Summer/Winter Tyre changes

[KenONeill]

Well, on the general subject of mini compressors and pressure gauges, I have a BSI marked pen gauge, and it agrees with the pressure readout on my compressor to within 0.5PSI. I also have a foot pump with a dial gauge which has never "read right" although it is consistent.

[Steva]

18 hours ago, StickyMicky said:

 

No, the "+1" means I agree with your comments.  I've had a few mini compressors over the years and this one seems the most robust. Time will tell how long-lasting it is ...

 

Interesting BTW that Lidl can still make a profit selling the compressor in Serbia at less than £10. Either they're making an obscene markup on their UK offerings or the UK is a much more expensive place to do business.

 

It seemed to have some good reviews on the Internet too. I hope it gives me many years of service. Lidl only opened its first stores here last Thursday and the non-food specials started on Monday. The price is great but I think it's consistent and marketed accordingly with the Serbian economic situation at present. I have no doubt that it's cheaper to do business here than in the UK.

[Steva]

That's very helpful information, KenONeill--thanks for commenting.

[Steva]

One thing that I still don't get is if I use the same pump for my summer tyres and follow the same meticulous regime of checking the tyre pressures (2.2 BAR with a normal working load) each week, as I do with my winter tyres (same tyre pressure as the summer tyres with a normal working load), then why have my summer tyres not shown signs of uneven tyre wear, especially when they do triple (or more) the mileage that the winter tyres do? That I don't understand.

 

As an update, I've bought a set of Sava Esikimo HP2 winter tyres and will have them fitted, balanced and tracking done at the end of this month. I chose Sava, as I have a set of Sava UHP summer tyres and they have been excellent in all respects.

 

[KenONeill]

@Steva - From what you've said, I can only think that you need to run that brand of Winters at a higher pressure than the stated 2.2 bar. Try taking them up to 2.3 or 2.4, but no further, and see if that evens out the wear.

[Steva]

Thanks for the suggestion, KenONeill. My uneven weared winter tyres were a set of Continental TS850 and after only two seasons, I'm understandably not happy that I now have to bin them. I use the tyre pressure information on the inside of the filler cap on the car. Do you think Continental and Sava have a similar soft compound? The rolling resistance is far better in favour of the Continental than the Sava in the tests.

[KenONeill]

@Steva - I've no experience of Continental winter tyres.

 

What I can say is that the filler cap values are for OEM summers and nothing else. DIfferent makes (some of which I do have experience of) do need slightly higher or lower pressures to avoid an over or under inflation wear pattern, due to different sidewall and tread stiffness. Also, rolling resistance (actual, not Euro sticker) is more of a factor of sidewall and tread stiffness than of compound.

[Steva]

Thanks for the helpful information, KenONeill--much appreciated.

[Anddenton]

General recommendation is that winter tyres should be run 0.2 bar higher than summer tyres due to the softer compound.

[Ootohere]

'General Recommendations' are set your tyres cold in the the temperatures they will be getting used in and then getting hotter as you use them.

& go by Manufacturers recommendations or Tyre Manufacturers recommendations. Manufactures give a range of pressures for the load in the car, and you might already by running 2 or 3 psi higher for a light load for the times you have a heavy load.

As to the 2 psi higher pressure. Some might say, and others might not.

 

There are All season, Winter & Snow Tyres, and all types of weather & temperatures in winter over 24 hours or 24 weeks.

so some need to think, and consider and not go by what the 'General says',  he is not setting the tyre pressures.

http://michelin.co.uk/winter/what-pressure-in-winter-tyres

 

 

Edited 19 October, 2018 by Offski

[Gazdok]

I "overinflate" tyres on all our cars to near maximum load for an empty car and 10% or 0.2 bar over a fully loaded car and have been doing this since I went to a driver safety day - on a SII estate 2.6bar front and 3.0 bar rear. It gives a slightly harder ride but I have never had issues with tyre wear, in fact it has even helped extend a few tyres when I bought a car second hand and I noticed the same picture as Steva - wear on the edges with more tread left on the centre.

With regards to the winter tyre wear you are using a 16" winter tyre with a higher rubber side wall where there will be more flex in the sidewall compared to the 17" summer tyre. Even with XL tyres you will have to put more pressure into the 16" tyre to "stiffen" the sidewall up and not make the tyre roll over the edges on the straight but particularly when cornering.

 

[Ootohere]

? Who was running the safe driving course?  Longer wear due to less friction / traction of the surface. Some will give up saving a little on tyre wear or fuel use for better grip an handling.  Lower pressures than ECO or loaded car pressures when not loaded.     PSI / POUND PER SQUARE INCH.  I would do a little Google of ' overinflating tyres "  just to see the risks of that and why maybe cornering might feel.better. As long as braking in a corner is not required. 

Edited 4 November, 2018 by Offski

[Warrior193]

On 06/10/2018 at 22:07, Steva said:

That's an interesting observation, bigjohn--thanks. Both front and rear tyres have worn to 3mm on the inside edge of the tread, with 6mm in the middle of the tread leading to 4mm on the outside edge. My main travelling is done each summer with two trips with a combined mileage of 4,700 miles. Other summer driving consists of 100 mile round trips and town driving. The car is fully occupied and laden heavily in the rear on my two main summer trips. My 17" tyres have done this trip three years in a row and are only showing 5mm from 8mm when I bought them from new. I find that more that an acceptable level of wear, especially since I'm running Sava UHP 225/45R17. On the flip side, my Continental TS850 winter tyres do a lot of town driving, with some 100 mile round trips, depending on the weather. So it seems my wear seems to be happening in an opposite way to your experience.

Hi Steva, more wear on the inside and outside edges than at the center could suggest tyre pressures too low. 

Edited 4 November, 2018 by Warrior193
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