Random rant & tyres

[JonoUK]

I own an FR TDI. I really quite love it.
I had the misfortune of being given a 1.6 Vauxhall Meriva hire car for about 1 hour the other day from Bristol International Airport> cross country > M5 > M4 > Newport, Wales.
I've come to the conclusion that crap cars such as that cause road rage. Completely gutless and couldn't get up any hint of an incline without being in 2nd gear.

It pulled consistently all the way through the rev range in all gears. Well, when I say "pulled" I mean I could feel no sensation of going faster or even moving at all.

It also had no cornering ability whatsoever and wallowed all over the place whenever any attempt was made to encourage the car to change direction.


On another note, I had my almost illegal Michelin Pilot Exaltos on the front replaced with two shiney new Good Year Eagle F1 Asymmetrics and aside from the fact the car wants to accellerate properly (seems much faster now) and I'm sure it's giving me better MPG.... it just seems a lot quieter.

A LOT QUIETER!

I can't decide whether or not to get some for the rears too, as they don't need replacing yet, and i'm not sure how long [the good years] will last. The michelin tyres had covered just under 24k miles.

 

[Jedimaster65]

Why don't you wait till the rears are worn and then rotate them ? You can have full set then, like me. I am getting mine inflated with nitrogen soon...

 

[truCido]

A 1.6 Vauxhall engine vs a FR TDI lol, your diesel engine will have a lot more torque and power and of course it will feel gutless especially against a torquey engine.

Jedimaster65, you paying for that?? its not really worth paying for it

 

[JonoUK]

A 1.6 Vauxhall engine vs a FR TDI lol, your diesel engine will have a lot more torque and power and of course it will feel gutless especially against a torquey engine.

Oh I know, but even compared to my 1.3 corolla or the miniscule engined Gayo (Aygo) I got as a courtesy car it was awful.

 

[nobba]

Just a note about the tyres I have 4 Eagle F1's on mine (5,000 miles on them) and couldnt get off my street yesterday with the snow. I was the only car that couldnt. The hill is not steep and it just wouldnt pull up it. I ended up going to work in the wifes clio yesterday and today, whos tyres cost about 20% of mine!!!
Rant over!!

 

[phil3012]

Generally Good Years last nowhere near as long as Michelins.

There is a wear rate indicator on the tyres you can use as a comparison.

 

[Jedimaster65]

Nitrogen only costs £1.25 per wheel

 

[rllmuk]

Just a note about the tyres I have 4 Eagle F1's on mine (5,000 miles on them) and couldnt get off my street yesterday with the snow. I was the only car that couldnt. The hill is not steep and it just wouldnt pull up it. I ended up going to work in the wifes clio yesterday and today, whos tyres cost about 20% of mine!!!
Rant over!!

Had the same today on the same tyres - it has all iced over and I can't get my car over the smallest of inclines out of our close, it just digs in. Rubbish.

 

[Donnyboy]

Nitrogen only costs £1.25 per wheel

And whats the idea behind that???

 

[truCido]

And whats the idea behind that???

because race cars use it, there's no real advantage on the road for a normal cars tbh

 

[Jedimaster65]

Nitrogen has much larger molecules than air and is much denser as a result, this means that it doesn't leak from your tyres like air does, so you keep your tyre pressure up for much longer, it also doesn't increase temperature as easily so the pressure variation in your tyres when you drive harder is much less, plus when you have a puncture it goes down much more slowly than air does.

All this means your tyres are at a more consistent pressure, shape and temperature which will give them lower tyre wear and reduces your cars Co2 emmisions.

Not bad for £1.25 / wheel... well worth it if it makes the Eagle F1's last longer.

The F1 boys have used the stuff for 10 years or so.

Most ATS tyre centres offer it now...

 

[Jedimaster65]

By the way Donnyboy, that's one super-looking Cupra you have there... !

 

[truCido]

Nitrogen has much larger molecules than air and is much denser as a result, this means that it doesn't leak from your tyres like air does, so you keep your tyre pressure up for much longer, it also doesn't increase temperature as easily so the pressure variation in your tyres when you drive harder is much less, plus when you have a puncture it goes down much more slowlythan air does.

All this means your tyres are at a more consistent pressure, shape and temperature which will give them lower tyre wear and reduces your cars Co2 emmisions.

Not bad for £1.25 / wheel... well worth it if it makes the Eagle F1's last longer.

The F1 boys have used the stuff for 10 years or so.

Most ATS tyre centres offer it now...

Air is 78% Nitrogen anyway....it will leak from your tyres admittedly not quite as quick but you'll have to keep going back to the garage and paying £1.25 every time you want a tire inflated....

The increase in temperature / pressure is only really in extreme circumstances and won't be noticed

F1 uses it because of the extreme speeds they drive at and the high speed, temps and pressures really make only a little difference (milliseconds) but its worth it in F1. yes the new skyline comes with nitrogen tyres but its sold as a very high performance car

Basically I think its a load of b*lls, its something tyre companies can say ooo they use this in racing and in planes put it in your car and everything will be better and make a bit of money.

 

[matt_s]

Nitrogen has much larger molecules than air and is much denser as a result, this means that it doesn't leak from your tyres like air does, so you keep your tyre pressure up for much longer, it also doesn't increase temperature as easily so the pressure variation in your tyres when you drive harder is much less, plus when you have a puncture it goes down much more slowlythan air does.

All this means your tyres are at a more consistent pressure, shape and temperature which will give them lower tyre wear and reduces your cars Co2 emmisions.

Not bad for £1.25 / wheel... well worth it if it makes the Eagle F1's last longer.

The F1 boys have used the stuff for 10 years or so.

Most ATS tyre centres offer it now...

I take it you are quoting from the same people that charge you £1.25 to fill your tyre with it? The advantage is that the nitrogen is dry so you don't get pressure variations due to the water content when the water dops out as a liquid when cold and back to a gas when hot.

If you think you can tell the difference in a road car I have a magnet to put on your fuel line, gives more power and economy. £25 and it's yours.

Anyway, we get 15000l of nitrogen for about £15, so 50l to fill a tyre costs about 5p.

 

[Jedimaster65]

Each to his own, but for £5 for the car, and only maybe once a year, if it reduces tyre wear on the F1's it's well worth the cash.

 

[truCido]

Ahhh exactly what I was looking for...

http://www.tyresave.co.uk/nitrogen.html

 

[Jedimaster65]

Yes, I already read this and much of it makes no sense at all if you read it...total jibberish !

They obviously can't get a cheap nitrogen supplier / don't want to be bothered.

Most of their logic / "Reasons" are quite laughable(or not reasons at all).

There is simply no downside to nitrogen, apart from the £5 charge.

 

[Tam]

I've got the michellins .. and they too are shite in the snow ..

1) Turn ESP / TCS off.
2) take foot away from accelerator.
3) stick it in 1st and use the clutch very very very lightly to bite and start moving the car forward, if it spins drop the clutch and try again even lighter, use just the engine idle to move the car.

got me out of many problems over the last couple of days ..

p.s. dont try to brake, as that just triggers the abs and really doesn't stop you that well... so be prepared!

 

[Donnyboy]

Thanks Jedimaster. Its pretty much the same as yours.........but not looking very clean these days.

What tyre pressures do you all run then?

 

[Jace]

I noticed my P-ZERO's had worn much faster in the centre, so the fuel cap pressure is too much for them, now running 28psi to try & even the wear out.

I had F1's on my old golf, amazing in every thing but snow.