altea replacement tryes

[ray bigblue]

hi everyone , just wondering how many of you have replaced your original bridgestone tyres for different brands and how you rate them.
my 205/16/55s have only lasted 12000 since new doesnt seem that long to me? was thinking maybe goodyear nct,s or a trye i have been told is very good
called falken ? any thoughts on this or any tres you hate or rate!.

 

[Tell]

I'm planning to go over to Michilan Prim... the ones that Sat. Daily Telegraph like unless I'm told something is much better. The Michilan ones are suppose to be silent running. (On me PDA so can't get the correct spelling).

A lot of people are on new sets on here but non on the Prim... ones. I'm still good after 16,000 on original tyres.

 

[baldrick]

hi everyone , just wondering how many of you have replaced your original bridgestone tyres for different brands and how you rate them.
my 205/16/55s have only lasted 12000 since new doesnt seem that long to me? was thinking maybe goodyear nct,s or a trye i have been told is very good
called falken ? any thoughts on this or any tres you hate or rate!.

I assume you mean just the fronts? In which case 12000 is not untypical for a reasonably powerful or torquey front wheel drive, If you rotate the tyres front to back you can double the life but then have to fork out for four (which is my preference if I am going to switch brands).

Dunlops tend to be a harder tyre and you should get greater mileage at the expense of a bit of grip, whilst Pirellis tend to be a bit softer - more grip and a shorter life.

Personally I think Michelins are overpriced.

On my Alfa I have had Continentals (original fit), Bridgestone Potenzas and now Dunlop Sports. I would rate the Bridgestones the best (the best traction in the wet and no squealing), but it is marginal. The Dunlops were on a special offer and as I am planning to change the car soon chose to go with a decent tyre at a good price.

Some good info on tyres (in spite of a US focus) is here:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/index.jsp

Bearing in mind we use "Summer Tyres" in the UK

 

[baldrick]

hi everyone , just wondering how many of you have replaced your original bridgestone tyres for different brands and how you rate them.

Also it is unlikey every Altea leaves the dealer with Bridgestone tyres. The manufacturers are always doing deals with the tyre companys and it is not unlikely to see 2 of the same model in the showroom with different tyre manufacturers on or for your new car to turn up with different tyres to the cars in the showroom.

 

[Nathanio]

I have some Michelins on my Toldeo and my dad has them on both his Saabs and am very pleased with the price vs performance. They are alot better than either r the perrilis or firestones that were on there when I brought the car.

I have the Pilot Primecay I think and at £49 fitted and balanced a corner not unreasonable.

They are quiter, they hold better, they have very very good wet weather traction and more economical.

 

[baldrick]

I have some Michelins on my Toldeo and my dad has them on both his Saabs and am very pleased with the price vs performance. They are alot better than either r the perrilis or firestones that were on there when I brought the car.

I guess I should qualify my earlier comment. When I have looked at tyre prices for either 205/55/16s or 215/45/17s for mine and my wifes cars the Michelins were about £30 more than other premium brands. I think at other sizes things may be different. They are undoubtedly good tyres but I am not sure they are worth the extra. With promotions and so on they may be a better deal now.

 

[dlm2310]

I guess I should qualify my earlier comment. When I have looked at tyre prices for either 205/55/16s or 215/45/17s for mine and my wifes cars the Michelins were about £30 more than other premium brands. I think at other sizes things may be different. They are undoubtedly good tyres but I am not sure they are worth the extra. With promotions and so on they may be a better deal now.

Give www.blackcircles.com a try, I got my tyres from there, good choice and good value

 

[Magnus]

Had Pirelli P7 as originals on my car. They were a bit noisy, squealed like a girl on every roundabout and were all or nothing in the wet. Front left was down to 2mm at 20k so changed for Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 (front only). Much quieter, maybe a bit less grip when pulling away in the wet (236lb/ft torque and DSG ) and very progressive when they are going to let go ( I always get good warning that I'm not going to make the exit of the roudabout unless I back off a bit )

 

[googies]

hi everyone , just wondering how many of you have replaced your original bridgestone tyres for different brands and how you rate them.
my 205/16/55s have only lasted 12000 since new doesnt seem that long to me? was thinking maybe goodyear nct,s or a trye i have been told is very good
called falken ? any thoughts on this or any tres you hate or rate!.

I replaced the original Bridgestone fronts on my toledo 2weeks ago, was ~ 13.5k done on them, only half of that was me, as didnt get car form new, but safe to say they original tyres. Replaced them with Falen EX512 (think thats the code) @ £148 fitted, balanced and alignment + VAT. thought was good, two F1's came in at £163 all in, but needed a longer life in tyre (mileage 20/25k /yr).

Seem to be a good tyre, holds road better than Bridgestones, TCS isnt on half the time anymore and that pushing hard, some junctions i go through saw me sitting doing nothing but trying to get power down!!

 

[loadswine]

Interesting about the Falkens, might swap the fronts for those or Toyos when I have the next set of fronts. On my 3rd set now, so I've had 2 sets of Bridgestones and 1 set of Goodyear F1 GSD3s. Goodyears were better than the Bridgestones imho, but I use Toyos on my other car and they work very well.
Wear rates between the bridgestone and Goodyear items is comparable, with changes for the fronts at about 10k.
As far as swapping tyres around, I have read that this isn't a good idea, particularly with directional tyres. Watch those arrows , if they are wrong the tyres won't work as they should and it can fail an mot.

 

[Nathanio]

I guess I should qualify my earlier comment. When I have looked at tyre prices for either 205/55/16s or 215/45/17s for mine and my wifes cars the Michelins were about £30 more than other premium brands. I think at other sizes things may be different. They are undoubtedly good tyres but I am not sure they are worth the extra. With promotions and so on they may be a better deal now.

It's horses for courses and I don't think that was that expensive tbh. For me paying for tyres is a fore gone conclusion and so would rather stick with the brand I and my father have always had good results with

 

[ALTEA]

My altea was fitted with michealins from new and i managed to get 23000 miles out of them on the front. I've switched to dunlop sp sports now as i always got 20000 + out of them on my leon and they are cheeper than the michealins.

 

[baldrick]

As far as swapping tyres around, I have read that this isn't a good idea, particularly with directional tyres. Watch those arrows , if they are wrong the tyres won't work as they should and it can fail an mot.

Most tyre fitters will recommend moving the rears to the front for two reasons.

Firstly rear tyres on fwd cars can last for ages and actually deteroriate through age rather than wear, limiting grip even though they have a legal amount of tread.

Secondly replacing worn fronts with new tyres can have a significant effect on the balance of the car's grip. My personal view is this is the tyre manufacturers covering their arses when someone spins off and blaming their new tyres, but that is the recommendation - the new tryes go on the back and the rears get put on the front.

When "rotating" tyres to even out wear they don't get swapped across the axles, just from front to back.

 

[Tell]

hmmm best should go on the front in my book, the back ones just follow allong and don't do much. Best is always the new tyres.

You can move tyres around, I use to do it myself but you then get a period when they are bedding down so I don't reckon it's worth the hassle, different tread wear and the last thing you want is old tyres on the front.

 

[googies]

hmmm best should go on the front in my book, the back ones just follow allong and don't do much. Best is always the new tyres.

You can move tyres around, I use to do it myself but you then get a period when they are bedding down so I don't reckon it's worth the hassle, different tread wear and the last thing you want is old tyres on the front.

That's what i was thinking when changed mine, when times comes to change rears, i will move fronts (if good enough) to back and new set on front, FWD car somy thinking is this is the important end for the grip!! not worried about the rear stepping out, wont be going that fast, and it a big car so no real worry

 

[Tabintab]

hmmm best should go on the front in my book, the back ones just follow allong and don't do much. Best is always the new tyres.

You can move tyres around, I use to do it myself but you then get a period when they are bedding down so I don't reckon it's worth the hassle, different tread wear and the last thing you want is old tyres on the front.

Tyres last quite a long time, unless they are subjected to strong sunlight for long periods, so a couple of year old rear tyres aren’t going to be in to bad a condition tbh.

I always try to wear a full set out myself; I wait till the fronts have about 1/3 left in them & then swap fronts with backs. This way you have a set of tyres that are at the same age & have a similar grip.

Costs a bit of cash for 4 tyres, but in the end the cost is the same.

BTW, always make sure you get your tracking Checked & Aligned if necessary when you put on new rubber, in addition to the balancing. I think Quick Fit do the check for free!

Tab

 

[TDI_luver]

I'll tell you one thing that kills tyres faster than sunlight or underinflation.....hot high pressure jet washers loaded with detergent at close range !! It will destroy the rubber in no time at all. Never EVER let anyone near your tyres with one of those damned things...it might leave your tyres nice and clean looking for a day or two, but serious long term damage in the form of perishing of the rubber will result. I have seen it !

BTW, My Toledo cam factory fitted with new 205/55/16 Dunlop Sport 2000e 's and they are crap IMHO. VERY noisy, wearing quite heavily after 10,000 miles, grip in the wet nothing compared with the Bridgestones or Continentals I have used on previous SEATs and VWs. The TCS and ABS and my steering reactions bail them out of trouble every day ! When they're gone, it will be new Bridge's or Conti's methinks....I find Goodyear and Michelin poor in the cold and wet in winter...rubber too hard.

 

[baldrick]

hmmm best should go on the front in my book, the back ones just follow allong and don't do much. Best is always the new tyres.

I personally agree, but the tyre manufacturers keep spouting this. See Michelins advice here: http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/auto/auto_cons_bib_pqr_neuf.jsp

There is a bend near where I live which tightens and catches people out. They invariably ease off or brake and a few have spun off into a field in the wet. A woman was interviewed and claimed there was nothing she could do and the speed limit should be reduced. Eventually it was, although there was already a sign indicating the bends existence in a national speed limit. Now the whole stretch is 40.

This sums up the mentality, if people spin it is the car or the roads fault. Maybe the lack of ice and snow in recent years allied with obsession with speed has created a generation of drivers who believe they are responsible by keeping to the speed limit. If the road conditions aren't up to it it is not their fault.

Somehow you can see it now, someone has new tyres fitted and spins off the next day and the tyre fitters are negligent for creating a death trap. Certainly in my younger day having your best tyres on the wheels that do the steering was certainly the norm.