Recommend me some tyres
Discussion
Due to a mong of a previous owner and a recent puncture, as of today I have a different tyre on each corner, which is a s
te idea if I ever heard one. Therefore, I'm looking to get hold of some new rubber for my 1999 Focus 1.8 Zetec. I'm not exactly rolling in cash at the moment, so cost is an important consideration: I really need to keep it down to no more than £50/corner delivered (I can fit them myself at work).
They need to be 195/55/R15.
Toyo Proxes T1-Rs?
All help much appreciated!
te idea if I ever heard one. Therefore, I'm looking to get hold of some new rubber for my 1999 Focus 1.8 Zetec. I'm not exactly rolling in cash at the moment, so cost is an important consideration: I really need to keep it down to no more than £50/corner delivered (I can fit them myself at work).They need to be 195/55/R15.
Toyo Proxes T1-Rs?
All help much appreciated!
G_T said:
It's Focus 1.8 mate. Not a Ferrari.
I really don't agree that it's a "s
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits.
Save your cash and drive sensibly. If you're really worried coming up to winter get some winter tyres.
I really don't agree that it's a "s
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits.Save your cash and drive sensibly. If you're really worried coming up to winter get some winter tyres.

Two of them are coming to the end of their life (the ditchfinders on the back), and as I take pride in my car, I'd rather it was in the best state it could be in terms of drivability.
Edited by Ben Hughes on Friday 1st October 20:35
G_T said:
I really don't agree that it's a "s
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits. Save your cash and drive sensibly.
+1 It may not be ideal but so long as you're not a complete div you ought to get by just fine if money is tight.
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits. Save your cash and drive sensibly.G_T said:
If you're really worried coming up to winter get some winter tyres.
-25,000IMO any good set of new tyres would be a better way to spend your limited money on a Focus 1.8 than piddling it away on a set of wheels and tyres you may have nowhere to keep and probably don't need anyway.
Ozzie Osmond said:
G_T said:
I really don't agree that it's a "s
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits. Save your cash and drive sensibly.
+1 It may not be ideal but so long as you're not a complete div you ought to get by just fine if money is tight.
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits. Save your cash and drive sensibly.G_T said:
If you're really worried coming up to winter get some winter tyres.
-25,000IMO any good set of new tyres would be a better way to spend your limited money on a Focus 1.8 than piddling it away on a set of wheels and tyres you may have nowhere to keep and probably don't need anyway.
Winter tyres are not the best way forward.
Ben Hughes said:
G_T said:
It's Focus 1.8 mate. Not a Ferrari.
I really don't agree that it's a "s
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits.
Save your cash and drive sensibly. If you're really worried coming up to winter get some winter tyres.
I really don't agree that it's a "s
t idea" to have non-matching tyres assuming they have enough tread and you drive within their limits.Save your cash and drive sensibly. If you're really worried coming up to winter get some winter tyres.

Two of them are coming to the end of their life (the ditchfinders on the back), and as I take pride in my car, I'd rather it was in the best state it could be in terms of drivability.
Just whack two semi-decent tyres on it and get on with your life. Whatever is on offer and hasn't been sitting in a warehouse for half a decade.
The T1-R's are a cracking tyre if a little soft on the sidewalls and tread in general. They will not last particularly long (perhaps 12k on the front) but they have excellent wet weather grip.
To be honest they're also good in the winter and I'm seriously thinking of not bothering with winter tyres (despite my seriously thinking about it recently). That is not to say they are as good as a set of proper winter tyres but for central england I didn't experience many days last year that caused me much concern.
If you can pick up a set for £50/corner then I'd recommend them.
To be honest they're also good in the winter and I'm seriously thinking of not bothering with winter tyres (despite my seriously thinking about it recently). That is not to say they are as good as a set of proper winter tyres but for central england I didn't experience many days last year that caused me much concern.
If you can pick up a set for £50/corner then I'd recommend them.
Personally I always put the best tyres on the rear of my car. If one end of the car is going to let go going around a slippery bend I'd rather it was the front than the back. Hopefully then I'll stay facing the right direction and have some chance of regaining control. If not then at least I'll see the tree I'm about to wrap myself around. So on that basis I'd be putting the new tyres on the back and the mixed pair on the front.
With a front wheel drive car it'll also mean that you'll wear out the mismatched pair quicker and be able to replace them with a new matched pair. If you did fit the new ones to the front you're likely to go through them and probably another set on the front before the mismatched rears need changing (unless the rears are well worn already of course).
With a front wheel drive car it'll also mean that you'll wear out the mismatched pair quicker and be able to replace them with a new matched pair. If you did fit the new ones to the front you're likely to go through them and probably another set on the front before the mismatched rears need changing (unless the rears are well worn already of course).
Edited by Trevelyan on Friday 1st October 21:50
Trevelyan said:
Personally I always put the best tyres on the rear of my car. If one end of the car is going to let go going around a slippery bend I'd rather it was the front than the back. Hopefully then I'll stay facing the right direction and have some chance of regaining control. If not then at least I'll see the tree I'm about to wrap myself around. So on that basis I'd be putting the new tyres on the back and the mixed pair on the front.
In an FWD car the front wheels provide the majority of grip for acceleration, turning and braking. What you describe is promoting understeer. If you head into a bend too quick and release the throttle the weight will shift to the front and then you have have less grip.
Strikes me as an incredibly silly thing to do.
G_T said:
Trevelyan said:
Personally I always put the best tyres on the rear of my car. If one end of the car is going to let go going around a slippery bend I'd rather it was the front than the back. Hopefully then I'll stay facing the right direction and have some chance of regaining control. If not then at least I'll see the tree I'm about to wrap myself around. So on that basis I'd be putting the new tyres on the back and the mixed pair on the front.
In an FWD car the front wheels provide the majority of grip for acceleration, turning and braking. What you describe is promoting understeer. If you head into a bend too quick and release the throttle the weight will shift to the front and then you have have less grip.
Strikes me as an incredibly silly thing to do.
Karlos69 said:
Not really. Most tyre shops will recommend new tyres on the rear on FWD cars. You put the best rubber on the axle you have the least control over. Understeer is easier to control for most than oversteer!
To be fair, I'd rather have to control oversteer with some opposite lock (my other car's an MGB, so I'm used to that) than understeering into a tree.Karlos69 said:
G_T said:
Trevelyan said:
Personally I always put the best tyres on the rear of my car. If one end of the car is going to let go going around a slippery bend I'd rather it was the front than the back. Hopefully then I'll stay facing the right direction and have some chance of regaining control. If not then at least I'll see the tree I'm about to wrap myself around. So on that basis I'd be putting the new tyres on the back and the mixed pair on the front.
In an FWD car the front wheels provide the majority of grip for acceleration, turning and braking. What you describe is promoting understeer. If you head into a bend too quick and release the throttle the weight will shift to the front and then you have have less grip.
Strikes me as an incredibly silly thing to do.
You're far more likely to break traction at the front than the rear in a FWD car. I.e. you will overcome grip more easily.
We're not disputing over vs under steer. We are disputing a tendancy to neutral handling vs. a tendancy to understeer.
G_T said:
Strikes me as an incredibly silly thing to do.
Fair enough, but I'll stick with the recommendations of the industry experts if it's all the same to you.http://www.tyresafe.org/news-and-events/detail/mot...
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/car-ty...
http://www.celtictyres.co.uk/front-rear.php
It's been discussed on here numerous times before as well, and majority opinion seems to go the same way, e.g:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Trevelyan said:
G_T said:
Strikes me as an incredibly silly thing to do.
Fair enough, but I'll stick with the recommendations of the industry experts if it's all the same to you.http://www.tyresafe.org/news-and-events/detail/mot...
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/car-ty...
http://www.celtictyres.co.uk/front-rear.php
It's been discussed on here numerous times before as well, and majority opinion seems to go the same way, e.g:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Just ordered a pair of Bridgestone ER300s for the Volvo. You know it's time when the wife's complaining about wheelspin. £60 a corner fitted at home next Monday from Blackcircles for 195/65 VR15 (clearly this is dependent on them having a mobile co in your area).
They are replacing the truly horrid Toyo CF1s on the front leaving the mismatched Kumho and something else on the back.
They are replacing the truly horrid Toyo CF1s on the front leaving the mismatched Kumho and something else on the back.
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