Discussion
How hot are police on tyres?? Is it true its 3 points for each bald tyre? A bit worried as my front two are getting a bit low on tread. Just as I was saving up to get them replaced I get a nice puncture in a back one. So say for instance I get pulled and they say the tyres are low, if I apologise and promise to get them done the next day and show them to someone at a police station would that be sufficient or would it be 6 points??
ben_london said:
A bit worried as my front two are getting a bit low on tread.
Dont be dumb! The tyre law is one of the few that are genuinely there for your own safety. Considering the poor weather expected soon, dont even think about running on baldies. Incidently, if you have an accident and the insurance co send out an engineer to inspect your car, your payout will be seriously reduced.
My advice is to pop along to a local fast fit centre (or two, for a second opinion) and get them checked to make sure they are legal.
2 bald tyres = 6 points! A really stupid way to increase your insurance premium.
Sorry if I sound like your granny !
Steve
Thwe safety angle is - of course - the most important thing here. I thought we all assumed that and took it as read. Back to the options, if you're going to be broke after getting the tyres how would your bank balance look after the £1000 per tyre fine? Safety, cash, it's gotta be worth fitting new rubber every which way.
ben_london said:
Dont get me wrong mate, my tyre's arent illegal. ...............I was just wondering how harsh they generally are with tyres.
What are you worried about then!
I guess if you are caught with baldies, it`s all down to your attitude. As you are obviously a youngster, there may be a desire to "teach you a lesson", but hopefully they would be leniant enough to give you a rectification notice.
One for BiBs....
If you tug a driver and find bald tyres I suspect two answers:
1. "I didnt know" - do you then issue a ticket to teach driver to check them?
2. "I know and they are being replaced tomorrow" - do you then issue ticket for being dumb?
By "ticket" I mean FPN or rectification notice.
Steve
ben_london said:
How hot are police on tyres?? Is it true its 3 points for each bald tyre? A bit worried as my front two are getting a bit low on tread. Just as I was saving up to get them replaced I get a nice puncture in a back one. So say for instance I get pulled and they say the tyres are low, if I apologise and promise to get them done the next day and show them to someone at a police station would that be sufficient or would it be 6 points??
OK guys, I hate to do this, but this is my pet hate, specialist subject.
If you read one of my early posts, INSURRECTION Part 1 where I talk about the dreadful ad with the Nissan mowing down the child, it can be seen that the car is rigged to make the front wheels lock up. I was also involved in an experimant to duplicate this and we changed tyres and wheels.
I cannot emphasise strongly enough the dangers inherent in messing about with worn, cheap and nasty or remoulded tyres.
I would fully endorse legislation to ban the production of remoulded and substandard tyres.
I take my hat off to guys like Street when they hit drivers with FPs for dodgy tyres. Other than total brake failure, nothing is more dangerous or carries more potential for creating an accident than driving with bad tyres.
I can take a vehicle and reduce it's stopping capacity by as much as 50% just by changing to a cheap and nasty tyre, particularly in the wet; why does the Government permit the sale of these things?
The same tyre will also transform the handling characteristics of a vehicle from safe and predictable into a slewing, spinning nightmare.
DO NOT BUY cheap tyres.
There is a man that we have awarded a knighthood to no less, who has made a career out of marketing cheap and nasty tyres; you may know him, his fitters demonstrate admirable entertainment value as song and dance men; what a pity they were not properly qualified motor engineers before they were let loose on your vehicle.
IOLAIRE said:
There is a man that we have awarded a knighthood to no less, who has made a career out of marketing cheap and nasty tyres; you may know him, his fitters demonstrate admirable entertainment value as song and dance men; what a pity they were not properly qualified motor engineers before they were let loose on your vehicle.
You answered your own point on that one. A fitter replaces a part which a qualified motor engineer has defined as defective. Slightly different with tyres/exhausts though, as the defect is obvious.
Steve
IOLAIRE said:
How hot are police on tyres?? Is it true its 3 points for each bald tyre? A bit worried as my front two are getting a bit low on tread. Just as I was saving up to get them replaced I get a nice puncture in a back one. So say for instance I get pulled and they say the tyres are low, if I apologise and promise to get them done the next day and show them to someone at a police station would that be sufficient or would it be 6 points??
I cannot emphasise strongly enough the dangers inherent in messing about with worn, cheap and nasty or remoulded tyres.
I would fully endorse legislation to ban the production of remoulded and substandard tyres.
Hear! Hear! Liebchen!
We lost Ferdl to articulated with dodgy tyres. Ferdl was one of my cousins - and just take my word for it - he was very fit looking and fine alpine athlete. Left young family without a Papa....
IOLAIRE said:
I take my hat off to guys like Street when they hit drivers with FPs for dodgy tyres. Other than total brake failure, nothing is more dangerous or carries more potential for creating an accident than driving with bad tyres.
Scams catch these then? Talivans? Humph!
Only our gones, Strassen
s and nice TonyRecs, silverybacked Mikeys, et al can do something about this. Know that my cousin trafpol trainer BiB would use discretion on a speeding thing - but has always been pedantic to point of extreme over defective cars of any type.... IOLAIRE said:
I can take a vehicle and reduce it's stopping capacity by as much as 50% just by changing to a cheap and nasty tyre, particularly in the wet; why does the Government permit the sale of these things?
Perhaps my cynical side would suggest it is to fuel the scamera thing and blame it all in naughty speedy drivers who hurl their cars at people at 1 mph above the speed limit ....cos I cannot see any valid reason to allow cheapo substandard tyres to be sold anywhere....
IOLAIRE said:
The same tyre will also transform the handling characteristics of a vehicle from safe and predictable into a slewing, spinning nightmare.
DO NOT BUY cheap tyres.
Endorsed 100% Liebchen... My cars are fussy as to what they wears as well ....und they get regular check-ups at the consultant car doctor's pad - und a little dab of red nail varnish on anything I have identified as needing replacing and looking at usually informs me as to whether the mechanic has obeyed my instruction. Only one dared disobey me - he does not work at the local dealer anymore
Wildy Cat in savage mode is not a pretty sight... IOLAIRE said:
There is a man that we have awarded a knighthood to no less, who has made a career out of marketing cheap and nasty tyres; you may know him, his fitters demonstrate admirable entertainment value as song and dance men; what a pity they were not properly qualified motor engineers before they were let loose on your vehicle.
But the lyric was so apt in the advert - do you not think so - Liebchen
ben_london said:
Well I have......
Continental Low Profile Sports on mine I believe, about £70 each, is that cheap and nasty?? I fully admit to not having a clue about tyres.
Ben, I don't want all the tyre companies screaming at me but, my personal preference on a road car has always been Continental or Dunlop. I have found they give the ideal compromise between wet grip and wear rate, and display more progressive and controllable properties when on the limit.
When Jaguar brought out the XJ6 saloon in 1969 they developed the low profile concept with Dunlop and produced the SP SPORT which in it's time was phenomenal. I remember the first time I drove an XJ6 and it set down new standards of handling, particularly in the wet.
In 1973 I bought a BMW 2002 Ti with a factory tuned option pack. It had a gas flowed head, twin 40s, Koni suspension, and best of all 70 profile Continental radials. It looked like a Lada, but was beautifully made and the handling was utterly awesome on those tyres.
AHHH, those were the days!!!!
Friend of mine was unknownigly driving with a pair of illegal front tyres (scrubbed on the inside where you cant easily reach the tread indicator without jacking it up). He recieved 3 points and a fine. Thats where he learned that pilot exaltos dont last long if you cane it everywhere - 7k miles in a alfa 33 16v.
Streetcop said:
Dont risk it with tyres.....
Street
I'm another one who's dead fussy about tyres. I'm a big fan of Goodyear Eagle F1s.
I believe that modern remoulds (to latest compulsory standards) are pretty decent, but you won't find them on my cars. The trouble with modern remoulds is that you just can't tell if you've got matched carcasses.
Interesting topic. As I have a company car the leasing company pays for the tyres. I recently thought they were looking a bit worn, so took the car to have them checked.
Fronts were down to 1.7mm & 1.8mm - yet when the tyre company rang the leasing company - they said they wouldnt replace them until they were down to 1.6mm.
So if i went on a long trip and the tyres went below 1.6 - i assume i would still be to blame!!??
p.s. 5 minutes after having the tyres checked i was back to have them checked again, and amazingly they were at 1.6mm
Fronts were down to 1.7mm & 1.8mm - yet when the tyre company rang the leasing company - they said they wouldnt replace them until they were down to 1.6mm.
So if i went on a long trip and the tyres went below 1.6 - i assume i would still be to blame!!??
p.s. 5 minutes after having the tyres checked i was back to have them checked again, and amazingly they were at 1.6mm
I can get through several pairs of tyres in one day at a Drift event where tyres are taken to their extremes of traction, so am rather familair with the handling changes from one pair of tyres to the next.
The difference is staggering & yes some nasty "old" cheapo tyre thats gone plastic has massively increased stopping distances (or lateral g grip) in the wet & dry where the compounds don't do what they were designed to. Yet somehow these are legal on our roads, this is criminal along with some new tyres being sold in the UK.
Anyone see the magzine test last month?, the worst tyre stopped 3 car lengths further than the best from 40mph!!! & those were new tyres.
The difference is staggering & yes some nasty "old" cheapo tyre thats gone plastic has massively increased stopping distances (or lateral g grip) in the wet & dry where the compounds don't do what they were designed to. Yet somehow these are legal on our roads, this is criminal along with some new tyres being sold in the UK.
Anyone see the magzine test last month?, the worst tyre stopped 3 car lengths further than the best from 40mph!!! & those were new tyres.
IOLAIRE said:
The same tyre will also transform the handling characteristics of a vehicle from safe and predictable into a slewing, spinning nightmare.
DO NOT BUY cheap tyres.
By far the most impressive and rewarding performance upgrade I ever fitted to my car was a set of Goodyear Eagle F1s. Car was transformed. #
I didn't even have supercheap tyres on before but they were Japanese compound and much harder than we have here. Lethal in the wet. I would imagine the amount of research that goes into the rubber compund on expensive tyres would eb a little higher than cheap tyres. As for remoulds... *shudder*
Iain
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