ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I'm in the mood for good rant so here goes ....

I currently own a banger to use everyday - Nissan Sunny. Now this car came with Road Champ tyres fitted.

In the dry it handles very well, you can chuck it about with no problems.

In the wet its the opposite story...it is positively lethal, I previously owned a Polo which had the same problems. I originally thought it was the car, but, it had the same brand of tyres, so now I know where the fault lies.

<rant>
How on earth can the goverment and road safety experts etc. allow tyre manufacturers to produce tyres which are in effect lethal to use in the wet?

I don't just mean a little slide here and there, I'm talking wheelspin in 3rd gear with a 1.3 engine!!! Massive understeer, and poor braking are also big problems.

It baffles me how little grip these tyres give in the wet, I've had more grip in snow on decent tyres on occasions.

Surely if the road safety campaigners want to increase saftey, its banning manufacturers selling tyres that give poor levels of adhesion in the wet. I mean tyre companies are playing with lives here!

What is worst is the general public too, who think a tyre is a tyre and will go to kwik fit and demand the cheapest tyre ignorant to the fact that they are a load of crap.

Currently, most accidents are blamed on speed or bad driving, but, if these accidents were in the wet with cars fitted with cheap brand tyres. I'm sure that it could have been avoided with decent brand tyres that give good levels of grip in the wet.

<rant off>

btw The tyres on my car were on it when I bought it, and I intend to get some decent ones.

[Edited by ALi-B - 9/23/2003 9:22:11 PM]

Marky-San

totally agree with your points.

I mistakingly let my mum put 2 new tyres on the rear of FWD 626 Coupe whilst I went to work, thinking she would get good ones....... er no, Kwik Fit put on these tyres that cost about £70 a piece (this was about 6 yrs ago) - never heard of the make of them. Anyway that night I was driving over to the birds in some light rain, went round a roundabout and the back end just broke loose and spun the car. The guy behind me got out and said I need to go easy with a rwd in the wet - his face dropped when I said it was fwd.

The tyres where the ones that probably would do 40K - they were so hard and would probably hardly ever wear, of course grip was none existant as a result. Next day, off they came and my grip problem vanished with it. Cant remember the name of them, but they were truely awful!!

Change them is the best action.

Tim-Grove

I've thought this in the past, isn't there any sort of standard these tyre companys have to adhere too(Excuse the pun).

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I think there is, but it's obvious that it's not strict enough or specific for our (uk) climate (i.e wet most of time )

damian666

Really wish I could buy cheap tyres now and again - for the motorbike that is. Its £135 for a rear - the cheapest tyres are about £80-90.

How can you donut etc on an expensive tyre must be made of money some of these guys!!!

Damian
ps. Glad tyres for bikes are so good. 1WD here folks!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Did a quick web search....
And the only regulation I could find that tyre manufacturers need to adhere to is the tead depth and load/speed ratings and "e" approval crap

Also all I could find on "tyre safety" is the above and the usual stuff on pressures, cuts, wear etc.
And also tripping over documents blaming speed as the cause od accidents, well everbody travels at speed, so unless your stationary - speed is going to be a factor

I'm off again I shut up before I end up going off on another rant

BOB.T

I don't think folk realise just how important tyres are, they just see them as another expense You could have Ohlins' finest suspension set up on your car but it still isn't gonna handle with Honest Abdul tyres on it

Mr.Manchester

Ali B, i agree, i had road champs on my first car and smahed it up in the wet under complete understeer on a roundabout!

now i use federal or hankook for budget tyres, excellent in the wet and better in the dry

M J B

Is it for sale?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

£70 and its yours

I'm serious!

johnfelstead

the really sad thing is legislation is making tyres less safe.

There are now rules in place that limit tyre grip to reduce road noise, noise is more important aparantly!

This is probably why the SO2 PP isnt made anymore, as it wont meet current EU sound legislation because it is too grippy/noisy.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise...t/25062001.htm

[Edited by johnfelstead - 9/24/2003 1:12:48 AM]

TaviaRS

John, I can still get S02s for mine (225/45 17)

johnfelstead

they old stock or being made new?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I also read somewhere that some MP's are campaigning for tyres that have less rolling resistance and thus save fuel, but if I'm right - that is at the expense of grip

ScoobySnack

Lack of SO2's is a real pain for my other car...... They now say use SO'3 but reports are they are not the same.....

Now down to 3.5mm on SO2's . Better make it last........



J