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Mar 31, 2008 13:42:48 GMT
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Many years ago my wife had a Mk1 Astra. It needed some adjustment to the handbrake, so I duly jacked up and undid the wheels. I went to pull off the first wheel only to have an excruciating pain in my fingers and blood pouring from each finger tip.
The tyre was so worn on the inside edge it had gone through to the steel reinforcing which was now protruding like so much barbed wire!
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Mar 31, 2008 14:16:01 GMT
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Darn. Put some part worns on the Merc and they're starting to crack on the sidewalls. Was always an interim fix (I had no money!) so I'd better order some new ones. So, that's a pair for the 2CV AND a pair for the Merc. Clearly, it's tyre month!
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1986 Citroen 2CV Dolly Other things. Check out my Blog for the latest! www.hubnut.org
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Mar 31, 2008 14:53:13 GMT
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as a valeter I am also amazed at the amount of people who have lethal tyres on their cars. One of my customers has an audi A4 in desperate need of new tyres, one had a bleb, and another 2 had cracking around the sidewalls, only one I would have said was legal, but all underinflated slightly, I made sure to tell her about it and reccomended she get them sorted asap, although she was a little blase about it saying she was going to trade it in shortly anyway, 6 months later she's still got it - and the tyres!
At the same place (an office I do regular valeting work at) one of her secretaries or somesuch asked me to do her renault scenic. all the tyres were underinflated, but the front ones dangerously so - just about flat, the rims squashing the sidewalls onto the road. I had to point it out to her and say PLEASE get your tyres looked at IMMEDIATELY, as one could explode at any moment (sounds more dramatic than blow out or shred) and you'll have a very nasty accident. I showed her the extreme wear and cracking on the sidewalls and made her feel it. I was so worried as she is obviously driving this about with her children inside putting their lives at risk too. Because of power steering she'd never get any "feel" that the handling was shoddy.
I'm thinking of printing off some very large print A4 sized pieces of paper saying "URGENTLY get your tyres looked at to prevent an accident" or something to put in customers cars - maybe tape it to the steering wheel so it's in their face as they get back in at the end of the day so they can't forget!
Kirsty
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I have determined that my sole purpose in life is to serve as a bad example...
CURRENT vehicles - '84 Saab 900 turbo classic, '93 Nissan 200SX S13, 2021 Volvo V90 Inscription.
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Mar 31, 2008 17:10:54 GMT
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if you do put a poster in the car, alot of people would take it more seriously if you said something like...
"warning, your tyres are below the minimum legal limit, failure to replace them could lead to 3 points on your licence and a £60 fine for EACH tyre. 4 illegal tyres could lose you your licence"
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1993 Fiat Panda Selecta 2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van 2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
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Fuzzy
Part of things
Powered by bees.
Posts: 553
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Mar 31, 2008 17:35:06 GMT
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I have a tyre fetish too.
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Mar 31, 2008 17:38:36 GMT
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I have the opposite problem with the company car, I want to change them when they're low, so do Kwik Fit buy the fleet company is always "oh there's 0.1mm left on that one, don't change it" even if it means I end up with a mishmash of tyres on the front of a 225 FWD car. It's amazing the amount of punctures I get now in Kwik Fit car parks. :-)
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Mar 31, 2008 21:17:25 GMT
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i have new tires for the van but they are bald already ;D : : : should grip a little better than the old ones which were also new but rock hard new one are like squishy ;D
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,860
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Mar 31, 2008 21:18:29 GMT
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Until it rains lol.
Matt
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Mar 31, 2008 21:31:46 GMT
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they will still grip the ground when it rains its just the ground will be in a nice dry garage ;D the viva is for playing in the wet its the only time the viva can break traction ;D ;D
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bbq
Part of things
(. )( .)
Posts: 485
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I have new tires for the van but they are bald already ;D : : : should grip a little better than the old ones which were also new but rock hard new one are like squishy ;D very nice! I'll be very interested to see how long they last. Number of runs and road miles, etc.
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2003 Suzuki Wagon R+. Feel the POWAAARRRR!!! 1968 Volvo 142. My street/strip car. Currently fubarred, it will run one day. 1971 Volvo 142. Parts car. Stripped and gone. 1993 Nissan Sunny diesel. Runs on cooking oil! [/UR
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most people I have spoke to about them say around 6k if your careful with them ;Dso works out at around 14p a mile
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Last Edit: Apr 1, 2008 18:03:20 GMT by Deleted
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OK, I don't mean to be sexist as we have already had at least one intelligent/informed lady post on this thread...
BUT...
Does anybody else find that their "I'm not interested in cars" girlfreind is hopelessly inept at such things as judging tyre inflation/wear?
My dearly beloved has only been driving a couple of years - when she passed her test, she obtained an £800 L plate Corsa from a dealer (trade in). 3 weeks later, it had come off a quick B-road, into a ditch and through a small tree. We were just colleagues in a large office at the time, but since she was a pleasant kind of person, I called up a mate with a Hi-ab wagon who owed me a favour and we went to recover it to save her a few quid...
When I got it back to the yard, I noticed both pram-wheel width front tyres were on the legal limit for wear, rock hard, and starting to perish. My first thought was that it don't help that people learn these days in things like Minis riding on big wheels and brand new rubber, and then get into something on 155 remoulds... But also, IMO, the dealer should not have sold the car in that condition, so I consulted with a senior trading standards bod I know - just out of interest, but she said not much could be done as it was a second hand car bought "as seen" with no warranty.
Now thats one thing, but has she learned her lesson? NO, of course not! I recently had to replace a dented rim (along with both front wishbones - thank you honey!) on her 2004 KA for the MOT, and whilst changing the wheel, I checked the pressure and then did the others - they were all 3-4 PSI low - bearing in mind I have written down the pressures & shown her how to check this monthly, I wandered in the general direction of the house and asked her when she had last done so, "er, never babe - that's your job" she replied...
I despair...
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bbq
Part of things
(. )( .)
Posts: 485
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Women- can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em.
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2003 Suzuki Wagon R+. Feel the POWAAARRRR!!! 1968 Volvo 142. My street/strip car. Currently fubarred, it will run one day. 1971 Volvo 142. Parts car. Stripped and gone. 1993 Nissan Sunny diesel. Runs on cooking oil! [/UR
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My other half is still quite bad. Mini recently had a slow puncture so I told my wife to keep an eye on it. Sure enough, I'd spot it on the driveway with about 4psi in the tyre. "Oh, thought the handling was funny."
To be fair, she is getting better though. This is someone who before she met me, blamed the engine failure of her MG Metro on the low oil light not coming on when the sump was almost empty.
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1986 Citroen 2CV Dolly Other things. Check out my Blog for the latest! www.hubnut.org
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Tim
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,340
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most people I have spoke to about them say around 6k if your careful with them ;Dso works out at around 14p a mile /grabs calculator /hyperventilates
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DutyFreeSaviour
Europe
Back For More heartbreak and disappointment.....
Posts: 2,944
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My GF is the same - I pointed out both front tyres were completely bald over a major section of the rim - 'Don't they light something in the car if there's a problem...' - I went and lay down for a while before responding ;D An ex did try to check herself once, but ended up filling the engine with water! Luckily an old school garage she'd stopped at. Guy noticed her filling the water can for the 4th or 5th time and came out to see if he could help I'm paranoid about the tyres on my motors - it's the stupidest way to endanger your license and bump insurance premiums - really not value for money
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Back from the dead..... kind of
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Tim
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,340
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An ex did try to check herself once, but ended up filling the engine with water! Luckily an old school garage she'd stopped at. Guy noticed her filling the water can for the 4th or 5th time and came out to see if he could help ;D MY GF asked me too teach her how to change a wheel on the car in case she had an emergency, watched me undo the bolts, and then got bored...I've shown her how to repair punctures on her bike twice now but she doesnt listen to me and then can't get the tyre off, or use the pump :-) Caught her spraying WD40 on her V-brake pads as well - because i told her to make sure all the moving parts on her bike were kept oiled or they would rot or sieze:-) I suppose that one was my fault :-)
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,521
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Hey, it can work the other way. In a previous workplace my wife popped out one lunchtime to find one of her male colleagues looking puzzled at the engine of his car. I think he'd managed to check the oil level on his own but fortunately she was on hand to point out that the dipstick hole was not the best place to insert some more ;D
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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Tim
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,340
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Was he using a syringe? :-)
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,993
Club RR Member Number: 35
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my wifes Ka has just passed 3 years old (and 20k on the clock) and whilst washing it a few months ago i noticed that 3 of the 4 tyres (original fit no makes) had perished. in less than 3 years the passenger front was really badly cracked as well. Told the wife to sort out some new ones, but after a few weeks I gave up and took it in a got 4 new'ns.
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