Message to anyone who drives

david balmer · Post by **david balmer** » 08 Jul 2006, 01:03

i must say no matter how good the tyre we have this horrible suff over here in winter called freezing rain. falls like normal rain until it comes into contact with the ground. then after a few hours you have upto 10mm of solid ice. :shock:
i have been watched slidding down the trl to close my doors and whilst doing this the whole trk began to move. slope=weight of trk and rain. i just got out the way before it slid into the loading dock.
at -10c we take care on the roads as this is the slippy season, black ice. at -40c the tyre stick to the road like s*** to a blanket. only problem then is when you stop for the night, the heat in the tyre melts the ice and your stuck until you get some sand or road salt ( the chemical kind, as normal road salt stops working at -15c )

thehappyotter · Post by **thehappyotter** » 08 Jul 2006, 01:42

To clear up the law in relation to tires in the UK here is a quote from one of my big boring law books.

It basically says in a round about way that for your car it's 1.6mm...

All tyres fitted to vehicles used on a road must be so maintained that they are free from defect and fit for the use to which they are being put.

It is an offence is to use, cause or permit to be used, a motor vehicle (or trailer) on a road fitted with a pneumatic tyre which:

â€¢ was unsuitable regarding the use of vehicle/trailer, or the types of tyres on the other wheels, or was not so inflated as to make it fit for use, or

â€¢ had a cut in excess of 25 mm (or 10% of the section width of the tyre, whichever is the greater) and deep enough to reach the ply or cord, or

â€¢ had a lump/bulge/tear caused by the separation or partial structural failure, or

â€¢ had a portion of the ply or the cord exposed, or

â€¢ had the base groove (which showed the original tread pattern) no longer clearly visible, or

â€¢ had a tread pattern which did not have a depth of at least 1 mm through the continuous band measuring at least three-quarters of the breadth of the tread round the entire outer circumference.

This will mainly apply to vehicles other than the more `common' vehicles you are likely to deal with (see note below).

Vehicles first used on or after 3 January 1933 which are:

â€¢ passenger vehicles (other than motorcycles) constructed or adapted to carry no more than eight seated passengers in addition to the driver, or

â€¢ goods vehicles with a maximum gross weight not exceeding
3500 kg, or

â€¢ light trailers not being goods vehicles as above,
are subject to different requirements regarding tread pattern and depth of groove.

For these vehicles the requirement is for the grooves of a tread pattern to be at least 1.6 mm deep throughout the continuous band situated in the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tread, around the entire outer circumference.

The offence is using (causing or permitting use of) a vehicle fitted with a tyre not maintained in the condition as to be fit for use or free from defect which might in any way cause damage to the surface of the road or danger to persons on or in the vehicle or to other persons using the road.

I might not know a lot about planes but when it comes to exciting things like the construction and use regulations i''m your man...

Jon.M · Post by **Jon.M** » 08 Jul 2006, 12:24

This is a serious thread, here's my tuppence worth as a biker.

If possible tyre condition is even more important on a bike as the tyre footprint is much smaller and there's much less weight keeping it stuck to the road. There may be only two of them to buy but good bike tyres cost more than car ones and wear out much quicker. My last pair didn't make it to 10,000 Km.

Bikers spend quite a bit of concentration on looking out for slippery patches, manhole covers, white lines, overbanding, mud etc. things that you can usually ignore in a car. That goes double in corners or roundabouts.

Those of you who drive diesels especially vans and lorries please don't overfill your tanks. Diesel spillage on bends and roundabouts kills.

Suffice to say I never economise on tyres for the bike or the car. Admittedly I'm not a penniless student or unemployed any more.

Jon

Dyl Roberts · Post by **Dyl Roberts** » 08 Jul 2006, 12:25

Just out of curiosity Dyl, what brand of tyres did you fit?

Hi James,

I worked for a company called National Tyres & Autocare, where I'd fit anything from a wheelbarrow tyre to heavy Plant tyres, I spent three and a half years there on what they used to call a "YTS" Youth Training Scheme on Â£29.50 a week.......

But managed to pass all my tyre fitting exams, the qualifications were City & Guilds level - I got top grades on the Car & Van, Truck & Advanced courses. I did enjoy my time there, but once the scheme was over I had to move on. I then went to work in another tyre garage this time on the Agricultural side of things, changing things from bailer tyres to huge Combine Harvesters & Tractors, I spent two years doing that job. My next & final tyre fitting job was working for a VW / Audi main dealer, where I managed the tyre bay there, looking after two other guy's, one trainee & a qualified fitter, I did that job for a year & a half. All in all, I look back at it & it was a physical, but a chalenging job to do, some days it was fine, others you'd have to lie on your stomach on the floor in six inches of Rubbish tip sludge with Rats running over the backs of your legs.....

So mixed feelings for the job really, but I did have a lot of good times in all jobs.

RE: legal limits, Blimey...... things have changed a bit since my days as a fitter........ :think:

Nigel H-J · Post by **Nigel H-J** » 08 Jul 2006, 20:01

Ooooops

..............Got it wrong didn't I? Oh dear, sorry......thought it was 1.5mm......but as previously stated I always change mine at two.....that is the minimum that I will allow them to go. presently I still have the original tyres since I bought the car three years ago and have covered 25835 miles and have about a thousand miles before needing to change the fronts where they will be around 2mm then.......the rear tyres still have plenty of tread left so will not need changing for another year or so but I do have a question........Rubber deteriorates and the speed to which it does depends largely on elements such as weather etc. What is the recommended time to change the tyres even if the tread is still plentifull, is there a recommended time limit for tyres?

Post by **Garry Russell** » 08 Jul 2006, 20:06

Doesn't anyone swap tyres arround nowdays?

Garry

andy · Post by **andy** » 08 Jul 2006, 20:31

Nigel, I don't think that you could apply an actual time limit to it, as it depends on a number of factors.
If the car has been garaged, for example, it will have been protected from a lot of the elements. Sunlight can cause rubber to deteriorate just as temperature extremes do.

A good inspection at close quarters will reveal any cracks, cuts, or abrasions.

My Frontera needs four new ones. The current ones are down to just over 2mm, and the mot is due in 2 months, so I'll get them done at the end of this month.

andy · Post by **andy** » 08 Jul 2006, 20:34

Garry Russell wrote:Doesn't anyone swap tyres arround nowdays?

Garry

No Garry, otherwise you can affect the balence of them.
Anyway, if you do that, they will wear evenly, and you end up having to buy four at the same time like me.

Unless of course, you drive a Trotter mobile..................

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 08 Jul 2006, 20:46

Quiet often these days you cant swap front and rear because they are a different size or spec. Not sure about evening out the wear entirely because I think wear is affected by such things as driving style, brake balance, steering, suspension alignment etc and however hard you try one tyre is gonna end up "unlucky" and spend more time on a 'high-wear' wheel. Not to mention some cars have different pressures front and back and I'd guess that must make a difference too :think:

Post by **Garry Russell** » 08 Jul 2006, 21:03

It's a long time since I've driven

Garry