Irrational tyre views?

NoNameNoNumber

NoNameNoNumber

NoNameNoNumber

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25 Nov 2009
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The Mrs has just bought a set of S Spoke alloys for her Mini clubman... Because they're black and she wanted black 17"s on there...
My opinion is the tyres all need replacing. £260 will get a set of Uniroyal Rainsport 3s all round, 205/45/17. Currently they have

Marshall Mactrac 205/45/17 84v
Cooper Zeon 205/45/17 88w
Jinyu YU63 205/45/17 88w
Hifly HF805 205/45/17 88w

I've offered my views, she says they'll do for now but given her track record and my thoughts on mixing tyre brands across axles let alone tread depths and load ratings...
She's not short of the cash either but it does pain her to spend money.

Would you lot mind surmising her life expectancy? I think she'll die in fewer than 100 miles.

Whilst in the subject, any other suggestions besides Rainsports?

Cheers guys.
 
I find that waiting for the 'I told you so' moment is usually what it takes. Saying that, car related stuff is the only thing that my wife actually listens to me on :)
 
Four different ditch finders too. :D

The parents stuck a set of Michelin tyres on theirs (exact same car and tyre size you're looking at) and I believe they're rather decent. Can't remember which but weren't the performance or "all climates" (crossclimate?) ones you can get in that size.
 
She'll ignore almost everything I say... The collective disapproval of you lot might just have the gravitas needed to prize some cash out of her hands though :D
It'd be nice if this car didn't get bent too!
 
That's impressive, 4x different ditch finders! Not even the same set :D

I would look at the rainsport 3 or pilot sport 3/4 (usually more expensive though)
 
Wait for the inevitable 'I told you so' moment. It amazes me how people can cheap out on the only thing that is touching the road. Get some decent tyres fitted it'll make the world of difference driving it and the Uniroyals do well in the current weather we seem to be stuck with.
 
Glanza said:
Wait for the inevitable 'I told you so' moment. It amazes me how people can cheap out on the only thing that is touching the road. Get some decent tyres fitted it'll make the world of difference driving it and the Uniroyals do well in the current weather we seem to be stuck with.
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That's what I never got. Those 4 bits of rubber are literally the only thing holding your car on the road. Even if you're going to cheap out elsewhere don't do it on tyres.
 
Yep. I know nothing about Minis, but I do know, you put the best tyres you can afford on your car, unless you don't really give a **** about it, yourself, other road users, wildlife, or the people that have to come and clean up.

Unless of course, you drive like my mother, in which case, the cheapest ones will do a job. She doesn't drive in the wet or the dark. My mother wouldn't know and wouldn't care about alloy wheels though, so I'm guessing your wife ain't like my Mum.
 
Conscript said:
RIP.
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This basically.

Ultimately any tyre is adequate for it's job. Until it isn't. Those ditch finders could be the difference between successfully coming to a stop a meter away from the object you were going to hit, or piling into the back of it still doing 30ish mph. I always think this video does a good job of showing the impacts tread depth alone has on stopping distances in the wet. If you combine this with crap tyres as well it gives an idea of the kind of speed a car continues to have at the point a new set of tyres would already have you stopped.

 
Your car, tomorrow.

KBliyJD.jpg
 
Nah, don't listen to these clowns. Grab a Stanley knife and make small little cuts on all 4 tyres across the whole surface. This will improve grip and fuel economy. The only reason the manufacturers don't do this is because it's too costly, honest guv.
 
I wouldn't be comfortable with someone I care about skimping on safety like that. My partners Mini consequently only gets decent tyres, not that I'd include the over rated Rainsport in that :p
 
At least they are some of the more well known budget brands. While waiting at traffic lights I sometimes have a peek at the car next to me to see what tyres they're running and there are some god awful sounding brands out there!

If I can get my mate (who is incredibly stringent when it comes to things like this) to see sense and replace the ditchfinders on his car with decent tyres, then there is hope for your wife! Try and swing her view from total cost upfront, to cost difference over the life of the tyres, that's how I explained it to my friend and it worked. I was gobsmacked :D
 
I wouldn't even ask her if she wants to replace them, it'd be stupid not to. TELL her to sort it out, thankfully my partner listens to me when it comes to cars.

she might think they're fine until a proper emergency situation appears in front of her and then the 60-0 stopping distance increases by 30m.
 
Tyres are the only thing keeping you on the planet. Once they give way you have had it. Poor tyres stop you going around corners and stopping quickly in an emergency. Try explaining hitting a child because you couldn't stop well enough!
What the car looks like pales into insignificance when it comes to your safety.
Andi.
 
AHarvey said:
What's her driving like and where is she driving?
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Mostly commuting, some 70mph, some stop go traffic and I wouldn't call any of it spirited.

I'd prioritise all weather handling, fuel efficiency, durability and low noise over all out summer performance.

Midlands, no real adverse weather bar the odd day or two of snow and its all main roads round here anyway so almost always clear.
 
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