TYRES

[Timelord]

I did a fair bit of reading up on tyres about 3 years ago. It was very interesting and the amount of different compounds & types is really something. I was not aware of the real diffreences between similar looking & sized tyres. It pays to know what you really need and what type of vehicle + the driving style & probable weather conditions expected. A lot of the tyres sold new & especially part worn are actually classed as summer tyres and therefore many (not all) of these are not as good in winter conditions. So if you dont need that high performance advertising hyped type of tyre on your pretty standard type vehicle, then you may actually be better off getting non summer only tyres or even ones with a 60% winter bias if you live in rainy areas like me:-( Also different compounds affect performance greatly, so those super duper tyres that last longer for more miles etc etc etc, actually have more silicone in their manufacture and so are harder & flex less. This means they do not stop in the wet as well as ones without this harder tread wear compound. Also I have often seen many of these harder wearing tyres actually perish within maybe 5 years if they are little used and the vehicle parks outside in winter. So they may well not last the life of the tread.
Just like "White Goods", some individual manufacturers produce tyres under different brand names, so as to achieve a "catch all" in the consumer market. This means that if you do your research, you can buy premium quality tyres at mid range tyre prices. Also, buying 2nd hand tyres off ebay is a risky business, as they may have good tread but can easily be perished or even damaged. Many sellers would not even be aware of the rubber cracking up between the treads. I have found 4x4 Bridgestones to be hard wearing but prone to this cracking up between the tread. Years ago I never used to consider the tyres as anything special in regards to a vehicle. I always thought of them as just one more part to replace as & when. Nowadys I am aware that it is the bit of rubber touching the floor that is the only contact you, your tonnage of metal machinary & valuable cargo, have with the surface of the planet. No matter how good or bad the rest of the vehicle is, the fact remains the same. TL.