Need two new tyres - Advice needed

The car has failed the MOT due to uneven braking application, brake pipes and a number of petty things such as wipers and reg plate bulb, I expected them to fail the tryes as they two of them are are barely legal but not replaced them until I new what needs doing to the MOT.

A lot of work is needed for the MOT but its all cheap trivial stuff so it should not cost more than £150 inc labour which means I have £100 to spend on two tryes.

This where I am confused.

The car only has a 1.3 litre engine, but it has a brilliant chasis with very predictable handeling, all the rubber on it atm is decent brand stuff.

I always enjoy driving it, not fast but just the way it goes round corners even at 25mph its very re-assuring and I am sure new rubber will only help this.

I don't want go over the top as this is no sports car and very rarley exceeds 40mph unless my dad drives it.

The proflie is a bit odd as they are 185/55/14"s and I need two of them. Which tryes should I buy for £50 each inc fitting? I want something with decent stopping distances in the wet and something which should last a good two years. Atm thecar has a mixture of Perrali 6000s, Barums and a horrible Nexon which is soon to replaced!.

Thanks

 

Ok...

First off, and you may already know this, new tyres always go on the back.

Specific tyres...

I'm a great fan of goodyear these days. My second Galant had a full set of Goodyear Excellence on it, and they lived up to the name. I've just paid a not inconsiderable amount of money to put two Eagle F1 Asymmetrics on my new car - in a few months time another two will go on (bye bye conti).

So, the appropriate goodyear for a fiesta is the Duragrip, which is in essence a harder-wearing excellence for smaller cars. However, these might be a bit steep.

Kumho are a good brand, currently trying to buy themselves some market share with low prices. The Ecsta SPT KU31 is a fairly highly regarded tyre, although wet handling characteristics may leave a little to be desired. I had a set of KH15s on my green galant and they were significantly better than the over-rated P6000. Should be able to get KU31 for £40 a corner.

Vredestein Hi-trac should be in budget also, and I've heard great things about these on similar age fiestas.

Another couple of good, well-priced tyres are Falken Ziex 912 and 452 and the Uniroyal Rallye 550.

 

Oh, and a couple of suggestions of fitters: Oldham tyre and exhaust are a kumho specialist dealer and should be able to supply, fit, valve and balance kumho tyres for less than any online place sells them for.

But if you want really good quality work done without that nasty feeling of dread you get from hoping that the work has been done right from most places, then I highly recommend Pro-fit tyres in oldham. I've found them to be extremely competitive on goodyears and always been happy with the care they've taken over the work and the car.

 

Thanks for that I will look into it, its just getting the right balance for between what is an old banger worth £800 and tryes which are safe and last.

I will probably just order them of the net and then get a local fitter to fit them, that way I can choose what I want rather than be forced to buy some crappy Tigars at £40 a pop.

Reply to your second reply

Thanks Isaac, I will look into that. Need to get this sorted next week once the it has past the MOT.

 

It doesn't always work out cheaper...

Through pro-fit I got the Eagle F1s (225/45 R17 94Y) for £101 each, fitted, valved and balanced. Best price on the net was £87, but then I had to get them delivered, then find somewhere to fit them, dispose of the old, etc - quotes range from £15 to £25 per tyre for that, so it wasn't worth the hassle. Same was true of the excellence - they were a few quid cheaper on the net, but by the time all the work was included, it was cheaper to go through pro-fit. They're not a main road place, but are hidden off in an industrial estate and their main business is van and lorry tyres, and they always seem to beat krap-fit and the like on price.

 

AT - get a quote off somewhere like black circles, then see if your local will price match.
Last 8 tyres I have bought (2, then 2, then 4 over the last 12 months) have all been price matched to prices I could get on the internet.

 

Yep - what Samantha said - go to Blackcircles site - they do dealer fitted (all around the country) and "send to you prices" if there's not a local dealer handy. Most places will fit with valve and balance for about 10 - 15. BC prices are about the most competitive.

 

Try www.event-tyres.co.uk

Had four new tyres fitted by them, at my house, the fitter was polite, punctual, and did a brilliant job. Can't recomend them enough. Cheap too. They sell Kumho, Toyo, Falken etc.

You have very little choice for £100 just checked event and black circles. I'd have the Toyo at blackcircles if it were me, but with your driving profile, the number of miles you do, and the likelihood that you won't keep the car that long I'd just stick something really cheap on.

 

Thanks . I have decided to go for the Kumho's as they seem to be the best quality for the price.

 

In which case try oldham tyre and exhaust... they're very, very cheap... which you might understand when you see their premises, but they're always busy.

 

Thanks just got the car MOT'ed now and £200 less in my pocket but at least I know the brakes now work.

55 profile tyres are very expensive for my car, but 60's are much cheaper, would putting 60's at the back (the new ones) and 55's at the front cause major problems?

I am thinking if it might be best just to replace all 55 profile tyres with the more standard 60's? The price difference is about £15 per rubber.

 

fitting 60 profile tyres will alter the rolling radius of the wheel, it will change the overall gearing and throw the speedo out, not to be recommended,

as the Fiesta is front wheel drive personally I would put the new tyres on the front

 

You personally might.

http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/auto/auto_cons_bib_pqr_neuf.jsp

http://www.celtictyres.co.uk/front-rear.php

http://www.etyres.co.uk/flashmovies/new-tyres-rear-etyres.htm

http://www.klebertyres.co.uk/Kleber...LEBER_PAG_CONSEIL3&codeRubrique=8032005184616

http://www.tyresafe.org/news-and-events/detail/motorists-get-their-tyres--back-to-front--/

New tyres go on the back.

 

ooops, does seem a bit conclusive

 

talking of cars - I've got an s reg primera and the brake light came on the other day and when I got in last night (drive home from work) the brakes were like sponge and no response at all...

anyway - went to kwik fit this morning for them to take a look...

needs - front and rear pads, discs, rear calipers replacing and rear brake pipes...!! they were going to do the front brake pipes - but they're ok (for now...)

how much..?

710 feckin' quid...! ffs... that's probably how much the car's worth (it's done 122k miles)

given that the car ws stripped bare - I gave him the go ahead...I feel gutted (and skint)
in hindsight it maybe worth getting a new motor but I didn't have the time to sort everything out...

what would you have done..?

at least they're dropping the car off for me...

 

Well I have just had two new wipers, a new fog lamp switch, head light aim, new rear brake pipes, hand brake adjusted, some teeth adjusted on the rear drum adjusted, an MOT certificate all for £200.

Discs and calipers are fairly expensive but I can't see that lot costing more than £350-£400 that said I have no idea how hard the job is on that car or how much the parts cost.

 

I know - I feel as tho I've been properly fisted...

but in the circumstances (car stripped down and ready to be worked on) and on the spot decision making I felt it was much easier to get the job done...
just wish I knew a good local garage - there's one up in Tow law (ridleys) - but they're a bunch of cowboys...and I know a local mechanic - who's good but I'd normally have to wait a few days to get the job done (plus, I think the brake pipes would have been too much for him...) as that's why I just went to kwik fit as I know they can normally do the job there and then...

but he did give me a break down of the cost so item wasn't overly excpensive....just the amount of work to be done - but they aren't the cheapest place around...

 

The issue was probably brake pipes, but they figured they could do you for pads and discs at the same time. As it's a safety item people won't question it to a large extent.

Given the car and the work listed, it's not a totally horrific price, and sometimes it's worth paying for expediency.

 

yeah, he showed me what had to be done and it did look like it needed doing - tho, I'm no expert...

shame that cars don't have a underside cover that protects the underside from grit etc...I'm sure someone would have thought of this?

 

Moral of the story avoid Kwik-Cash like the plaque.