Sensible car maintenance advice?

[Profpointy]

[QUOTE 4321354, member: 9609"]a lot of truck tyres are regroovable with a special tool which is a bit of a cross between a soldering iron and a sharp blade, can get about another 8mm. I have heard of unscrupulous people are using these tools on car tyres which are not designed to be recut and leave the tyre likely to blow out at speed, I believe the tell tale mark is the lack of the wear indicator.[/QUOTE]

The other clue is bits of canvas sticking out. That and being stuck at the side of the road jacked up with a wheel off

 

[Jody]

Call me picky if you like,.

Its picky.

 

[Oldfentiger]

[QUOTE 4321406, member: 9609"]what disturbs me with your post is your willingness to drive a car for 6 months that you knowingly had a very serious problem.

I also find it very difficult to believe that a tread pattern so similar to the one on the other side could possibly make the slightest of difference to any normal driver driving at normal speeds - there must have been another problem causing the car to deviate.[/QUOTE]
You are perfectly entitled to believe what you like.
I wasn't happy to drive the car like that, but after every investigation by the main dealer I was told that there was no fault with the car. Suspension and tracking etc were repeatedly checked.
What other problem would you suggest may have been the cause?

 

[Jody]

What other problem would you suggest may have been the cause?

Road surface, tyre pressures, camber, caster, slightly worn bushes, wear in the track rods etc There are all sorts of reasons.

 

[Oldfentiger]

Road surface, tyre pressures, camber, caster, slightly worn bushes, wear in the track rods etc There are all sorts of reasons.

Road surface, seriously? The problem was there on all road surfaces.

Tyre pressures - actually the only way to make the car track straight was to run the front left at 12psi more than the right.

camber, caster, slightly worn bushes, wear in the track rods etc - this would all be under the heading of tracking and suspension.

Oh - and whatever problem there was miraculously disappeared when the tyres were changed. Suspension healed up mebbe? Tyre fitter changed the camber and castor when he did the wheel nuts up? Worn bushes swelled back up to original size?

 

[Jody]

Tyre pressures - actually the only way to make the car track straight was to run the front left at 12psi more than the right.

Now thats more dangerous than the car tracking slightly to one side.

 

[Jody]

[QUOTE 4321441, member: 9609"]please tell me you are joking[/QUOTE]

I suspect he is not

 

[Oldfentiger]

Now thats more dangerous than the car tracking slightly to one side.

I agree - only did this temporarily as an experiment to reinforce my complaint to the main dealer.

 

[Oldfentiger]

[QUOTE 4321441, member: 9609"]but why did you drive it?


please tell me you are joking[/QUOTE]

Why did I drive it? It was a business car, and my business can't stop because the car drifts left. After all, the main dealer assured me there was nothing wrong with the car, and Kwikfit assured me there was no fault with the tyres. Turns out they were both correct.

I'm not joking - please see reply to @Jody

Anyway, to return to the original point I was trying to make. I won't drive the car with differing brands of tyre on the same axle.

 

[snorri]

My car was in a main dealer today for its annual service and MoT test.
The garage reported -............................., and advised 'changing them today'.

The receptionist at my Main Dealer also recommended with a wink and a nod that I get the tyre replaced at a nearby tyre dealer who would supply and fit at a much lower price than the Main Dealer.

 

[Oldfentiger]

[QUOTE 4321513, member: 9609"]It is an interesting story and it would be really interesting to know what was going on. I have great doubts about it being a different tread pattern, I have always had old vans and have often had mixed tyre patterns and never had the slightest bit of bother.

But clearly there was something going on and it was rectified by fitting new tyres?

I can't think why the following would cause the problem but here is a thought that may fit in with your experiment with different tyre pressures; You say the tyres were manufactured a year apart. Tyres of the same specifications should be a certain size, for instance a 185 65 R14 should have a diameter of 596mm but they can vary 10 to 15 mm either side of that. So If for instance your tyres from different batches were of different diameters I wonder if that would make the car pull to one side, it also could explain why changing the tyre pressures which would slightly alter the diameter was rectifying the problem.[/QUOTE]

Yes, something odd was happening. The subtle difference in tread pattern was the only thing that was visible, however manufacturers often change internal features of products without making those changes public. In fact, I suspect that was more likely than the tread pattern causing the problem. Something was different which caused a change in the rolling resistance.

 

[Kajjal]

Yes - that's the tactic I use too. I just get fed up with having the same argument every time

I once had to wait until the two tyre fitters had finished rolling round on the floor fighting at a branch of kwikfit a good few years ago

 

[tyred]

I once had to wait until the two tyre fitters had finished rolling round on the floor fighting at a branch of kwikfit a good few years ago

And did the loser have to serve you?

 

[Levo-Lon]

Kwik fit are more intrested in selling you what you dont need..
i had one tell me my shock was leaking on my m3 cortina..
yes i said i know..did you not see the coil spring thats broken in 2 places and missing the brake line by about 5mm??
Just fit the exhaust please and ill do the rest..
And as for their sales you can usually get 8 friggin tyres for what they charge for 4

 

[Drago]

I once had to wait until the two tyre fitters had finished rolling round on the floor fighting at a branch of kwikfit a good few years ago

I also witnessed 2 guys having a punch up at a garage about 20years back. It turns out one of their mechanics had a stammer, and that day they'd called in the services of a windscreen fitted who also had a stammer. Each though the other was taking the pith, and they ended up coming to blows over it.

They seemed to be enjoying themselves so I just enjoyed the entertainment.