Mk3 Octavia ride seemingly rejuvenated with new tyres

[Gerrycan]

Some background:

Australian market so some variation as to what is available

The only time I would put any demands on a tyre would be when I, or someone else, has made a mistake, so this is never going to be assessment of the sporting characteristics of a tyre.

 

The car is was bought in 2014 and came fitted with Dunlop Sportsmaxx that lasted for 42,000 km and while I know they are not well regarded in the Forum, they provided us with a good ride, low noise and pretty reasonable handling characteristics until replacement.

 

I did consider replacing with the same tyres but they were unusually expensive here and some Michelin Primacy were then competitively priced but for the first 100km I thought I had made a mistake as the steering felt peculiarly light and vague until the tyre newness wore off. I was reasonably happy but I was never really wowed as much as I thought I would be by their reputation from independent tests.

The Michelins wore down to the bars after 48,000 km (90k km total) and needed replacing but the last 12k km or so they had developed a bit of saw toothing and were relatively noisy and the ride had deteriorated to the point I was wondering whether there were also suspension issues. The tyres were also showing a signs of minor cracking in the grooves so it was time for some more internet research for replacements.

 

This time the only good deals I could find for tyres with good reviews were for Continental MaxContact MC6 (Thailand made), which is a brand I not considered before as they generally did not receive good comments on Briskoda. They were rated a close second to Michelin Primacy in independent tests but at an irresistibly low price so the online purchase was made.

We have done a couple of thousand km with these tyres now and the ride, handling and road noise levels now seem as good as when the car was new and without the initial issues I had with the Primacy tyres. They also seem to be exhibiting similar low rolling resistance to the two previously fitted tyres so petrol consumption is still good.

Being a 17 inch tyre they will obviously make a fair contribution to the suspension but I am very surprised at the noticeable difference between the worn tyres and replacements beyond just the noise. This is subjective I know but so far I am a very happy camper.

I run at 37 psi pressures all round, which is a bit over the manufacturers recommendations but I have always done this.

 

I cannot comment on wet weather handling for any tyre as a) we get relatively little rain in my part of Australia and b) when we do get a drizzle I tend to drive cautiously as the road surface is then very treacherous, even worse on a bicycle.

 

Edited 21 March, 2023 by Gerrycan

[nta16]

7 minutes ago, Gerrycan said:

Being a 17 inch tyre they will obviously make a fair contribution to the suspension but I am very surprised at the noticeable difference between the worn tyres and replacements.

A lot of drivers don't realise what a complex component the tyre(s) are and their overall contribution to braking, steering, road holding, handling, ride noise and comfort.  They also forget the effects of age and driving and parked up conditions and environments.

 

Many, in the UK at least, think as long as the tyre tread is above the bare minimum legal limit that's all that matters.

 

[Gerrycan]

10 hours ago, nta16 said:

A lot of drivers don't realise what a complex component the tyre(s) are and their overall contribution to braking, steering, road holding, handling, ride noise and comfort.  They also forget the effects of age and driving and parked up conditions and environments.

 

Many, in the UK at least, think as long as the tyre tread is above the bare minimum legal limit that's all that matters.

 

 

I'm sure you are right. The amount of tyre abuse and neglect I see on other cars with under inflated tyres or dangerously poor and uneven tread wear is frightening.

 

I recognise that I am very 'careful' (miserly/mean) with money and it was my decision to run the tyres down to about 2.5mm tread. Wear was even across the old tyres and the wheel alignment showed little change from the last one 5 years before.

I suspect the mild saw toothing had been created by wear in the unadjustable rear suspension. Regular tyre rotation, diagonal front to rear, compensated for the total wear but only restricted the saw-toothing and noise and did not remove it.

 

The reason for my post was I had never experienced such a dramatic change in the overall 'feel' of a car by changing from worn but otherwise roadworthy tyres especially considering Michelin's exalted reputation. Of course tyre reviews are of brand new tyres and not when they are near end of life.

I know this is totally subjective but I am very happy with the Continentals so far and it will be interesting to see how they play out over their life.

Bear in mind that I can run a summer tyre all year here and so my comments on the tyres probably have little relevance to UK or European conditions.

 

Edited 22 March, 2023 by Gerrycan

[nta16]

2.5 mm that will frighten many here in the UK they're unhappy with having to change at the legal limit here of 1.6mm across three-quarters of the tread.

 

Your roads and their surfaces and your tyre compounds I suspect are different to here in the UK (well what road surfaces we have left) and of course climate, as I've seen before Aus tyre pressures being set a lot higher there than here.

 

Being used to "classic" (over-priced and over-valued old) cars and their generally tight fisted owners it's not unusual to see "classic" with old hard tyres with loads of tread on them from age and lack of use over years or even decades so the owners that do (or have to) change to new tyres can find night to day changes.

 

It can go the other way too with tyres swapping from worn but good performance tyres to new but not so good performance tyres and it can feel like two steps backwards even on a modest machine like a1987 Skoda Estelle 2 130.

 

Many in the UK run 'summer' tyres all year round despite them losing performance below 10C (that could be an odd summer's day let alone the rest of the year here) but certainly in some parts of the countries (plural) if the driver is older it's what they experienced for many decades so are used to adjusting their driving to the prevailing conditions.

 

It's good to have a real world review and promotion of possibly benefits of changing the tyres, much more important than fiddling or farting about with the engine.

 

[Gerrycan]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo........!!!!!!

[nta16]

Sod's Law.  I've had it happen a couple of times over the decades with new and recent tyres.

 

Only good side is once the replacement new tyre has lost its "grease" being only a couple of thousands of kilometres of wear newer it should be close enough to the other three as a set of four so just one tyre needed.

 

I've no idea if it's allowed where you are but you could perhaps(?) plug that tyre and it be fine(?).

 

Edited 24 March, 2023 by nta16
wording

[Gerrycan]

There is a lot of urban renewal in Australia as many post-war bungalows, built on the "Aussie dream" larger block, are demolished and replaced with 2 or more, multi-story newbuilds.

Consequently over the years I've had more than my share of being 'screwed' with relatively new tyres. I think the deeper tread makes them more susceptible to picking up screws casually scattered by the tradies. Cannot remember it happening at all in my 13 driving years in the UK.

It is the reason I'd never buy a car without a some sort of spare as I have had to fit them so many times although only once in a very remote place, late at night, on a long weekend.

 

The screw is well away from the sidewall so it will be plugged, otherwise yes it would have been a significantly more expensive new tyre.

Edited 25 March, 2023 by Gerrycan

[nta16]

I might be wrong but I think here (generally?) the tyre places won't plug a tyre. (ETA: unless pushed to do so, based on toot's later post here).

 

Plenty of "trades" men and flat bed lorries losing loose nails and screws over here but I think often a good depth of tread can save a serious puncture, no doubt dependant on quantity and quality of your luck.

 

Not to thread drift but if you've been out of the UK for a while you might be surprised at the new builds in certain areas and how they're packed in, many with a garage you can't fit a modern oversized vehicle in so the two or more vehicles are parked on the pavements (walkways).  Bungalows are at a premium because of the aging population.

 

Glad you're sorted with the tyre, all's well that ends well as they say.

  

Edited 26 March, 2023 by nta16
ETA:

[Gerrycan]

Experience tells me that plugs are perfectly safe at UK/Aus speed limits although I'd balk at continental speeds.

Their main issue is that they can make their presence felt over time with different wear rates.

 

We visited the UK last September and noted all the new housing developments and their characteristics.

[J.R.]

I have been repairing my punctures with tyre plugs for 18 years now, never had one fail, all the tyres have continued to wear to the legal limit like the others before replacement and have never been an issue at the CT tests.

 

They do stick out a bit or at least become more visible as the tyre wears, the only time it was ever a problem was when I sold a car and the new owner, a Brit who knew nothing of the regulations or life in France after 2 decades was outraged to find it.

 

I would say conservatively I have avoided replacing 10 tyres because most tyre fitting garages here come out with the nonsense that they are not allowed to do puncture repairs and that they have to replace both tyres on the same axle.

 

The Yeti not having a spare wheel my tyre plug kit is even more important to me than ever, I also have a mushroom plug insertion tool kit but have yet to use it, unless the puncture is on the outside edge of a front wheel giving enough room on full lock to use the tool the wheel will have to be removed, the tyre plugs can be used with the wheel in place, my intention is to use them on the road then remove the wheel and make a repair with the mushroom plug.

 

I started using plugs after paying a garagiste friend for a tyre repair, it took him all of 30 seconds and he only lost a tiny amount of air from the tyre in doing so. If you prepare the plug on the skewer needle and fit the rasp in a battery drill in advance you can then swiftly pull out the screw or nail, insert the rasp and prepare the hole then pull out with one hand while inserting the plug with the other then pull the skewer out which cuts through the doubled up plug sealing the hole, you lose only a tiny bit of air it does not even register on the pressure guage.

 

Easier to do swiftly with the wheel off the vehicle.

 

Did you know that tubeless tyres were originally sold as self sealing for punctures? I read the claims in a 1960's Readers Digest, the problem then as now with tubed tyres is that when they puncture there is an instantaneous total deflation which at speed causes loss of control and often the tyre to come off the rim, a puncture on a tubeless tyre is much slower and controlled, they demonstrated it by driving 2 vehicles with tubed and tubeless tyres over planks with 6" nails sticking out, the car on tubed tyres spun and rolled over , the other came to a controlled halt like you see on footage of a Police Stinger deployment but much slower and with full control.

[Ootohere]

UK Tyres & Exhaust Centre employees commonly plug tyres if they can be plugged.

KwikFit plugged a Michelin All Season tyre a few weeks back for me on my car from Motability that can get Free repairs or replacement tyres.

This was after the car was in at a Main Dealers for work and the Technician spotted a screw in the tyre, marked the sidewall with chalk but failed to put on the work sheet or tell the reception or me that the screw was there. 

 

PS

No idea when KwikFit stopped doing free puncture repairs for OAP's on a Wednesday. 

Edited 26 March, 2023 by toot

[nta16]

2 minutes ago, toot said:

that can get Free repairs or replacement tyres.

Perhaps I should have put they're very reluctant, by coincidence I was with a chap that owners a local Hi-Q tyre place just before Gerrycan posted I could have asked and got the exact details had I known.  Perhaps KwikFit see plugging a tyre as a good option against replacing it.  I thought I'd heard tyre fitter(s) say they'd not plug a tyre but my memory's not the best and whether that was their personal choice, company policy or just to sell a new tyre I'd not know.

 

 

9 minutes ago, toot said:

This was after the car was in at a Main Dealers for work and the Technician spotted a screw in the tyre, marked the sidewall with chalk but failed to put on the work sheet or tell the reception or me that the screw was there. 

That is very bad - they should have at least quoted and tried to sell you a new tyre, or two or four, no matter what the circumstances. 🤣

 

[Ootohere]

No point up-selling to people with cars that are on lease and that get free servicing and maintenance. Approval comes from the Owners.

They are my tyres that i fitted to the car and not the ones that go back on when the car goes back and i asked the fitter to do a repair.  I used to be the person that did repairs so have an idea what can and can not be done.

If the tyre was none repairable i would have gone and got the originals to be fitted as i would not be buying a new pair.

http://kwik-fit.com/tyres/information/tyre-repair

 

http://motability.co.uk/get-support/if-something-happens/cars-wavs/tyres

 

 

 

Edited 26 March, 2023 by toot

[nta16]

24 minutes ago, toot said:

No idea when KwikFit stopped doing free puncture repairs for OAP's on a Wednesday. 

I'd no idea they done such things, "oxygen thieves" seem to get given a lot. 😁

 

On looking up if they still do it I too found the tyre repair page and scrolling to the bottom found the repair is "from just £27.50 per tyre".

 

I once had tyre valves fitted that one showed cracks within a matter of months, as usual I was the only person that had had such a thing though later I think one other person might have said they'd had the same, mine were at peak time of ****-poor rubbish rubber parts.  A couple of years before I had three different lots, from three different motors factors in different counties, of 1/4" petrol hose leak within days or weeks of being fitted, went to modern Goodyear 6mm and no problems.

 

Other than one remould in 1979 I've never had any bad tyres, I went out of my way to avoid them.

 

 

[Gerrycan]

On 26/03/2023 at 22:13, J.R. said:

I have been repairing my punctures with tyre plugs for 18 years now, never had one fail, all the tyres have continued to wear to the legal limit like the others before replacement and have never been an issue at the CT tests.

 

They do stick out a bit or at least become more visible as the tyre wears, the only time it was ever a problem was when I sold a car and the new owner, a Brit who knew nothing of the regulations or life in France after 2 decades was outraged to find it.

 

I would say conservatively I have avoided replacing 10 tyres because most tyre fitting garages here come out with the nonsense that they are not allowed to do puncture repairs and that they have to replace both tyres on the same axle.

 

The Yeti not having a spare wheel my tyre plug kit is even more important to me than ever, I also have a mushroom plug insertion tool kit but have yet to use it, unless the puncture is on the outside edge of a front wheel giving enough room on full lock to use the tool the wheel will have to be removed, the tyre plugs can be used with the wheel in place, my intention is to use them on the road then remove the wheel and make a repair with the mushroom plug.

 

I started using plugs after paying a garagiste friend for a tyre repair, it took him all of 30 seconds and he only lost a tiny amount of air from the tyre in doing so. If you prepare the plug on the skewer needle and fit the rasp in a battery drill in advance you can then swiftly pull out the screw or nail, insert the rasp and prepare the hole then pull out with one hand while inserting the plug with the other then pull the skewer out which cuts through the doubled up plug sealing the hole, you lose only a tiny bit of air it does not even register on the pressure guage.

 

Easier to do swiftly with the wheel off the vehicle.

 

Did you know that tubeless tyres were originally sold as self sealing for punctures? I read the claims in a 1960's Readers Digest, the problem then as now with tubed tyres is that when they puncture there is an instantaneous total deflation which at speed causes loss of control and often the tyre to come off the rim, a puncture on a tubeless tyre is much slower and controlled, they demonstrated it by driving 2 vehicles with tubed and tubeless tyres over planks with 6" nails sticking out, the car on tubed tyres spun and rolled over , the other came to a controlled halt like you see on footage of a Police Stinger deployment but much slower and with full control.

For the simple nails and screes I have had the plugs have been fine. I am not doing any Euro highway speeds after all. 

Strikes me that having your own plug kit is an excellent idea saving money and more importantly time.

Since new BEVs rarely have spare tyres a plug kit is a much better idea than the cans of goo they install.