Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres

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Tue 20 Oct 2015 20:03
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - oldroverboy.

Treated myself to 2 new front tyres before our predicted "bad winter" as tread down to less than 3mm, and the original fitting kumhos have developed cracks between the treads

Car still as boringly efficient as ever. 45 mpg local and 50 on a run, with no dpf/egr etc.

Bought tyres online 195/55/17 Avon zv5 from F1 autocentre here in Colchester, Used voucher code found on vouchercode site and tyres were a mere £113.81 for 2 fitted and balanced and quicly done.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 20/10/2015 at 20:04

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Tue 20 Oct 2015 20:34
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - skidpan

Treated myself to 2 new front tyres before our predicted "bad winter

Its been said by me and others before but new tyres should go on the rear regardless of the driven wheels. In bad weather you risk loosing grip at the back end which will possibly see you off the road backwards. Normally all that happens when you loose grip at the front is a bit of understeer which is easier to control.

The AA say:

"Generally it's good practice to fit the best/newest tyres on the rear – in wet conditions, this favours understeer rather than oversteer.

So if you have the front tyres renewed it's best to have the rear ones moved to the front and the new tyres fitted to the rear."

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Tue 20 Oct 2015 20:47
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - gordonbennet

And i'd have done exactly the same as ORB, put them on the drive axle whichever end it happens to be, but each to their own.

Sound a bargainous price ORB, well trousered sir.

Edited by gordonbennet on 20/10/2015 at 20:48

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Tue 20 Oct 2015 21:27
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - Engineer Andy

I think either Needles, Vicki B-H or another Fifth Gear presenter demonstrated this exact issue on Fifth Gear a long time ago - sound advice as demonstrated by their car doing a 180 accident by having the new tyres on the front on more worn (but legal) tyres on the back. Perfectly ok the other way around as you say.

I couldn't find the clip, so here's a friendly American one demonstrating exactly the same: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSz7cm6MwH0

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Tue 20 Oct 2015 21:41
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - oldroverboy.
Thanks all,
Was advised rear tyres down to 3.5 so will change as well. My decision.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 20/10/2015 at 21:42

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Tue 20 Oct 2015 22:09
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - SteveLee

I always put new tyres on the rear of small light cars for the reasons above - some tyre fitters still have the old "fit them to the driven wheels" mentality - which could be fatal. When fitting two tyres to my missis's C3 I had to insist they put them on the rear - they really resisted (Formula 1 centre) I tore them off a strip for being clueless idiots and haven't used the place since.

I change tyres as soon as they near 3mm I never let them get anywhere near the ridiculous UK limit.

Obvioulsy with my Hillman Imp I fit the new pair to the front - but that's a special case!

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Wed 21 Oct 2015 09:56
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - Engineer Andy

Indeed - I once made the mistake on my old Nissan Micra of letting the original Dunlop tyres go down to 2mm before changing them - needless to say within the space of a few days come the Autumn/Winter bad weather, I skidded twice through the same set of traffic lights (driving at or below the speed limit) when needing to brake for a red light. Scared the beJesus out of me and I got four new Bridgestone corners within a week.

Never again! I changed my Bridgestone ER30s on my Mazda3 when they had 4mm (front) and 5mm (rear) left on them, as they were 6 years old and weren't the best (very noisy [only after 6 months from new] and not great in the wet [after 5 years]), even if they were relatively long-lasting. Never worth taking a risk with dodgy tyres.

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Wed 21 Oct 2015 16:45
Kia Rio @ 20000 miles - New Tyres - oldroverboy.

Have now ordered another new tyre and using the brand new avon I fitted with the full size spare will have 4 new tyres on before winter (hopefully no snow in Essex before friday) and the spare will have 4mm.

Nice to see a good consensus,

Congrats chaps....

just to make you smile.. tyre price has dropped so now £55.6o for 1 (will be fitted friday)

2 were £113.81 when i paid last week for fitting tuesday...

Did 120 miles on them in the rain this morning, felt ok.

So far, for tyre fitting my experience of F1 autocentres has been good, and many years ago was ok too. I think it all comes down to the particular people in the centre. we will see.

I did listen to what the mgr was telling a lady customer about the catalyst/dpf on her Zafira diesel and he was telling the truth.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 21/10/2015 at 16:46

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