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Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: canalmike on 04 January 2023, 14:20
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MOT due in a month so popped into 2 tyre shops to check legality.
Both measured 3.33 on the fronts and said I should replace them for the MOT. Surely this is just salesmanship???!
OK, it's best not to run right down to the legal limit, both to guarantee passing the MOT and for obvious safety reasons, but at what point do you make the change?
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Between 2 and 3mm is about right except maybe in the height of a dry summer.
The legal minimum tread depth certainly won’t be allowing the tyres to perform at anything like their optimum in anything except bone dry warm weather.
Currently needing a pair of fronts myself as I’m at 3mm and debating whether to stick with PS4S or put PS5’s on the front and keep the healthy PS4S on the rear.
I fancy trying the PS5’s but my car OCD and dislike of mix’n’match tyres is swinging me more to PS4S all round.
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I change at 3mm, grip tends to drop off a bit more as they go below. Given we're still in winter conditions it's a good idea to change sooner rather than later, if it were coming into summer I'd run them for another 3-4 months.
See what deals are about if there's 10-15% off go for it, if not hold off on pulling the trigger.
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I've always changed around the 3 mm mark. Think it was a Fifth Gear segment many, many moons ago that showed the impact on stopping distances in the wet on tyres at 1.8 mm that was a tad scary.
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Between 2mm and 3mm for me.
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Agree. And having just done it, the car feels great. For the type of car we all love, good tyres with a decent tread are key.
Otherwise just buy a Nissan Juke and enjoy budget motoring. The problem being 90% of drivers regard a car like a washing machine….a household appliance.
No thanks!
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About half of the time I find myself replacing tyres due to pothole or puncture damage before they have worn out.
I usually replace at about 2-3mm, some tyres continue to grip well as the tread wears but others don't. Plus on my commute there are a couple of sections of road which tend to hold standing water, and going through without much tyre tread can be a bit scary.
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90% of drivers regard a car like a washing machine….a household appliance.
Admittedly I’m a bit odd but I regard my washing machine as enthusiastically as I do my car! :whistle:
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90% of drivers regard a car like a washing machine….a household appliance.
Admittedly I’m a bit odd but I regard my washing machine as enthusiastically as I do my car! :whistle:
Is it only when you've taken a corner a bit too hard the interest peaks? :wink:
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@Exonian, just done what you’re considering- brand new PS5s front, leaving part worn PS4s rear.
Just do it, they’re the same brand, almost the same model. Won’t do you any harm!
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About half of the time I find myself replacing tyres due to piothole or puncture damage before they have worn out.
I usually replace at about 2-3mm, some tyres continue to grip well as the tread wears but others don't. Plus on my commute there are a couple of sections of road which tend to hold standing water, and going through without much tyre tread can be a bit scary.
I replaced all 4 due to one front tyre having a non-repairable puncture, the rears still had 5-6mm of tread! But I really didn't like the Pirellis and wanted 4 PS4S so I just went for it. I had around 25k miles out of them so that was pretty good.
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Is it only when you've taken a corner a bit too hard the interest peaks? :wink:
It does have a tendency to spin!
@Exonian, just done what you’re considering- brand new PS5s front, leaving part worn PS4s rear.
Just do it, they’re the same brand, almost the same model. Won’t do you any harm!
If the sidewalls don’t match almost perfectly I’d get a nervous twitch every time I looked at the car!
It’s bad enough having slightly different numbers on their sides :shocked:
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😂😂 you need help!
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Same position here... probably 2'ish on front and 4 to 5 on rear, was thinking of just changing fronts to PS5s for now and waiting on the rears... then I thought I'd do a rotate this weekend and change all four in a couple of months which would eek out a few more miles.
Just means having to jack and do the rotate on the drive... did ask a local garage and they wanted a tenner per wheel to do it!
Now I'm thinking of going for all four at the same time.
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Now I'm thinking of going for all four at the same time.
Go for it. I'm tight but to me it was well worth it.
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About half of the time I find myself replacing tyres due to piothole or puncture damage before they have worn out.
I usually replace at about 2-3mm, some tyres continue to grip well as the tread wears but others don't. Plus on my commute there are a couple of sections of road which tend to hold standing water, and going through without much tyre tread can be a bit scary.
I replaced all 4 due to one front tyre having a non-repairable puncture, the rears still had 5-6mm of tread! But I really didn't like the Pirellis and wanted 4 PS4S so I just went for it. I had around 25k miles out of them so that was pretty good.
Mine is on Pirelli Pzero at the moment and they are not great. They came with the car when I bought it.
Lots of tread on them and I cannot justify binning them before I have had use out of them.
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2mm, when it is on the wear marker, never had issues over the years driving with not doing it then.
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An anal MOT tester may give you an advisory for the tyres on an MOT but it won't fail. Depends how much this bothers you. When looking at used cars I often check MOT history as i feel its an indication how well the car was looked after.
The current time of year its the wet weather and we are going into the snow months. :undecided:
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Similarly, I can't wait to get rid of the Pirelli's but I've got too much tread left, oh well it's winter now anyway....
I'll probably be going for PS4S as Costco do good deals on them, as well as Eagle F1 Supersports. I think the Michellins are on offer at the moment, £50 off for 2 tyres fitted and £100 off when buying 4 fitted. Don't forget to add fitting charges of £8 per corner. Still worked out around £40 less per a tyre (19") compared to blackcirlces when I looked last year.
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Just looked on BlackCircles and 19" PS4S are £192 a corner! WTF?
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Just looked on BlackCircles and 19" PS4S are £192 a corner! WTF?
If you don’t have a Costco nearby, it’s always worth checking Asda Tyres. They’re usually cheaper than Blackcircles, and they are often giving away Asda vouchers with purchases of 2 and 4 tyres too.
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That’s fine but my nearest Costco fitter is an 80 mile round trip and nearest Asda fitter is a 38 mile round trip whereas my Blackcircles fitter is 2 miles away and only £8 per corner more.
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Just looked on BlackCircles and 19" PS4S are £192 a corner! WTF?
I just had a set of 19 PS4S fitted 225/35R19 before Christmas and they were £163 a corner fitted, did you add the discount codes?
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Just looked on BlackCircles and 19" PS4S are £192 a corner! WTF?
I just had a set of 19 PS4S fitted 225/35R19 before Christmas and they were £163 a corner fitted, did you add the discount codes?
I don't need tyres right now so I didn't look really deep, I just wanted to see what they cost now. About £160 a corner is what I remember paying
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I have noticed that if you buy tyres from Blackcircles through ebay they only charge £1 per tyre to fit.
Often ebay's 15% or 20% discounts also apply to black circles so savings can be made there.
Also check places like Camskill, if you have a local garage that is willing to fit tyres that they haven't supplied you can save money that way.
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Good shout, forgot to look for a blackcirlces shop on ebay, used to get track tyres from the demon tweeks offers on there!
Looks like a slightly cheaper option via ebay (15% off) and also more convenient for garage locations.
Also worth noting that the offer from my local Costco is for Run Flats on the PS4S (No thanks!).
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£144 per tyre for Conti Sportcontact 7 in 225/35 R19
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134261775366
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@Exonian, just done what you’re considering- brand new PS5s front, leaving part worn PS4s rear.
Just do it, they’re the same brand, almost the same model. Won’t do you any harm!
I'm thinking of going a step further and putting PS5's on the front (really keen to try them!) and keeping the Potenza S005's on the back for the summer.
Is that a step too far? Or is it Madness "One Step Beyond"? Sorry, I'm showing my age.
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@Exonian, just done what you’re considering- brand new PS5s front, leaving part worn PS4s rear.
Just do it, they’re the same brand, almost the same model. Won’t do you any harm!
Yusee, your mission this weekend should you choose to accept is to photograph the sidewall side on of both 4S and 5 to compare them…
:kiss:
For anyone looking at Michelin tyres, ATS seem to do about the best deals on them, currently £32 off 2 and £64 off 4.
For example a PS5 (tyre not game console) is £151 a corner in 235/35/19 flavour less discount if buying in pairs or pair of pairs.
Admittedly no good for our ROI members unless they live close enough to nip over.
The quality of tyre fitting Neanderthal can vary so caveat emptor!
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@Exonian, just done what you’re considering- brand new PS5s front, leaving part worn PS4s rear.
Just do it, they’re the same brand, almost the same model. Won’t do you any harm!
I'm thinking of going a step further and putting PS5's on the front (really keen to try them!) and keeping the Potenza S005's on the back for the summer.
Is that a step too far? Or is it Madness "One Step Beyond"? Sorry, I'm showing my age.
Hey you. Don’t watch that. Watch this. This is the heavy heavy monster song…
I’m quite happy with my PS5s. And these cars are so safe in their handling characteristics, i’m not sure it really matters what you have on the rear. Might be quite fun to put some widow makers on the rear actually.
@Exonian, I’m a little worried that even a photo of odd michelin tyres on the same car may cause you distress!
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The quality of tyre fitting Neanderthal can vary so caveat emptor!
I don’t shop around for tyres for that very reason. I use the tyre fitter I’ve used for years.
I got quotes for PS4Ss and PS5s through him, and went for the 5s because the 4Ss were very pricey
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I once had my cassette of House of Fun played in assembly.
Moving swiftly on... PS5 have a lovely textured sidewall effect that won't match. Nevermind the visual mismatch, Exon won't love the different feel as he caresses his tyres.
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Complete Madness was one of the first records my brother had. Played it to death.
Still got it actually.
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Nothing to add to tyre talk but responding to music comments, I had thought of starting a thread on what do you listen to when driving? I didn’t. However, I have to add The Specials, Much Too Young and Friday Night Saturday Morning. Not hard to guess my age. :grin:
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The Selecter- tell me what’s wrong.
What a tune.
I like a bit of ska
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My cousin is a good old fashioned DJ (does loads of weddings, birthday bashes and all that, he’s very good) and says when a bit of 2 Tone gets played all the blokes jump out of their chairs and head for the dance floor.
In a previous life, at this point I’d have used the excuse of needing two new tyres to buy a new set of wheels and tyres. Then I’d sell the Buster Bloodvessel tyres and old wheels…
In fact stuff it, I’d have just traded the car and got another.
But alas, after repeated unnatural violation by my employer that ain’t going to happen.
Looks like I’m going to have to cough up for PS4S’s again.
Or will I?
I hope I make up my mind before I’m down to canvas.
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Still interesting to see on the forum that Michelins appear to be the most talked about tyre when the Goodyear Asy 5 is arguably a better tyre than the PS4 and the new Asy 6 is a better tyre than the PS5.
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Someone on here has to try the new Bridgestones... even if it a Mk8 owner, as used in the test? :)
https://www.evo.co.uk/tyre-reviews/18309/best-car-tyres-evo-performance-tyre-test
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Still interesting to see on the forum that Michelins appear to be the most talked about tyre when the Goodyear Asy 5 is arguably a better tyre than the PS4 and the new Asy 6 is a better tyre than the PS5.
The Goodyear is the better tyre for performance purposes, but the forum represents real life owners. Most people don't want the best technically for that last 1% in comparison of performance, they want the tyre that does the 99% best, which is the Michelin.
It's the most comfortable and I know myself I get 30k miles out of a set of PS4Ss. Bridgestone, Goodyear, Pirelli they don't last and ride harder, which for getting milk or the commute isn't what's required.
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Have to agree that for me Michelins have always been the best real world tyre, and so far have never let me down.
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Anyone else notice the inner edge wears quicker than the rest of the tyres on the rears, does the camber set up cause this ?
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Still interesting to see on the forum that Michelins appear to be the most talked about tyre when the Goodyear Asy 5 is arguably a better tyre than the PS4 and the new Asy 6 is a better tyre than the PS5.
The Goodyear is the better tyre for performance purposes, but the forum represents real life owners. Most people don't want the best technically for that last 1% in comparison of performance, they want the tyre that does the 99% best, which is the Michelin.
It's the most comfortable and I know myself I get 30k miles out of a set of PS4Ss. Bridgestone, Goodyear, Pirelli they don't last and ride harder, which for getting milk or the commute isn't what's required.
The Bridgetones I had lasted yonks and I was keen to get rid of them.
I now have GY Asymmetric 5 and have been more than happy with them. I don't find they ride hard. They might ride harder than the PS4's, but they certainly aren't as hard as the Bridgestones they replaced. They were a good bit cheaper than the Michelins too, so worth considering. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.
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Personally I have never had a good experience with Bridgstones. I hae had a couple of cars with them fitted and was always glad to get rid of them.
In general I have found them to offer poor grip, fast wear and a hard ride. In colder weather they have been especially bad.
The RE-050 runflats on my BMW 3 series were like driving on tyres filled with concrete.
The latest ones might well be good, but I think I will stick with my trusted Michelins or Goodyears.
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these cars are so safe in their handling characteristics, i’m not sure it really matters what you have on the rear. Might be quite fun to put some widow makers on the rear actually.
It’d be just like your 205 then!
Someone on here has to try the new Bridgestones... even if it a Mk8 owner, as used in the test? :)
https://www.evo.co.uk/tyre-reviews/18309/best-car-tyres-evo-performance-tyre-test
Count this mk8 driver out, the few sets of OEM Bridgestones I’ve had made more noise than my geriatric washing machine did last month on spin cycle when the drum bearings died!
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Count this mk8 driver out, the few sets of OEM Bridgestones I’ve had made more noise than my geriatric washing machine did last month on spin cycle when the drum bearings died!
:laugh: :grin: :grin: Mine did that in November so know what you mean. :grin:
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these cars are so safe in their handling characteristics, i’m not sure it really matters what you have on the rear. Might be quite fun to put some widow makers on the rear actually.
It’d be just like your 205 then!
That had crossed my mind!
I’ve heard of tyre fitters refusing to swap out worn front tyres and insisting on either moving the better tyres to the rear or changing those too (might even have read it on this forum).
Why would anyone want to give themselves less grip on the front wheels of a front driven car?
Far too cautious imo.
Has to be said, I barely get the 205 to move around these days, except at pretty low speeds.
Combination of the phenomenal grip modern tyres give and less testosterone as I’ve got older.
I’ve recently spent a bit of money on the 205, bringing it up to “ as new” condition mechanically.
It’s an absolute joy to drive.
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The old adage about new tyres going on the rear goes back to the good ol’ RWD days when worn rubber would mean understeer into a hedge.
I’d say toss a coin for it on FWD hatchbacks.
Here’s a prime example of the sort of thing you’d want the best tyres on the back of:
(https://i.postimg.cc/m2BXRfhY/CFB815-A4-2780-45-C0-B0-BE-6337-E2987214.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ThNqqsV1)
A friend of mine has just been given that little beauty to store for a friend of his who has emigrated. It’ll be removed from the draughty barn into a nice brick garage very soon!
He’s loving the simplicity of it having been out to get it started and up and running before moving it into his care.
Just like the 205 GTI it’s far more in tune with the road, only somewhat more pedestrian in speed and don’t even mention handling!
I was however contemplating getting a pair of PS5’s and swapping them to the rear not for handling finesse but in order to wear the current rear PS4S tyres down quicker as they’re hardly worn at all in 17k miles where the front PS4S are down to just over 3mm.
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I believe the logic is that understeer is much more controllable than oversteer, and therefore you put the tyres with the most tread on the back to avoid that
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Yes, that’s the logic sjw but as in my post above, it’s not a hard and fast rule as there are so many variables, from different sized tyres fitted to different axles, geometry differences meaning different axles might have different wear characteristics and so on right through to FWD hatches having very little weight and stress bearing on the rear compared to the front in normal use so the rears wear down far more slowly than the fronts (reducing the chances of unexpected oversteer until they wear down a fair bit more).
A degree of common sense needs to be applied treating every car as an individual case.
As car enthusiasts we could get super anal and say PS4S on the front of a GTI for steering sharpness and better heat handling and PS5’s on the rear for a more compliant sidewall and better water clearing properties meaning less chance of oversteer… Or is that a bad idea as the sidewalls don’t match? :whistle:
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To go off topic slightly (again) , that looks like a lovely genuine original Beetle so better than cash in the bank. My first car in 1969 was a 1957 Beetle that nearly killed me thanks to a combination of rear engine and swing axles (yes!) for those old enough to know what they were.
Incidentally the only real road accident I ever had was in a Triumph Herald which had……..yes, you guessed, rear swing axles which simply tucked under and produced a much amplified and almost terminal tail slide.
Back to Beetles, in the late 60s/early 70s my dad bought two new Beetles, firstly a 1300 then a 1300S. The 1300 was a better driver’s car. Both came on Pirelli Cinturato radials at a time when most British cars were still being sold on dreadful cross ply tyres and crap suspension.
Returning to the topic of tyre choices, both these Beetles felt better on the road than their bread and butter rivals both in build quality and driving quality.
Not sure where this rambling post is going other than the common factors of tyres and Beetles. I’ll stop now…..
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Forgot to say the 1957 Beetle had 130,000 miles on the clock when I bought it. Still everything original and working.
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Lift off over-steer is far more preferable/manageable than terminal under-steer.... my good tyres always go on the front.
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Just for you P6:
Herbie is now in his new (temporary) home nestled up with my friend’s 1980’s Yamaha motorbike, classic Range Rover and a pushbike!
Apparently goes very well so must’ve been well loved.
(https://i.postimg.cc/XqTJrCS2/12-DC6-B24-B19-D-434-D-A064-391-AC3-F9-A4-A0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PvQhcNqZ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/wv43drWY/F9-C22485-70-D1-44-CF-83-C8-A486-A5786381.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/S28m6gFg)
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Lift off over-steer is far more preferable/manageable than terminal under-steer.... my good tyres always go on the front.
Agree entirely. Lift off oversteer lets you point the car back in the direction it needs to go.
Can’t do much with understeer- except slow the car right down
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Thanks Exo…..lovely wee car that.
I wonder if 28 1F still exists?????
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Thanks Exo…..lovely wee car that.
I wonder if 28 1F still exists?????
It was in the VW museum in Wolfsburg a few years ago, maybe it's still there?
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That’s interesting.
The ultimate “keeper”.
:laugh: