BX Mk1s are unavail, then are all BX Mk1s illegal?

[MULLEY]

I always drive cars with 4 matching tyres, safety is more important than saving a couple of quid on non matching tyres. At the very least i would have matching axle sets, but again would hope to have similarish tread patterns & ideally the same manufacturer.

The main problem i've noticed with non matching sets (2 out 3 of my bx's) is that the tyres were shit brands & in the wet they were bloody lethal, never again....

Another issue, is that quite often when a/couple wear out, guess what? yup, the replacement tyres of the same type are no longer made, so you have to buy the newer model replacement & they always have a different tread pattern The only way i've found is to search the internet to see if anyone has some of the old versions available.

Tyres is an issue i have a particular problem with, people quite regularly come & show me their new car (normally 2nd hand), all ranging in price, some quite expensive £8.5k & the 1st thing i check is what tyres are on them.

Without exception, i cant remember seeing many that even had matching axle sets & some even came from dealers. Fair enough, if you're driving 30mph then it doesnt really matter, but higher speeds it does, different makes, compounds, tread patterns, erm no thanks.

No one seems to think of safety, "well the car does have abs, asc, dsc & other gubbins", but if the tyres are different then the cars handling, grip levels on each tyre are different, so you can't avoid, or slow down as fast as having 4 matching tyres, could be the difference in having an accident or not......

[kiwi]

The main problem i've noticed with non matching sets (2 out 3 of my bx's) is that the tyres were shit brands & in the wet they were bloody lethal, never again....

No one seems to think of safety, "well the car does have abs, asc, dsc & other gubbins", but if the tyres are different then the cars handling, grip levels on each tyre are different, so you can't avoid, or slow down as fast as having 4 matching tyres, could be the difference in having an accident or not......

Well I do consider Safety with Tyres I see to many accidents not to take into consideration safety. I run two cars at present with differing brands front to rear and have not had any dramas with that mix at all. I have come across certain brands that simply dont work to my driving style.

I could mention the Nitrogen being in the front and normal air to the rear but that will just cause another arguement no doubt or even that one of our Cars has M+S on the rear tyres.

Trouble is they are legal that way and so is running down to 1.5mm of tread in NZ compared to 1.6mm then could mention that at 4mm in winter and 3mm in summer is the point I biff the tyres anyway.

Slicks dont stick!!!

[DavidRutherford]

Indeed, many CX's (right up to late MK1's) have 195/70 R14's on the front and 185/70 R14's on the rear.

-Isn't it 185s front and 175s rear - fairly sure that's what the S1s have.

Maybe there was a change from early MK1's with 185 / 175, and then later ones have 195 / 185. I couldn't be bothered with that, and so am now running about with a matched set on (well, roughly matched anyway), but will change it back when I can.

Whilst I'm not to worried about having matching tyre brands or the like on a car, I do try to avoid nasty cheap tyres. I'd rather have 1 Michelin, 1 Pirelli, 1 Dunlop and 1 Uniroyal than a complete matched set of rubbish.

Speaking of which... Uniroyals. Now there's a remarkably good tyre.

[kiwi]

Whilst I'm not to worried about having matching tyre brands or the like on a car, I do try to avoid nasty cheap tyres. I'd rather have 1 Michelin, 1 Pirelli, 1 Dunlop and 1 Uniroyal than a complete matched set of rubbish.

Speaking of which... Uniroyals. Now there's a remarkably good tyre.

While I agree with you that having a complete set of rubbish tyres is worse than having differing tyre brands on each axle (matching front and matching rear) I do stop when you say 1 off each. Which is actually illegal to mix and match in that way cheap or not they can cause problems.

I had a set of Goodyear Ducaros on the front my BX and depite being told they were a "good" tyre they were crap in the wet or loose chip at low speed. My driving ended up compensating for them! Having the Tracking out a couple degrees probably did not help with wear either.
I shudder to think of what 4 of them would have handled like.

The Pair of FirestoneTZ100 on the front now are great probably because they are new and expensive really so they better last longer as I will be needing to replace the michelins to the rear soon. Matching compounds for all 4 corners is important! Trouble is compounds is something joe public is it told.

[kiwi]

Good Example of incorrect tyre mixing and the result! Ok so the road was a bit icy but this was the only vehicle to come unstuck.

Why do you think that was?