Tyre Stretching!!! PH strikes again.
Discussion
I know there's been quite a bit of debate on a couple of forums on here lately about the 'Euro Look', whereby stretching tyres onto wider wheels. Being a huge VW fan, I've seen this on the scene for a while and have to say I like the look, although it depends on what car you do it and some people can take it to extremes.
Anyway, suffice to say I haven't posted on here for a while, but having just read a short article in Performance VW magazine, I was sufficiently pissed off to put fingers to keyboard.
Quoting the article:
'Unless you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, you will have no doubt seen the debates on some forums about tyre stretching. Step forward our Dave who, after seriously stretching a set of Marangoni tyres over his 9.5 and 11x18 TH Lines, offered them up to the car and took a few shots. After posting them up on www.wheel-w
es.com, the pictures soon found their way onto Edition38, VW Vortex and Retro-Rides before finally hitting an already existing thread on Pistonheads regarding the 'Euro Look', and all within a matter of hours. And that's where things started to go wrong.
So offended were the users of Pistonheads by the images of his and other cars with stretched rubber, that a thread was started in Pistonheads very own 'Police, Plod and Law' forum.
Then some kind person took it upon themselves to bring the stretched tyre debate to the attention of the members of a genuine police forum. Quite who did this we do not know, but we can't help but think this is like being at school and being grassed up to the teacher.
Considering Pistonheads' moto is 'Speed Matters' and is populated by people who like nothing more than going for spirited B-road blasts and enjoying fast road driving in sports cars, it's good to know that massive hypocrisy is very much alive and well amongst its members. Pistonheads - Hypocrisy matters.'
I can only say that the narrow minded wr that posted onto a genuine police forum is hardly a true subsciber to the ethos of Pistonheads! Tyre stretching has been part of the VW scene for some time and while I can say that some people do take it to extremes and the 'usability' of the tyre looks in doubt, it's a harmless side of the VW (and other makes) modding scene and quite up to individual taste. So why some people have been quite so openly disgusted and negatively opinionated by it is a huge mystery to me. We are all entitled to our opinion, but when people post pics of their pride and joy on here, I don't think some people have to be quite so rude.
Anyway, that's my 2 penneth worth, which no doubt most people will disagree with, but quite frankly I don't care. I like a mild stretch on a VW, like the one below. Thanks for reading. Bring on the backlash! lol
Anyway, suffice to say I haven't posted on here for a while, but having just read a short article in Performance VW magazine, I was sufficiently pissed off to put fingers to keyboard.
Quoting the article:
'Unless you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, you will have no doubt seen the debates on some forums about tyre stretching. Step forward our Dave who, after seriously stretching a set of Marangoni tyres over his 9.5 and 11x18 TH Lines, offered them up to the car and took a few shots. After posting them up on www.wheel-w
es.com, the pictures soon found their way onto Edition38, VW Vortex and Retro-Rides before finally hitting an already existing thread on Pistonheads regarding the 'Euro Look', and all within a matter of hours. And that's where things started to go wrong. So offended were the users of Pistonheads by the images of his and other cars with stretched rubber, that a thread was started in Pistonheads very own 'Police, Plod and Law' forum.
Then some kind person took it upon themselves to bring the stretched tyre debate to the attention of the members of a genuine police forum. Quite who did this we do not know, but we can't help but think this is like being at school and being grassed up to the teacher.
Considering Pistonheads' moto is 'Speed Matters' and is populated by people who like nothing more than going for spirited B-road blasts and enjoying fast road driving in sports cars, it's good to know that massive hypocrisy is very much alive and well amongst its members. Pistonheads - Hypocrisy matters.'
I can only say that the narrow minded w
r that posted onto a genuine police forum is hardly a true subsciber to the ethos of Pistonheads! Tyre stretching has been part of the VW scene for some time and while I can say that some people do take it to extremes and the 'usability' of the tyre looks in doubt, it's a harmless side of the VW (and other makes) modding scene and quite up to individual taste. So why some people have been quite so openly disgusted and negatively opinionated by it is a huge mystery to me. We are all entitled to our opinion, but when people post pics of their pride and joy on here, I don't think some people have to be quite so rude.Anyway, that's my 2 penneth worth, which no doubt most people will disagree with, but quite frankly I don't care. I like a mild stretch on a VW, like the one below. Thanks for reading. Bring on the backlash! lol
Werent the pictures linked on a police forum to get an informal opinion?
You'd have a point if someone went to a police station and officially reported them but they didnt.
Also, the 'speed matters' tagline means 'matters relating to speed', 'that speed matters in a road safety context' and a whole load of other things, not just your rather narrow definition.
But dont let that spoil your little rant about comedy tyres.
You'd have a point if someone went to a police station and officially reported them but they didnt.
Also, the 'speed matters' tagline means 'matters relating to speed', 'that speed matters in a road safety context' and a whole load of other things, not just your rather narrow definition.
But dont let that spoil your little rant about comedy tyres.
I think the few individuals that we are talking about here got a little bit hot under the collar, as they felt that those "modders" that have gone to the extreme end of the forum have not only made their cars virtually undrivable, but probably verging on being down right dangerous.
I love the little VW posted above, but it's the people that push just that little too far, who spoil it for all the others.
I love the little VW posted above, but it's the people that push just that little too far, who spoil it for all the others.
big dub said:
while I can say that some people do take it to extremes and the 'usability' of the tyre looks in doubt, it's a harmless side of the VW (and other makes) modding scene and quite up to individual taste.
Still hasn't clicked with them, has it? 
It's not about taste or opinion you fools, it's about safety, a completely different issue.Personally I've never liked the modified Saxo's, Fiesta's, etc that trundle around with Lexus lights and huge exhausts, but I never complain about them because I don't think they're dangerous.
Clearly these people know full well how stupid it is (if they thought that what they were doing was all safe and above-board then why would they have a problem with plod being asked?), they just couldn't give a toss about it, which earns them nothing but contempt from me.
mickk said:
Never read the original thread, but looking at that pic above, high speed cornering would not be recommended
Believe me, that is pretty tame, compared with some of the extreme modders pictured on the previous post.Can someone please find it and post the pics of the ones in question?
Thanx.
What a silly post, and the rant-writer has completely missed the point.
It is a moot point whether they look good or not - it is a matter of taste (although if you think they look good you are wrong
)
It is a case of safety and possible legality - without dredging up the whole thread again, tyres are made to work within a certain set of parameters. Outside these, who knows what extra strain is being placed on tyres/other components?
I very much doubt somebody "grassed up" anyone, purely a case of finding out what the legal position is.
It is a moot point whether they look good or not - it is a matter of taste (although if you think they look good you are wrong
)It is a case of safety and possible legality - without dredging up the whole thread again, tyres are made to work within a certain set of parameters. Outside these, who knows what extra strain is being placed on tyres/other components?
I very much doubt somebody "grassed up" anyone, purely a case of finding out what the legal position is.
big dub said:
I can only say that the narrow minded wr that posted onto a genuine police forum is hardly a true subsciber to the ethos of Pistonheads! Tyre stretching has been part of the VW scene for some time
So that makes it alright then?r that posted onto a genuine police forum is hardly a true subsciber to the ethos of Pistonheads! Tyre stretching has been part of the VW scene for some timebig dub said:
and while I can say that some people do take it to extremes and the 'usability' of the tyre looks in doubt, it's a harmless side of the VW (and other makes) modding scene and quite up to individual taste.
Um, don't you see you're contradicting yourself there?As said 1,000,000 times before this has nowt to do whatsoever with taste -
If the combination of rim and tyre width is within the permissible range of the tyre manufacturer, by definition the tyre is not 'stretched'.
Therefore if the tyre is 'stretched' no one can vouch for the safety of the tyre. I don't care if you want to run that risk on your private road. But if you are willing to run that risk on a public road, who's the w
r?big dub said:
I can only say that the narrow minded wr that posted onto a genuine police forum is hardly a true subsciber to the ethos of Pistonheads! Tyre stretching has been part of the VW scene for some time and while I can say that some people do take it to extremes and the 'usability' of the tyre looks in doubt, it's a harmless side of the VW (and other makes) modding scene and quite up to individual taste. So why some people have been quite so openly disgusted and negatively opinionated by it is a huge mystery to me. We are all entitled to our opinion, but when people post pics of their pride and joy on here, I don't think some people have to be quite so rude.
I don't understand the attraction at all, but that's a matter of individual taste. But if you start making modifications which appear to be potentially dangerous and/or illegal and then post pictures of them on the internet, then don't be surprised is people start questioning the safety and legality. r that posted onto a genuine police forum is hardly a true subsciber to the ethos of Pistonheads! Tyre stretching has been part of the VW scene for some time and while I can say that some people do take it to extremes and the 'usability' of the tyre looks in doubt, it's a harmless side of the VW (and other makes) modding scene and quite up to individual taste. So why some people have been quite so openly disgusted and negatively opinionated by it is a huge mystery to me. We are all entitled to our opinion, but when people post pics of their pride and joy on here, I don't think some people have to be quite so rude.Although I wasn't the person who asked about it on the police forum, I think that asking about it there was absolutely the right thing to do. There's a lot of doubt and disagreement about whether it's illegal to use tyres outside their spec like that. If it's illegal, let's find out. Or are you saying that you actually believe it's illegal and/or dangerous and just don't want to attract any 'official' attention to it?
NiceCupOfTea said:
I very much doubt somebody "grassed up" anyone, purely a case of finding out what the legal position is.
Of course not, but if you're asking the question on the 'Speed, Plod & The Law' forums asking about the legal aspects of 'stretched' tyres it stands to reason that members belonging to either the police or the legal trade might do some digging in the interest of us all.I guess the writer of that rant knew full well about the legality of this mod or he wouldn't be overly concerned.
I think it was established in the original thread that anyone stupid enough to do this in the first place wasn't going to listen to a few inconvenient 'facts' that showed them to be in the wrong. Damn those facts. Damn those stoopid laws.
As for someone being accused of dobbing in the stretchers, good for them. I see no difference between them and someone driving on bald tyres, knackered brakes or anything else that makes a vehicle unsafe.
As for someone being accused of dobbing in the stretchers, good for them. I see no difference between them and someone driving on bald tyres, knackered brakes or anything else that makes a vehicle unsafe.
Stretching tyres is a pointless and stupid practice akin to the barry boys sticking fibreglass crap onto their corsas and saxos in my opinion. The slogan 'Speed matters' should have given you an indication that the only modifications the members of this website carry out are actually useful and have a point, not just make a perfectly good car look like some crap out of a cartoon, handle worse and drive dangerously.
If it doesn't make a car go faster, corner better or look good (which stretched tyres don't) then what's the point of doing it?
If it doesn't make a car go faster, corner better or look good (which stretched tyres don't) then what's the point of doing it?
I'd not stretch the tyres on my mountain bike like that, let alone my car. How it can be safe is beyond me. As has been said, if anyone wants to do that and drive it on a private road, fine, they've only themselves to kill / maim if it all goes horribly wrong. Mind you, a blow out in the drive thru or while parked up with a gang of 14yr old girls isn't going to do much damage. 
Dear oh dear. Yes it looks cool. For SHOW USE.
The tyres aren't designed to be run like that which means
(a) they may fail and cause an accident;
(b) that if this happens your insurer will take one look at the wreckage and tell you to go fook yourself and your claim; and
(c) that you will therefore potentially spend the next 20 years paying off the damage, and lose your house if you have one.
Yeah, tyre stretching sounds like a great idea to me.
FFS.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff