Wheely good question

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:09 pm

I got to say this but Formula 1 cars are the fastest cars in the racing world, so relatively speaking the comparison of being slowed down by a tyres grip on a normal road driven car is so minute to not be noticeable.

Now if you started to compare with tyres in say a V8 racing series or Rally driving which practically uses road standard (be them modified) cars then you can equate to tyre performance.

While we are at I am curious as to what gas is used in a formula one tyre as well.....oops now I did it.

End of the day those 4 bits of rubber are what are holding you on the road! Treat them right and make the right choices based on what you find best for you, of course on the day the tyres let go of the grab on the road you know you made the wrong choice somewhere along the chain of events! Might not be the tyres fault but your own.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:57 pm

Dollywobbler, after having read this magnificent thread where no one agrees on everything, but only on some of the points & then depending upon whether you're on a track or a road ,& what the weather is doing, what have you decided

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:49 pm

Believe it or not, somewhere in this lengthy thread, my answer does exist!

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:06 pm

Wasn't sure if you'd been tempted to change your mind.

Linegeist · Post by **Linegeist** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:01 pm

Dollywobbler wrote:Believe it or not, somewhere in this lengthy thread, my answer does exist!

If it does, then you need a bag 'o chicken bones, some voodoo juice and a ju-ju doll to bleedin' find it!

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:55 pm

Dollywobbler wrote:Well, I visited my local tyre place in the end as I was passing. Two Hankook's for £37 each fitted. I must admit, I was sceptical but then it turned really wet, and I found that the understeer has been banished! Result.

Retrieving my answer!

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:43 am

So you got two tyres? where you fitted them in the end?

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:03 pm

They were fitted to the front, hence why i started this debate

Whichever suits people i guess, personally i subscribe to the other way round, call me old fashioned

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:17 pm

How about one new tyre on the front, and the other on the diagonally opposite rear? That ought to keep everyone happy...

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:44 pm

Would that cause oversteer & once corrected you would be understeering

Probably worse than just having standard understeer, or the nasty oversteer sensation, you just wouldnt know which way to turn the steering & whether to lift off the throttle or plant it

Understeer ftw.

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:53 pm

MULLEY wrote:They were fitted to the front, hence why i started this debate Whichever suits people i guess, personally i subscribe to the other way round, call me old fashioned

Indeed you did start something.

I am curious how you would handle this situation?

BX is fitted with 175/70 two get replaced with 175/65 where would you fit the two new tyres?

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:32 pm

I'd never fit different profile sized tyres period

As it is, i dont even fit different axle set tyres either, even if they are matching pairs, i'd rather have safe predictable handling.

Imagine your'e going along motorway & suddenly there's something in your lane (e.g. a concrete block, as my mate found to his cost when he was on a scooter

) & you had to swerve violently to avoid the object. You will inevitably cause the car the car to slide, i'd rather have 4 wheel's sliding predictably which would give me a fighting chance to sort out regardless of whether the car has switched from understeer to oversteer & vice versa a few times as the car will bound to be fishtailing when doing 70mph.

Imagine mismatched tyres, even axle sets, what happens??? One set of tyres will have either less or more grip, it just means you've got a level of unpredictability which gives you less of a chance to sort out, could be the difference between having an accident & not.

For the sake of a few quid, i always have 4 matching tyres, i also regularly change the fronts to the rears to ensure that at least they are wearing at a similar rate. Bad enough in the dry, but in the wet it could cost you your life & any passengers with you.

It's bad enough not having any ABS in my txd, thats why i dont take the risk. Perhaps with abs equipped cars, the difference isnt quite so pronounced, but i still wouldnt take the risk as all the cars i've owned with or without abs, asr etc...have all had 4 matching tyres. Yes there's been a few times when i've had only matching axle sets, not my choice, but i've soon changed over as soon as funds have allowed & i've taken care in the wet as the handling has been on occassion, hopeless

I know some of the responses may say "I've been driving 30+ years & never had a problem", my response would be "Yet", it only takes one incident & thats that. Oh, i also regularly check my tyre pressures, at least every 2wks & always if i'm going on a longish journey.

One of the issues i've found with trying to keep 4 matching tyres, is that the tyre manufacturers have a very annoying habit of changing tyre models every couple of years or sooner, so it can be difficult to find a couple of tyres to match the other part worn already on the car, luckily the internet has managed to solve that issue for me.

akarso · Post by **akarso** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:41 pm

a few years ago, in my previous BX (1.9 diesel) I put winter tyres at the front, and normal at the rear. The effect was wild oversteer

Oh, when it was snowy, of course.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:38 pm

I can imagine that could be fun in the right circumstances.

I'm currently running winter tyres on all 4, & they are all matching, again i wouldnt want to mix & match winter tyres as one axle set would have not only a different tread pattern, but possibly different compounds & construction so there would be different grip levels etc....

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:46 pm

akarso wrote:a few years ago, in my previous BX (1.9 diesel) I put winter tyres at the front, and normal at the rear. The effect was wild oversteer

Oh, when it was snowy, of course.

Differant story that!