Tires-you've come a long way, baby

[tannat]

I get a tickle knowing my Ford Focus rides on tires more aggressive than the original Countach (205/60/15 vrs 205/70/14).

Is it not incredible how standard equipment tires have increased over the years?

Back in the 1980's a 60 profile was fairly aggressive. You can now find 60's on minivans, trucks, and SUV's.....

Tires-you've come a long way baby

[Daniel]

My 504 had 75 or 80 profile tyres, now the 500 has 45 series tyres. Biiiiig difference.

[wedge]

I find it ridiculous that new cars should have low profile tyres and big rims.

I remember watching Watchdog about the BMW tyre failures. Quite obvious they went for the bling bling option.

[Daniel]

I find it ridiculous that new cars should have low profile tyres and big rims.

I remember watching Watchdog about the BMW tyre failures. Quite obvious they went for the bling bling option.
The best one was Audi going for a really soft rim on the RS4 because the suspension couldn't handle the loads being put through it. The 'soft' rims ended up buckling :mark:

I have to admit to going for a bigger option on my 500 because I didn't like the look of the standard wheels.

Car is a lot happier on its 14" steelies but I have to say the 16" wheels do look a lot better.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~fenix1983/Files/500/Wintertyres/Front-Rear.jpg

The thing that really gets me is the width of modern tyres. My 504 wasn't a light car but it had 175's as standard though i had 185's on it as they were a more common and therefore cheaper option the 500 is far lighter yet the narrowest tyre is a 175.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~fenix1983/Files/500/Wintertyres/Front-Rear.jpg

You reckon the stupid increases in tyre width have anything to do with so many cars getting stuck in the snow? :)

[Hondo]

Funny this should come up. I was talking "the old days" with an old running buddy and he remarked about how it used to be normal to stop and change a lady's tire for her at least once on any road trip of 40 miles or more. He was right. If a woman had a flat back then you just pulled off behind her and changed it for her. It didn't matter if you were late for something or not, it was just something you did.

Now, you hardly ever see a car with a flat anymore.

[Valve Bounce]

I saved up and bought Michelin X tyres for my 403. They were great.

[Daniel]

Even the crappiest tyre today would be better though sadly.

[Malbec]

Funny this should come up. I was talking "the old days" with an old running buddy and he remarked about how it used to be normal to stop and change a lady's tire for her at least once on any road trip of 40 miles or more. He was right. If a woman had a flat back then you just pulled off behind her and changed it for her. It didn't matter if you were late for something or not, it was just something you did.

Now, you hardly ever see a car with a flat anymore.

Now, you hardly ever see anyone who knows how to change a flat anymore.

[Hondo]

Now, you hardly ever see anyone who knows how to change a flat anymore.

It was so frequent back then that nobody ever bothered to resecure the jack or lug wrench. When you got done you just threw everything back in the boot, loose.

[Daniel]

It was so frequent back then that nobody ever bothered to resecure the jack or lug wrench. When you got done you just threw everything back in the boot, loose.
Thankfully tyre technology has moved on somewhat :) I've never had a puncture myself. I think tubeless tyres have made punctures a far far less common thing than they were before. I too as a child remember punctures being a far more common thing than they are now. In the UK they still happen but they were very uncommon back in Perth.

Buy a decent brand of tyre and replace them before a little while before they reach the TWI's and the risk of getting punctures is pretty low.

[raybak]

It was so frequent back then that nobody ever bothered to resecure the jack or lug wrench. When you got done you just threw everything back in the boot, loose.

Nowadays have the rattle gun ready and it makes life easy. Had to help a young girl with a Barina the other day, had the tyre changed in about 2 mins. Not as good as on a rally stage but was still happy with how quick I managed it.

Ray

[wedge]

Car is a lot happier on its 14" steelies but I have to say the 16" wheels do look a lot better.

16" should be fine and tolerable. They should be the maximum size on small cars.

I do find it annoying that the likes of Evo mag say a car would look better with bigger rims without testing them to find out how they would cope with our crappy roads.

[Daniel]

16" should be fine and tolerable. They should be the maximum size on small cars.

I do find it annoying that the likes of Evo mag say a car would look better with bigger rims without testing them to find out how they would cope with our crappy roads.
Should be but they aren't.

The 500's suspension is rubbish. It's underdamped and too stiffly sprung, short wheelbase doesn't help either. It's fine on smooth roads but as soon as you hit some particularly british tarmac it's just rubbish. I quite fancy getting some Koni FSD's or Bilstein coilovers for it to make it ride and handle and ride properly at some time in the future.

[Hondo]

Sometimes, bad as it may hurt, the smart and cheapest thing is to realize that stuff that works on a well kept race track or sponsored rally car doesn't make sense for street use. There's no way I'd risk high dollar tires or racing wheels on a street pothole or railroad track. Racing oils generally don't have detergents or additive packages to help keep the engine clean. The colder range of racing spark plugs allows them to foul easily at street and traffic speeds. Brake pads are cheaper than transmission and gearbox work. But I understand and like lemmings, it is something we are compelled to do until one day you wake up and see your vehicle as nothing more than transportation.

[Daniel]

Well the 500's standard suspension isn't racey in any way at all. Just crappy standard Italian suspension.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Sometimes, bad as it may hurt, the smart and cheapest thing is to realize that stuff that works on a well kept race track or sponsored rally car doesn't make sense for street use. There's no way I'd risk high dollar tires or racing wheels on a street pothole or railroad track. Racing oils generally don't have detergents or additive packages to help keep the engine clean. The colder range of racing spark plugs allows them to foul easily at street and traffic speeds. Brake pads are cheaper than transmission and gearbox work. But I understand and like lemmings, it is something we are compelled to do until one day you wake up and see your vehicle as nothing more than transportation.

You have that right Fiero. Somewhere about 5 years ago it hit me that money spent on the car was getting in the way of the things I really cared about. I love a nice car, and I win the lottery tomorrow, I will build my dream garage and put a few nice cars in it BUT for the average guy, money spent on the car could be better spent elsewhere...