New Tyres
Posted: Sat 14 December, 2013 Filed under: Cynicism, Domestic, Driving, Finances, Getting Organised 4 Comments »Today, the Slab has had two new front tyres, from eTyres. As I’ve written previously, I’ve done a goodly number of miles on them since getting the Slab, and I’ve no idea how long they’d been on the car before I got it.
While I’ve not noticed anything particularly wrong with the previous ones, I also don’t/didn’t trust them as much as I should. There’ve been little niggling ‘well, that doesn’t feel right‘ moments that’ve felt like momentary loss of grip – particularly at very slow speeds – and my previous history of tyre loss isn’t positive, so I decided it was time to get replacements.
For those who don’t remember, so far my tyre losses have both been fairly explosive blowouts, and both times in the outside lane of a multi-carriageway road. (It turns out I didn’t write about the second one, which was in August 2012 – I must’ve had my mind on other things!) In both cases, I can certainly tell you that adrenaline is somewhat brown.
So yes, with that kind of history when it comes to tyres failing at the most inopportune moments, I figured it was best to be pre-emptive and get them changed sooner rather than later.
The Slab is a front-wheel-drive car, so for now I’ve left the back tyres alone. (Yeah, I know, they’ll be the ones to blow now) I’ll probably change them early in the new year though – and I did get the nice man from eTyres to check them, just in case they were more chuffed than I suspected.
I’ve no idea yet whether the change will make/ have made any difference, but I certainly feel happier for having had them changed.
eTyres recommended you to install new tyres on a front wheel drive car on the front wheels?
If so, I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole because they clearly don’t know what they are doing.
Modern thinking is that new tyres should *always* be installed on the back of a front wheel drive car. Always. All the major tyre manufacturers rcommend this, as well as police safety officer teams.
But… as they are now installed like that, do be very careful on the wet and cold roads at the moment. Oversteer is *much* harder to correct than understeer if you start to slide.
Personally I’d get the wheels rotated at the first opportunity. As my Dad used to say, “There’s only a few squares inches of rubber touching the road at any one time, and that’s all there is between you and death (or someone else’s death).
No, eTyres didn’t recommend. I knew (well, was 99% sure) that my two fronts were on the verge of fucked – they were – so I got those replaced.
And I’m probably missing something, but why not put new tyres on the the fronts, when that’s where they’re needed? Google research ahoy!
OK, looked into it. I’ll get that sorted. Didn’t know anything about that!