tyres

[Steve]

I had a slight scrape in my car last week . . . upshot is, the drivers side front wheel had to be replaced. Got it back, and it appears they have changed the wheel, tyre and trim - only on that side. They haven't touched the other side!

I thought this was wrong, and you should only ever change tyres in pairs, same as brakes and discs and suspension etc. The other tyre is part-worn, maybe 6 months left on it. It drives ok like this, but im concerned about performance under braking. The car has ABS.

Anyone care to enlighten me?
This was done at a Ford dealership (very big place, service centre, vans) for my insurance company, and my car is a 2003 ford fiesta.

Also, does anyone know what a "geometry" is? because apparently my car has had one! lol

 

[Diyisfun]

Geometry; is checking steering, toe in/out, tracking, should always be done after an accident that involves or involve steering. If you cant match the front wheels by using the spare, put back wheels on the front.

 

[Steve]

shouldn't they have changed both tyres to start with? will the car drive better with the (matching) back wheels on the front, so the odd wheels are at the back?

 

[Diyisfun]

Odd wheels at the back, as I said. The insurance/repair only covers the damage ie 1 x tyre.

 

[Steve]

There's a small tyre shop over the road from where i work - might pay them a visit, think they charged £25 for a new tyre last time i needed one. Then at least ill have 2 matching sets.

 

[empip]

If the wheels and tyres are the same type and spec', only differ in age, and the tyres are legal, don't worry about it.

Find a quiet country road and give it a trial emergency stop or two or more ... Why wait 'til you need it? You may learn more about your brakes that way ... like if they pull to one side before the ABS cuts in .. that could be a killer at 70 and hardly noticeable at 30-40 - It happens, but not in my experience from a difference in tyre mileage, more likely leaking hyraulics.
I do not think I am alone in regularly having the exploritory dab at the old anchors on a quiet country road just for reassurance on the straight line effect.

 

[Diyisfun]

empip, I have NEVER tested brakes at high speed, if they break evenly at 20mph they will at 70. Doing as you are saying is like testing a light bulb before it gets dark. (I have only had one emergency stop in 40 years, I dont know if Im luckyor read the road well, maybe a bit of each).

 

[johnwr]

I think diyisfun should have a big think about what he has just posted, saying if my brakes are ok at 20mph then they will be ok at 70 mph, what a load of bo**ocks. Empip is correct in his posting. Why do you think car manufacturers spend so much time testing there braking systems at speeds from 20 mph up to almost maximum speed, the difference in performance is quite surprising, also as part of there test program they will do a fade test, this is done from fairly high speeds, this gives the brakes a lot of very hard work. If you tried to do this from 20 mph I'm afraid the energy input to the brakes would be very low and would not input much energy into the brakes. If you never try your brakes from high speed then you will never know if each brake is working correctly, it's the massive energy input is a short time that shows up any problems.

 

[empip]

........ like testing a light bulb before it gets dark.

I would test it, if my life and that of others depended upon it.