Motoring Discussion > Replacing Tyres (Again) Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bromptonaut Replies: 23
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 09:29 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Bromptonaut
Berlingo was serviced on Tuesday preparatory to heading for France later this week. We're going as far south as Pyrenees so could be 3k miles. Four adults and a load of camping kit.

Tyres were not mentioned but checking the fronts they're within 1.5mm of the tread wear indicators (Michelin) so perhaps 3.5-4mm remaining.

I'm inclined to replace before we go. What does the panel think?
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 09:36 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Skip

>> Tyres were not mentioned but checking the fronts they're within 1.5mm of the tread wear
>> indicators (Michelin) so perhaps 3.5-4mm remaining.
>>
>> I'm inclined to replace before we go. What does the panel think?
>>

If they have got that amount of tread on them and they are showing no signs of aging, cracks etc then I would probably say they will be ok for your holiday trip.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 09:41 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Zero
As the skipper says, Agree 100%, if there is nothing else wrong with them, use them.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 09:45 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - L'escargot
Just make sure you've got a good spare.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 10:04 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - sooty123
I'd say that 3.5-4mm is plenty, I wouldn't think twice about using them for such a journey.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 10:10 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Fenlander
Another viewpoint if my calcs hold up....

If you are within 1.5mm of wear bars you may well have just 3mm. I assume you would change at 2mm anyway so swapping now would only waste 1mm. The useable tread of a tyre is mostly about 6mm so you would only be losing 17% of the tyre cost by getting new now.

I guess a decent pair is about £140 for the Berlingo so the cost of this early swap is just £24. For me that's a bargain for the extra safety of a fully loaded vehicle on a wet autoroute.

The other factor is that this trip could wipe close to another 1mm off the tread so by the latter stages you will be down close to a minimum.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Sun 21 Jul 13 at 10:11
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 10:19 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Zero
A third option, how much are tyres in France?
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 10:43 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Dog
Or, a French sort in Tyre?
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 10:49 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Mike H
I wouldn't think twice, I'd leave them on until I got back. But I'd investigate the prices of tyres in France as someone else has mentioned and, if it made financial sense, get them replaced there.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 11:05 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - -
Yes i'd leave them on too.

Replace around Oct/Nov time so full tread for the winter.

When i need tyres in the forseeable i enter the size details on Camskill, Mytyres, Tyremen and bookmark the pages, then have a quick poke nose once or twice a week, someone will have a special offer during the next 3 or 4 months.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sun 21 Jul 13 at 11:05
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 11:45 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Robin O'Reliant
What about swapping them for the winter tyres you have in the garage? The nights are drawing in now...
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 12:01 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - -
You're a cheeky boy RR.

Me Nokian winters are starting to wear finally, have wear numerals built into the tread simple but so easy to see how much is left, all down to about 5mm now so i suspect next will be last or last but one winter season.

Anyway mock ye not, many's the time i've been the only car able to get up the hill from where we live when the snows been bad....there are two 4 o'clocks in a day yernow and not getting to work is not an option.

:-)

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New Sun 21 Jul 13 19:09 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - No FM2R
As Fenlander said, the cost of this swap is £24. Less than a beer a day?

I'd swap them. High speed auto route and dodgy alpine roads? Seems a small price for peace of mind.

Incredibly unlikely that they'd cause an issue. But think of the ramifications of they do - both in reality and guilt, as well as more trivial inconvenience and disruption.

As I'm sure you know, its potential severity x likelihood.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 19:48 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Lygonos
Unles you drive like a flange I wouldn't imagine there's any issue keeping them til you get back.

Presumably 3k miles in negligible wear on the back, and about 1mm on the front for a Berlingo on Michelins.

Make sure there's a good spare.


On second thoughts, I have reported this thread to the mods as Bromp's account has obviously been hacked by Rats.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 20:17 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - WillDeBeest
We're going as far south as Pyrenees so could be 3k miles.

See you down there, Bromp! We'll be somewhere near Pau.

Doing the same sums on the LEC, although complicated by lack of RWD experience. There's plenty left on the fronts but the rears are down to about 3mm and have worn faster in the 15 months and 15,000 miles we've had the car.

I think they'll last the trip but I'm inclined to swap them anyway - if I can find a pair of Primacy HPs in time. I have a suspicion the car will be a nicer ride if I can get rid of even two of the sub-premium tyres it came on.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 20:49 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Lygonos
If, by 'sub-premium', you mean bargain basement Chinese guff (Wanli, Linglong, Goodride, etc) then I'd change all 4 even if there was 5 or 6mm left on them.

If you mean Hankook or Kumho then I'd rotate fronts to rear.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 20:56 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - WillDeBeest
The rears are Hankook. Fronts are Nexen, whatever that is. Would quite like to replace all four but, well, £560...
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 21:04 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Lygonos
I think Nexen are pretty variable in ability across their range - cheaper end of the Korean market I think but their most recent offerings never seem to rate too poorly on the various tests I've read.

Stick them on the back and if you like them you'll probably find they're about 60% of the cost of premium tyres.

Hankook, Nexen, Kumho, and Falken are cheaper brands that seem quite decent compared to the Wanlis of the world.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 21:05 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - sooty123
I'm pretty sure both of your tyres are from South Korea.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 21:40 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - WillDeBeest
Thanks chaps. One of my dislikes about the LEC is the low-speed steering feel, and I'm blaming this at least in part on the Nexen front tyres. (They have a rather overdone palm-frond tread pattern, which leads me to suppose it must be their fault.) };---)

Anyway, looks like this car wears out tyres faster on the back, so I could move the Nexens there and put proper ones on the front. But that would mean better tyres front than rear, after all I've read and written here...

Lucky this is easygoing Bromp's thread.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 21:41 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Bromptonaut
I've now picked up a proper tread gauge and checked. Fronts are om 3-3.5mm. Shifted forwards form rear last year they'd normally have done a bit longer but Mrs B has had a stint in Aylesbury ans others in MK rather than local schools. Car has racked up 20k since last summer.

Tad dissapointed that my usually trusty indy didn't point out wear along with pads etc replaced at service

Off to F1 in morning for replacements - probably BF Goodrich.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 21 Jul 13 at 21:42
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 22:20 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Lygonos
>> Fronts are on 3-3.5mm - Shifted forwards form rear last year

>> Car has racked up 20k since last summer.

So presumably about 4mm wear in 20k miles assuming they were fairly new last year.

They'll see another 3k but changing at 3-3.5mm would be pretty close to the norm for me anyway.
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New Sun 21 Jul 13 22:29 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - rtj70
If this was my car, I'd me thinking of changing tyres. Because I drive a company/lease car I can't get tyres (easily) changed before 2mm. On this car (a heavy Passat CC) I got to that limit on the fronts in about 13k miles! A fair bit of that is local/stop-start driving though - I'd get more on motorways.

First service due in about 3 months.... so maybe only one service and one set of front tyres needed in 3 years.
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New Mon 22 Jul 13 15:01 
 Replacing Tyres (Again) - Bromptonaut
A few calls this morning established that as usual in my area Formula 1 are top dogs.

BF Goodrich in stock at £74.65 each fitted, balanced etc. We've had these before, indeed they're what's on rear, and are fine. Only slight quibble is directional tread.

Avons or Contis were around £86-7. Michelins over £100. National offered me several brands I'd never heard of. Possibly eastern ditchfinders. Well into eighties per tyre once Avon or Bridgestone were quoted.

For most part items need to be ordered so not ready until tomorrow.

Mrs B off to get them fitted at 16:00, strict instruction not to take up any offers re tracking. Pads at front are new so no scope for jiggery there, not that I've ever had more than a tracking offer from F1. Another reason I prefer them to Kwiks etc..
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