Sold wrong tyres - car dangerous.
Discussion
jbsportstech said:
use to work with a right muppet, got michelins fitted to his bmw z4 2.2 that werent runflats which I didnt know was possible but he ended up buying another 4 boots from a bmw dealer. "a fool and their money are easily parted"
I run my 2007 BMW 335i on conventional tyres (on the original run-flat alloys) in the summer and run-flats (on a separate set of alloys) in the winter. The car handles and rides much better on the conventional tyres than it does on the run-flats. BMW will tell you not to dump the run-flats but aren't able to give a sensible, coherent or good reason for not doing so. They just fall back on the jobsworth... "BMW don't recommend it". Run-flats used to be awful but are now much improved. However, the ride and handling is still not as good as with conventional tyres.johnao said:
I run my 2007 BMW 335i on conventional tyres (on the original run-flat alloys) in the summer and run-flats (on a separate set of alloys) in the winter. The car handles and rides much better on the conventional tyres than it does on the run-flats. BMW will tell you not to dump the run-flats but aren't able to give a sensible, coherent or good reason for not doing so. They just fall back on the jobsworth... "BMW don't recommend it". Run-flats used to be awful but are now much improved. However, the ride and handling is still not as good as with conventional tyres.
Agreed. I did the same sort of tyre swap on my wife's old BMW 123d M Sport. About the only thing the runflats were good at was offering a crisp turn in. However, it was actually possible to drive faster down twisty, bumpy roads on non runflats since the combination of runflats and M Sport suspension caused the car to be bounced off line at interesting speeds. 
Thanks for all the helpful advice all.
I didn't expect to be getting a refund, I was merely asking if I should be asking for one.
I realise that I should have known which brand of tyre to ask for, but when I asked the tyre dealer for a specific type (and may have been brand, I cannot remember now), and he offered me these, I (wrongly now I know) assumed that they would be ok.
Clearly he does not know a lot about how fussy these cars are to tyres, and I now know a lot more than I did before I bought them.
I didn't expect to be getting a refund, I was merely asking if I should be asking for one.
I realise that I should have known which brand of tyre to ask for, but when I asked the tyre dealer for a specific type (and may have been brand, I cannot remember now), and he offered me these, I (wrongly now I know) assumed that they would be ok.
Clearly he does not know a lot about how fussy these cars are to tyres, and I now know a lot more than I did before I bought them.
For all intents and purposes the tyre fitter has supplied exactly the correct tyre for the car. If you look in the handbook it will specify a size, load rating and speed rating only. For the vsat majority of cars, fitting the correct spec tyre is enough to ensure safe and predictable handling. A few models on the other hand are very fussy about tyres.
Forewarned is forearmed. Now you know that your particular car needs Toyos / Continentals / Goodyears or whatever.
Did you ever check the pressures? Dunlops aren't known for having floppy sidewalls (with the exception of the new eco blue tyres or whatever they're called).
Forewarned is forearmed. Now you know that your particular car needs Toyos / Continentals / Goodyears or whatever.
Did you ever check the pressures? Dunlops aren't known for having floppy sidewalls (with the exception of the new eco blue tyres or whatever they're called).
mikesalt said:
Surely the load rating tells you what you need to know, for instance, when I replace my 205/55 R16 91V tyres, I know that if I get a tyre with the same load rating of 91, it's right for the car.
Its not as simple as that there are some tyre makes where you have a soft sidewall construction, regardless of load rating, and in a mid engine car its much more sensitive to the flex (and the driver is more aware of it).I would try changing the pressures to up to see how that changes the feel before changing the tyres, what does it feel like at 32/34/36 psi it will make a huge difference. A standard MGF is crap handling car anyway last thing you want is the tyre pressures too low or too high.
This thread must be unique in the annals of S,P&L, as all the advice given above is correct! OP, you have no case against the seller of the tyres. Dunlop is not a cheap brand, and Dunlop tyres are not usually floppy. It may be that they are not the ideal choice for your car, but that does not mean that they fail to meet the standards that the law as to sale of goods requires.
As others have suggested, next time you buy tyres for a mid engined sports car, do some research first! The average jalopy doesn't give that many monkeys about what brand of tyres it is on (although all cars prefer posh tyres to cheap Ho Flung Dung specials, and even the crappest of cars can be improved by good tyres), but some cars are fussier than others about their footwear.
Someone above suggested that you may be looking the wrong way at who might be doing something dangerous, and I have to agree. If you hit a pothole at speed, it would be a good idea, I suggest, to get the car up on a lift and have it looked at. The tyre guy would have told you if you had knackered one of the wheels (well, he should have done, not least as that might have made fitting the tyres tricky), but he wouldn't usually be the best bloke to advise on whether your car's steering or suspension need any attention.
As others have suggested, next time you buy tyres for a mid engined sports car, do some research first! The average jalopy doesn't give that many monkeys about what brand of tyres it is on (although all cars prefer posh tyres to cheap Ho Flung Dung specials, and even the crappest of cars can be improved by good tyres), but some cars are fussier than others about their footwear.
Someone above suggested that you may be looking the wrong way at who might be doing something dangerous, and I have to agree. If you hit a pothole at speed, it would be a good idea, I suggest, to get the car up on a lift and have it looked at. The tyre guy would have told you if you had knackered one of the wheels (well, he should have done, not least as that might have made fitting the tyres tricky), but he wouldn't usually be the best bloke to advise on whether your car's steering or suspension need any attention.
onyx39 said:
That's pretty much correct. The sidewalks ARE too soft, there is far too much flex when cornering and changing lanes on motorways. Feel extremely unstable.
I am certain I bought the wrong ones, my point is, if I go to someone who sells tyres for a living, surely he should know what tyres need to go on what cars,
Whoa! No, it's unlikely that any tyre retailer anywhere will be up to speed on the list of 'recommended' tyres made by every manufacturer, and especially so about car manufacturers who have ceased trading and models that are out of production.I am certain I bought the wrong ones, my point is, if I go to someone who sells tyres for a living, surely he should know what tyres need to go on what cars,
I would say that any car that is "dangerous" on the correct size and rating of tyre is a car not fit for purpose. I doubt very, very much that any car will be dangerous on any modern, branded tyre. Many cars feel differently on new tyres, but they won't be dangerous.
The thread title should be changed to 'sold tyres that are acceptable for my car, however I want some different ones'
My mum has a TF that she uses every now and then, it has Avons on as I had them kicking about. Not once have she complained they are dangerous.
Perhaps you are trying to drive beyond the cars capability, not the tyres
My mum has a TF that she uses every now and then, it has Avons on as I had them kicking about. Not once have she complained they are dangerous.
Perhaps you are trying to drive beyond the cars capability, not the tyres
Andyjc86 said:
The thread title should be changed to 'sold tyres that are acceptable for my car, however I want some different ones'
My mum has a TF that she uses every now and then, it has Avons on as I had them kicking about. Not once have she complained they are dangerous.
Perhaps you are trying to drive beyond the cars capability, not the tyres
Most of us will run out of capability long before our cars do (a demonstration on track by a pro driver shows that most of us are miles away from driving on the car's limit, and even if skilled enough it is mad to drive a sporty car to its limit on a road). Maybe the OP is driving a bit too enthusiastically.My mum has a TF that she uses every now and then, it has Avons on as I had them kicking about. Not once have she complained they are dangerous.
Perhaps you are trying to drive beyond the cars capability, not the tyres
Retroman said:
Appears to be a case of "Sold cheap tyres...discovered they don't grip as well as expensive branded tyres"
I've been in the same boat. My cheap branded tyres with 7mm tread don't grip as well as my Toyo Proxies in the wet, even when the Proxies have 2mm of tread left.
Dunlops are not cheap, nangkang or arrowspeed are cheap in my book. Dunlop are premium brand.I've been in the same boat. My cheap branded tyres with 7mm tread don't grip as well as my Toyo Proxies in the wet, even when the Proxies have 2mm of tread left.
Toyos are a bit marmite some people love them others hate them, my view is they wear badly but some people will claim thats the pay off as they think they are super sticky.
A goodyear eagle f1 gsd 3 for example is a more balanced pay off between mileage and grip.
Blimey OP!
Cash deal off the books, for some part worn old tyres, for a mid engineered sports car with the alignment out that is well known to be sensitive to tyres!
And you now say it handles oddly during the coldest month of the year when the roads are icey and greasy?
Plus there was probably a reason why someone didn't want the tyres in the first place with all that tread on!
I would have loved to seen the face of the fitter if you went back to him! I think he could be easily persuaded to give you a full refund, plus some extra for inconvenience, to persuade him further tell him you read it all on the internet so it must be true.
Cash deal off the books, for some part worn old tyres, for a mid engineered sports car with the alignment out that is well known to be sensitive to tyres!
And you now say it handles oddly during the coldest month of the year when the roads are icey and greasy?
Plus there was probably a reason why someone didn't want the tyres in the first place with all that tread on!
I would have loved to seen the face of the fitter if you went back to him! I think he could be easily persuaded to give you a full refund, plus some extra for inconvenience, to persuade him further tell him you read it all on the internet so it must be true.
TwistingMyMelon said:
Blimey OP!
Cash deal off the books, for some part worn old tyres, for a mid engineered car with the alignment out that is well known to be sensitive to tyres!
Fixed that for you.Cash deal off the books, for some part worn old tyres, for a mid engineered car with the alignment out that is well known to be sensitive to tyres!
To the OP.
There are hundreds of different models of car out there.
Some cars prefer certain tyres to others.
it is not a tyre fitters job to personally recommend the best tyres for your choice of car
As long as the tyres are the correct size / speed&load rating you have nothing to even complain about.
Buys a pair of second hand tyres for cash but still not right. LeoSayer said:
OP have you sought a second opinion on the 4 wheel alignment?
Terrible handling is just as likely to the suspension as the tyres.
This, some places are utterly crap... mid engine cars appear to be much harder to set up. I used to live literally 1/2 a mile from Micheldever where there is a well known tyre place, who could never get the geometry correct on my old MR2. Terrible handling is just as likely to the suspension as the tyres.
http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/ on the other hand worked wonders
pigeonskirt said:
onyx39 said:
Tyres are Dunlop Maxxsports. 215 45 R 16's.
Mg recommend certain tyres, and this is not one of the recommended tyres. I am getting the correct ones fitted in the morning.
What a car manufacturer recommends and what's safe are two different things. As long as the size, speed rating and direction is correct I would suggest the tyre fitter has done nothing wrong.Mg recommend certain tyres, and this is not one of the recommended tyres. I am getting the correct ones fitted in the morning.
TwistingMyMelon said:
Blimey OP!
Cash deal off the books, for some part worn old tyres, for a mid engineered sports car with the alignment out that is well known to be sensitive to tyres!
And you now say it handles oddly during the coldest month of the year when the roads are icey and greasy?
Plus there was probably a reason why someone didn't want the tyres in the first place with all that tread on!
I would have loved to seen the face of the fitter if you went back to him! I think he could be easily persuaded to give you a full refund, plus some extra for inconvenience, to persuade him further tell him you read it all on the internet so it must be true.
Perhaps the tyre fitter will also be kind enough to give you your tyres back. Don't be surprised though if you are in the middle of them stacked around you!
Cash deal off the books, for some part worn old tyres, for a mid engineered sports car with the alignment out that is well known to be sensitive to tyres!
And you now say it handles oddly during the coldest month of the year when the roads are icey and greasy?
Plus there was probably a reason why someone didn't want the tyres in the first place with all that tread on!
I would have loved to seen the face of the fitter if you went back to him! I think he could be easily persuaded to give you a full refund, plus some extra for inconvenience, to persuade him further tell him you read it all on the internet so it must be true.
Perhaps the tyre fitter will also be kind enough to give you your tyres back. Don't be surprised though if you are in the middle of them stacked around you!
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff