OccyVRS

Completely true, and perhaps speaks to the attitudes of some (such as those willing to fit discs from a breakers yard). Maybe it's something they choose to do, however I definitely don't feel the same. As with everything, it depends where you get part-worn tyres from. Certainly, in my experience, the only part-worn tyre places I've seen aren't exactly main dealer certified. I stand by everything I said - if you MOT/tax/insure/service/fuel a car, then there is no excuse to be fitting sub standard tyres. On a soaking wet, pitch black motorway, it is far better to know your life is riding on quality, good condition rubber, than anything else. Having been on a response shift a few months ago and seen what was left of someone at an RTC after a heavily-worn tyre failed and put him into a motorway barrier at 80mph, I couldn't possibly accept the idea of part-worn tyres, or an other safety equipment. As I said before, if I had my way, I'd ban part-worn tyres, except for those that are somehow certified/approved and guaranteed to be sound. There is no argument in which financial or environmental factors justify an increase to the risk of a fatality. For those that still argue otherwise please, come on a shift and see firsthand for yourself. After a few days with the RPU I guarantee you'll change your tune. As @Ootohere says, time has moved on. Cheap tyres are cheaper, cars are heavier, speeds are higher and maintenance is often worse. Don't risk it. On a happier note - while at uni a few years ago, I worked part time with a detailer. We mainly did supercars, with the likes of Lambo/Ferrari/Porsche/McLaren/etc being commonplace. Most of the cars had £500 a pop Michelin Cup 2 or whatever on them, but there was this one guy (crypto millionaire, no clue about cars aside from their status, really) that would run the cheapest tyres possible. I'll never forget seeing a 325/35R22 unknown brand on a £500,000 Mansory Urus... the mind boggles. Mind you, this was the guy that would floor his brand new Purosangue (one of the first in the UK) in December, on a cold start, after just turning it on. He put it into a wall a few months later - something about the tyres on a RWD-bias 700bhp V12 not being warm. Says all you need to know, really.

And I think that there is the difference. Years ago you were far less likely to pick up a “bad tyre” - times have changed, and in the automotive world people are far more exploitative. That’s not to mention cars are heavier. You’re all entitled to your opinion - that’s the joy of the internet. There have been disagreements before and there will be disagreements again. Certainly, you all seem to have missed my point. I am not saying part-worn tyres are bad. Indeed, there’s nothing wrong with them! I am saying that due to so many factors, there is a much higher chance of you picking up tyres that are in some way defective or compromised. Of course, the front tyres from a brand new rear-ended car are fine - but how do you know they’re from that and not sat in someone’s shed for 15 years? Maybe I’m more fortunate than some of you. Given the multitude of expenses that cars require, I just don’t think the benefit of saving £50 outweighs the potential risk. OP - sounds like you understand my point. Uniroyal are perfectly suitable tyres (owned by Michelin). Apologies for hijacking your thread.

My tyres haven't been subject to abuse, mistreatment, long periods of sitting, chemicals, damage or whatever else happens to some part-worn tyres. By their very nature, they are safety critical items that are consumable/perishable - buying them without any knowledge of their history and condition (beyond what you can see) is not a sensible idea. As per my previous comment, do you buy part-worn brake discs, pads, clutches, spark plug or other such consumable items? You yourself are driving with part-worn components, so why not go to a breakers yard the next time your Yeti needs discs? If you phoned up a dealership and asked for a part-service, you know what the answer would be. In the day of easy credit (although that has ended now), there is no excuse for not being able to "afford" new tyres, if you can afford an MOT, tax, insurance, service, fuel and whatever else needed to run a car. As before, tyres are a safety critical item that, if fail, can impact others beyond yourself. This is of course not to mention the elephant in the room - these part-worn tyres, where do they come from? From other people's cars, yes? So why did they change them... It goes back to a previous comment - just because a tyre is legal, does not mean it is safe. The only reason for part worn tyres to exist, is retread examples for use on commercial vehicles, that have a far thicker tread/carcass than passenger car tyres.

Squealing is the result of contamination, or a knackered braking system (glazed, worn, etc). Grinding is the result of, well, something grinding! As other have said, dust shield could be the culprit. Although, given you've already had issues with that caliper, it could also likely be a stuck piston or that the caliper needs some lubrication! BTW - hooked/grooved discs are a waste of time. Outgassing is not an issue anymore, and all grooves/holes do is create weak spots and actually reduce braking contact area. Race cars use drilled/hooked and grooved pads for heat dissipation and to brake more efficiently by 'cleaning' the pads. The grooves on the disc eat the pads whenever you brake, and this might actually be the cause of the grinding (yes I know yours are hooked, however it's the same principle).

Driving my car back to the dealer for a return with £20 part-worn Linglong's was an eye-opening experience. I don't think I crossed 55mph the entire time, and driving through the soaking wet countryside (thanks M25 closure) was actually quite unpleasant. Without wishing to come across poorly - if you can't afford new tyres, I don't think you can afford to run a/the car. They are a safety critical item and if a part-worn tyre fails, it is not just your own life that you are putting at risk. I look at it this way - you don't buy part-worn clutches, wipers or brakes, do you? Part-worn tyres often have "lots of life left in them", but so do part-worn brake discs, pads and every other consumable on a car. Ultimately, you might find some part-worn tyres that are in great condition! I have personally sold a couple surplus tyres that had nothing wrong with them - but, you might not be so lucky. Those four tyres are the one thing between you and the road. You don't see part-used parachutes, lifeboats or helmets! Do you really want to gamble your life by saving £40 per corner? I know I don't.

In theory the ABS/TPMS systems would be fine, but you might have some issues with TC and wheel speed sensors. I'm not sure exactly, but 245 you might be into arch-rub territory. Similarly, 245 all round might be okay, but unless you can be sure of telling the car about it, I'd be wary of introducing a staggered setup - especially one that's larger on the rear. The largest tyres you can really do are 255/265, and these are on MQB track cars with modified suspension. I mentioned this recently on another post. Skoda will have done type ratings on the Octavia with tyres from 185/60R15 (or whatever the smallest size is) right up to 225/35R19. You will probably have no issues going to 235 (lot's of people do it), but you would still need to inform insurance. Going up to 245 and above is a different story.

Ignoring the clearances, dropping to a 30 profile on the front is closer than a 35 is (1.7% vs 2.1%). Going from 225 to 235 is fine, realistically. Insurance and others might have issues with you going to a 245 or 255. That aside, I can understand increasing the size on the front tyres to increase traction, but why the rear? Personally, if you're willing to compromise that much on fitment, etc, I'd go ahead and stick some PS4S on there. Looking at some other places, unless you're running some platform mods, you might have issues. This is of course not to mention that an RS3 comes with 265 on the front and 245 on the rear - wider tyres on the back really aren't going to do anything IMO, especially with the hardly complex rear suspension on MQB cars.

We've got plenty Octavias and Fabias - anyone with a Superb fancy joining? @travs there's a fair few of us near you :)

Correct. I was (badly) explaining that the reason increasing the size of the master cylinder will increase the braking force is that, with a smaller cylinder, moving the pedal 1cm will move a given amount of fluid. Whereas, with a larger cylinder, moving the same pedal 1cm will now move more fluid, with more force being required to shift this. This also leads to a shorter pedal travel, if the piston size isn't changed, as a larger cylinder will push more fluid into the piston faster. TLDR - the ratio of the master cylinder piston size (cross section) to the caliper piston is the mechanical advantage. Hence, why the two always need to be paired.

I was meaning about the increase in brake diameter (the ABS system)! That is true, and certainly from 288mm to 312mm not necessary, but for jumping up to anything larger (E.G. to GTI 340mm) you'd need the larger bore to move more fluid into the larger piston in the larger caliper. Otherwise though you are correct, although I would add that the pedal travel would also be shorter. With all this in mind, that's why you increase the cylinder size when you increase brake diameter, as the two interact. You are partly right about the reduction in braking force - increasing the m/c size means that when you press the pedal 1cm, you are now moving more fluid. Hence, it takes more force to move more fluid through the system. In theory, it would require a similar level of effort, to achieve similar levels of braking. Certainly, unless you remove the booster, this won't really be noticeable. In improving pedal feel, your best bets are usually disc size (generally won't do much unless its a significant difference), pad material and brake line (changing out saggy OE hoses for stainless steel, or the like).

Yes, although I was meaning more factors such as the difference in wet braking distance with fresh vs worn tyres.

Then change them! Tyres are the one contact point between a vehicle and the road - so, not only are they critical for handling, but they are one of the most important factors in safety. Most manufacturers recommend replacing tyres 5-6 years, with a 10 year limit being for safety. Seventeen years old is long overdue for a change. You wouldn't catch me driving on tyres that old above 40mph. What do you mean by the markers exactly? Depending on the brand, some tread wear markers are at 3mm, whilst some are right down to 1.6mm. Just because a tyre is legal does not mean it's safe. Of course, that depends on where the car is going (certainly I'd be inclined to change the tyres on a daily motorway car much sooner than a town car). 185/60R14 is quite a common size, so there's lots to choose from. Anything from Conti, Falken, Yoko, Hankook (even Toyo) is worth a look at. Judging by the sounds of it (please correct me if wrong), I would suggest getting the cheapest thing with a brand on it, and call it a day. Certainly, if your dad is getting 17 years from a tyre, I would imagine cornering grip and braking performance aren't of the biggest concern. FYI - I was always told that the only acceptable cracking (not that there really is any) is on the blocks of the tyre. Anything sidewall or carcass, replace. Certainly, cracking on anything suggests that there is likely other issues in the carcass of the tyre.

You won't be able to check the pads when they're in the caliper and the discs are on - beyond how much meat is on them, anyway. Fluid change would be welcome, but I doubt that will change the braking feel significantly. FYI - a lot of people trust Brembo, and choose them for pads in circumstances like this. That's fine, but make sure you get actual Brembo, rather than the ECP made-in-China-under-licence-for-a-lot-less Brembi.

Yep - put the power mirrors in a box and got Powerflex mounts/bushings all round 😂 I will return to the mirrors one day. I don't care that they don't fold (I park in car parks about once every fortnight anyway), but I'd like to be able to visually see when my car is locked, like my 2016 Leon, 2011 A3, 2008 Focus - you know, every non-base model car built in the last twenty years! I loathe the mind of the original owner, that ordered the digi dash, ACC/DCC, etc, but left out folding mirrors and heated seats...

Resetting the one touch window function just requires you to lower the window, then bring it back up, holding it for ten seconds or so. That said, IIRC, the convenience opening still works if one of the windows has an out of sync end stop (one touch). Is convenience opening still selected on your infotainment? It seems unlikely the windows would stop working for one touch - have you had a battery change/update recently?

If they'll even sell it to you. They refused to order me in some door modules for power fold mirrors once I told them my car didn't have from factory. "Sorry, it has to be optioned from factory, or we cannot authorise it".

Para facilitar las cosas, todas las publicaciones en el foro deben estar en Inglés. Quizás podrías usar GoogleTranslate para ayudarte, antes de comentar? (General rule on the forum is to keep everything in English! It just makes it a bit easier down the line, for people viewing threads in years to come. Maybe you could stick your post into google translate before pressing submit?)

Different pads should give you a different feel. Something like that from Ferodo might be worth looking at. Even if the components were a straight swap, you'd still need to do caliper carriers, discs, pads and shields. Most of the smallest-braked VW cars have tiny master cylinders that need to be changed (it's a common thing on 1.4 Leon FR's when going form 288mm to 312mm). You'll also need to do the front and rear to maintain braking balance, as well as telling the car about the increase in size. Generally, upping brake size is more hassle than it's worth. The first place to start is to make sure the system is in good working order, make sure nothing is glazed/cooked/knackered, and if it still feels rubbish, then take a look at some better quality pads.

44-72035 was one of the original Red Tail (Tuskegee) aircraft. You can actually see some repairs from 1945 battle-damage behind the canopy and on the tail.

It seems to be quite difficult to arrange any sort of meet these days. Anything that comes to fruition seems to fold/be cancelled, or turns into a late-night event on an industrial estate with some less-than-savoury driving. I messaged someone on FB a few weeks ago (with a Mk3.5 Occy vRS) and we've started a small WhatsApp group with some people to try and arrange a (civilised) meet and drive. There are only about 30 of us in the group so far, but we are all keen on a low-key social meet, with a chance to talk and make some friends with like-minded people. There seems to be quite a spread from across the UK, with some people from the North East/West, some from the Midlands, stretching out to Suffolk, Bristol, Scotland, South Wales and London/South Coast. We predominantly have various generations of Occys (this is how the group started), however we have a few Fabias in there too. I'm sure some Superbs and whatever else people might have, would be welcomed too! If you don't have a Skoda currently/anymore, please still join! We currently don't have a time or place, as we are still growing and trying to find more people. We would like to find a place that is suitable for everyone, however there is also the possibility of opening it up to a few local meets, to make it accessible to all. Currently, we are keen on the idea of a nice drive, followed by a scenic backdrop for some photos and a place for coffee/food. Here is the link to the group - https://chat.whatsapp.com/IW25DAo8wTLF6MHexGnveJ We've currently got admin-approval turned on, as we've had a few scammers, so it might take a few minutes for you to be accepted. Hope to see you there :)

It seems to be quite difficult to arrange any sort of meet these days. Anything that comes to fruition seems to fold/be cancelled, or turns into a late-night event on an industrial estate with some less-than-savoury driving. I messaged someone on FB a few weeks ago (with a Mk3.5 Occy vRS) and we've started a small WhatsApp group with some people to try and arrange a (civilised) meet and drive. There are only about 30 of us in the group so far, but we are all keen on a low-key social meet, with a chance to talk and make some friends with like-minded people. There seems to be quite a spread from across the UK, with some people from the North East/West, some from the Midlands, stretching out to Suffolk, Bristol, Scotland, South Wales and London/South Coast. We predominantly have various generations of Occys (this is how the group started), however we have a few Fabias in there too. I'm sure some Superbs and whatever else people might have, would be welcomed too! If you don't have a Skoda currently/anymore, please still join! We currently don't have a time or place, as we are still growing and trying to find more people. We would like to find a place that is suitable for everyone, however there is also the possibility of opening it up to a few local meets, to make it accessible to all. Currently, we are keen on the idea of a nice drive, followed by a scenic backdrop for some photos and a place for coffee/food. Here is the link to the group - https://chat.whatsapp.com/IW25DAo8wTLF6MHexGnveJ We've currently got admin-approval turned on, as we've had a few scammers, so it might take a few minutes for you to be accepted. Hope to see you there :)

It seems to be quite difficult to arrange any sort of meet these days. Anything that comes to fruition seems to fold/be cancelled, or turns into a late-night event on an industrial estate with some less-than-savoury driving. I messaged someone on FB a few weeks ago (with a Mk3.5 Occy vRS) and we've started a small WhatsApp group with some people to try and arrange a (civilised) meet and drive. There are only about 30 of us in the group so far, but we are all keen on a low-key social meet, with a chance to talk and make some friends with like-minded people. There seems to be quite a spread from across the UK, with some people from the North East/West, some from the Midlands, stretching out to Suffolk, Bristol, Scotland, South Wales and London/South Coast. We predominantly have various generations of Occys (this is how the group started), however we have a few Fabias in there too. I'm sure some Superbs and whatever else people might have, would be welcomed too! If you don't have a Skoda currently/anymore, please still join! We currently don't have a time or place, as we are still growing and trying to find more people. We would like to find a place that is suitable for everyone, however there is also the possibility of opening it up to a few local meets, to make it accessible to all. Currently, we are keen on the idea of a nice drive, followed by a scenic backdrop for some photos and a place for coffee/food. Here is the link to the group - https://chat.whatsapp.com/IW25DAo8wTLF6MHexGnveJ We've currently got admin-approval turned on, as we've had a few scammers, so it might take a few minutes for you to be accepted. Hope to see you there :)

It seems to be quite difficult to arrange any sort of meet these days. Anything that comes to fruition seems to fold/be cancelled, or turns into a late-night event on an industrial estate with some less-than-savoury driving. I messaged someone on FB a few weeks ago (with a Mk3.5 Occy vRS) and we've started a small WhatsApp group with some people to try and arrange a (civilised) meet and drive. There are only about 30 of us in the group so far, but we are all keen on a low-key social meet, with a chance to talk and make some friends with like-minded people. There seems to be quite a spread from across the UK, with some people from the North East/West, some from the Midlands, stretching out to Suffolk, Bristol, Scotland, South Wales and London/South Coast. We predominantly have various generations of Occys (this is how the group started), however we have a few Fabias in there too. I'm sure some Superbs and whatever else people might have, would be welcomed too! If you don't have a Skoda currently/anymore, please still join! We currently don't have a time or place, as we are still growing and trying to find more people. We would like to find a place that is suitable for everyone, however there is also the possibility of opening it up to a few local meets, to make it accessible to all. Currently, we are keen on the idea of a nice drive, followed by a scenic backdrop for some photos and a place for coffee/food. Here is the link to the group - https://chat.whatsapp.com/IW25DAo8wTLF6MHexGnveJ We've currently got admin-approval turned on, as we've had a few scammers, so it might take a few minutes for you to be accepted. Hope to see you there :)

I've got a few people (myself included) from across the England, that are dead keen to try and do some sort of Skoda meet up at a track day. It's still early days (I'm trying to arrange a more general meet), however if you'd be interested, please drop a reply below and we can try to make it happen!