New tyres=very crap handling.
New tyres=very crap handling.
Author
Discussion

ace-t

Original Poster:

8,397 posts

284 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
Just got Toyo Proxy T1S's fitted to the Chim today. But it seems to have screwed the handling to such an extent that I hated every minute of the drive home

Driving at a steady speed it seems to rock from side to side, kind of like tramlining without the tramlines. Very pronounced at 60-80. Cornering is horrendous at anything more than a crawl, it was like it was resisting and trying to go its own way then felt like it was swerving.

Now they said they had difficulty getting the tyres on to the wheels anyway, could they have used a shed load more lubicant that has made the tyres either slip round or slide on the road? It doesn't feel like it is losing grip though (strangely enough). The wheels were balanced too (allegedly).

Can anyone shed any light on this before I go back to the place? I would like to be able to ask sensible questions and get sensible answers

I want my baby back!

Yours hopefully and thank you in advance,

Ace-T

trefor

14,780 posts

312 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
My first guess is that the pressures are way too high. Tyre fitters don't believe you when you say they should be 22/24 PSI.

Did they fit the tyres on backwards? - they are directional.

Obviously, new tyres can take a few hundred miles to fully bed in.

I had Toyos on my Chimaera and they were great.

Nick P

29,977 posts

280 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
sounds like the pressures could be wrong....however i know from motorbike experience that when i had new tyres fitted the bike felt very 'edgy' until i got used to them...don't know if this is a similar effect???

daxrush

20 posts

286 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
I know you have to "bed new tyres in", but those symptoms sound a bit extreme....!!

Are they directional/on the correct way round.....??
Again, symptoms sound a bit extreme for that one too....

stesrg

1,578 posts

267 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
Check your pressures when they fit tyres they have to over inflate them to get them to seal and sometimes they forget to put them at the correct pressures, also give them time to scrub in.

crankedup

25,764 posts

272 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
Daft is it may read, check the wheelnuts
Done that, right then Queens single comes to mind 'under pressure' or in this case over pressure.
With the other posts it can't be anything else?

BCA

8,651 posts

286 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
Sounds like they need to bed in, Toyos seem odd like this, when we first had a pair on the back of the cerb it was all over the place on the journey back home! But for some reason they had absolutely immense grip in a straight line?? Dad decided to do a few heat cycles to get the tyres nicely bed in - managed a 5,000rpm launch with no wheelspin whatsoever! The cerb normally spins up beyond 3000rpm. It was fine after a couple of hundred miles, but very odd at first (and has unfortunately lost its amazing straight line traction.)

Other than that, check direction of the tyres and pressures. The change does sound pretty extreme though??

li'l pugs

1,323 posts

288 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
All of the above, but they deff do need to "bed in" a bit. I hated mine when I first got them, but they are getting better.........only 1000 miles to start feeling good, but at least they're getting better and not worse !

ace-t

Original Poster:

8,397 posts

284 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
OMG! Went out to check the pressures, they were at 37!

Took them back down to 24 and went for a drive - car is back to perfect! Thank you all so very much for replying and bringing my baby back.

I think I will give them a call and point out their mistake. It concerns me about how many numpties would simply not recognise any change in handling a situation like that could bring. Quite annoyed with myself too cos I did not think to check they knew the pressures. I did ask them to make sure they only hand tightened the nuts though, I think I will check them at the weekend.

Unfortunately went to the chippy after the test drive, bought a spring roll and just found a hair inside it Oh well cornflakes for dinner!

Thanks again everyone! You are all stars!

Ace-T

PS they are on the right way BTW - at least they got that right!

>> Edited by ace-t on Wednesday 14th July 20:31

griff2be

5,105 posts

296 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
Check the correct tyre sizes have been fitted too.

wedg1e

27,033 posts

294 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
Ah, tyre monkeys; dontcha love 'em...

Neilus

908 posts

311 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
When I had Toyo's fitted, I was told to take it easy for the first few miles as the tyres had a releasing agent or something which would mean less grip until it had been scrubbed off.

Neil.

Painey

534 posts

285 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
Agreed with the suff above really and the Toyo's on my Griff fet rather strange until I'd put a few miles on them. As is mentioned somthing to do with 'curing' the tyres etc. They're great now though but get the pressures checked as well.

RAW-SEWedge

970 posts

288 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
ace-t said:
OMG! Went out to check the pressures, they were at 37!


Can you imagine how dangerous that could be in the wet

jacko lah

3,297 posts

278 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
daxrush said:
I know you have to "bed new tyres in", but those symptoms sound a bit extreme....!!

Are they directional/on the correct way round.....??
Again, symptoms sound a bit extreme for that one too....


I almost crashed my old astra when I fitted 4 brand new mitchelins all round, I went round my favorite high speed bend and felt the back end starting to slide, so foolishly I backed off and felt it slide some more, but luckily I regained composure.

I thought I had 2 punctures, so stopped, but nothing wrong. 3 weeks later they were the best tyres I'd ever paid good money for.

wedg1e

27,033 posts

294 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
Tyres can retain some of the mould release agent that is applied to stop them sticking to the moulds. Could be that would cause some uncertainty until it rubs off, but I wouldn't think it would take more than a few miles...

jonnyb

2,590 posts

281 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
You need to put at least one heat cycle through the tyres to finish the curing process. The release agent on them should come off in a few hundred miles but the curing process can take alot longer and the tyres will not be at there best untill its done.

FlipFlopGriff

7,144 posts

276 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
Most fitters will over inflate the tyres - they even do it on my company car.
Ours were around 30 on the Tiv so I let them down before I fitted them.
FFG

Digga

48,017 posts

312 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
From previous experience, I now resolutely check the following, whenever the tyre monkeys go near my cars/wheels:

1. Pressures: Tell them what they should be before they fit the tyres, then once the tyres are on the rims, ask them to check the pressure. I then always end up re-checking when I get home.

2. Wheel Nuts: Tell them what torque they should be set at (worth finding this out if you don't already know) before they re-fit the wheels. If you don't make sure this is right, they'll just gun them up, and
a.) You might never get the wheel off by hand, even with a bloodly great torque wrench (really).
b.) Alloy wheels can be damaged by overtightening.

It sounds pedantic I know, and a lot of hassle, and of course you shouldn't really have to do this, but you must.

Edited to add that running on incorrect tyre pressures is not only dangerous, but could also cause you serious problems if your car is involved in an 'incident' and is checked by the law.



>> Edited by Digga on Thursday 15th July 12:53

FlipFlopGriff

7,144 posts

276 months

Thursday 15th July 2004
quotequote all
I take the wheels off myself and take them in as not only do I want minimal damage to the wheel most fitters are not too concerned how/where they jack the car up.
You can them check your own pressures and tighten to the correct torque yourself. It's a bit more of a pain this way but much safer.
FFG