Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 I've just got to work - was about to drop my car off at the local garage to get new wishbones fitted. On the way to work I was thinking my handling was SERIOUSLY off.. couldn't work out why. Just got to work, got out of the car to see a screw poking out of the front driver side tyre, it looking decidedly flat. This is a problem. The tyres that are on the car I do want to change - but can't afford to right now. I don't want to replace that one as its a 215/40/16 W rated and about £80 a corner so would make sense to do the lot. FFS. The car park is like an ice rink so there is no way i'm gonna try and jack the car up and put the spare on. Should I finally call the AA? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CazzaVR 0 Posted February 9, 2007 :( Yep, give 'em a bell. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andy 0 Posted February 9, 2007 You could maybe move it to somewhere not icy and change it. It might be repairable too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted February 9, 2007 Yes, they love it, changing wheels in sub-zero temperatures Jim. Honestly! :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 Well i've been a member of theirs for 3 years and never had to call em out.. its about time I do really!! Seriously though if I could just get it pumped up i'd be ok as the garage is like.. less than a mile away on a straight road. Think i'm gonna have to jack it up though and stick it on the space saver but concerned about it slipping or something awful cause of the ice. Arrghh.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil VR6 0 Posted February 9, 2007 Can't you get the tyre repaired? I've had a couple repaired and it only costs about £15. Providing the hole in the tyre is small and neat they can bung it up good as new. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 Will see if its repairable when I drop it off, yeah. I hope thats the case. They just quoted me £300 for Rainsports all round. Jesus H. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted February 9, 2007 Repairs can only be done if the hole is comfortably away from the sidewall. Middle of the tread is easy though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 Nope. Not repairable. Was slap bang on the middle of the sidewall so thats the end of that. Getting new Uniroyal Rainsports fitted as well as the wishbone job getting done. I'm so screwed this month for cash now. Managed to change the tyre in the snow for the space saver - was a comfortable ride with that on the front but it was a bit lairy when turning!! :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Sands 0 Posted February 9, 2007 Oh well Jim. Going to make for a tight month financially, but at least that's new shoes on her now so you've got it out of the way. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 Aye. I've been wanting to change those old Toyo's off for ages anyway so it needed doing. Just - not ideal timing! The credit card company are going to love me this month! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Sands 0 Posted February 9, 2007 But if we have any more snow, at least you can enjoy the novelty of driving in a straight line! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 lol... the novelty of driving in a straight line on normal road will be enough for me! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lippy 0 Posted February 9, 2007 yup I've had to just stretch to new front tyres, managed to get a bit of discount so am refurbing my alloys at the same time. Meanwhile, I'm rocking around on my space saver too! Luckily not icy in these parts (yet...!) Thats plus the costs of new rear, discs, pads, and bearings. My bank loves me too! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yandards 0 Posted February 9, 2007 It's days like that you just wished you stayed in bed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CorradoVR6-Turbo 0 Posted February 9, 2007 It's days like that you just wished you stayed in bed. I've got the day off so I did :lol: I've never had a puncture in over 6 years that good going and I drive into a yard full of metal pointy thing to flatten your tyres ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 Well I figure I was overdue one. I've never actually suffered a puncture in about 7 years of motoring. I'm just glad it was only about half a mile from the tyre centre that I was already booked into :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Sands 0 Posted February 9, 2007 And that it didn't happen when you were doing ninety on a snowy motorway! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted February 9, 2007 As an old git, I can tell you that punctures seem to be much rarer in the last 30-35 years, or so. Possibly something to do with the designs and materials being so different to what they were. Must be due to that IMO as there certainly is a lot more debris on the roads now that can cause tyre damage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomB 0 Posted February 9, 2007 Jim, if you haven't changed your tyres yet, try your local scrapper. £20/corner including fitting & balancing for some Pirelli part-worns with 6mm of tread left can't be bad... Having said that, I just had to buy 4 new ones as I boned 2 of my tyres (and kerbed an alloy) while visiting a mate 200 miles away. :roll: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tempest 0 Posted February 9, 2007 Rainsports are nice tyres, though, my Momo Arrow alloys had them on the front wheels. I'm still running those :-) I've never actually suffered a puncture in about 7 years of motoring. All depends on how many miles a year you do. I'm far more prone to this happening now that I'm up and down the country in our van. Already had 2 punctures in the last 2 years, both in the van whilst driving at speed on the M25 :shock: If it's any concolation regarding the money spent: My mate Dirk's just spent 884 Euros in less than 2 days on his Audi, again things he didn't want to have spent the money on, that all went wrong/needed doing: Reprogramming of his LPG system, front caliper, disk and pad changed (latter 2 both sides), and some more that all of a sudden cropped up (binding disk). Audis aren't cheap ;-) Tempest Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 Too late now Tom - the works pretty much all done according to the garage. And, as predicted, the bolt through the wishbone snapped when they went to change them.. god knows how much of a nightmare it was for them to get it out! The guy on the phone didn't sound too harassed so I assume it was fairly painless :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coolrado 0 Posted February 9, 2007 only ever had 1 puncture and that was due to some little sh*t leaving nails in front of the tyres on all the cars down my road, found out who it was though as he told his friend he did it, unfortunately for him his friends father owned one of the cars he did it to, when he confronted the little sh*ts father about it he promised to pay for the tyres to be repaired (3 actually caused punctures), he actually sold the little sh*ts 2 week old mountain bike to pay for the tyres to be repaired :lol: he was amazingly well behaved after that. my tyre was on the verge of being changed anyway so i wasnt really bothered. has anyone ever had a lorry tyre blow out while driving along site it though? its like a bomb going off and actually makes your car move, its happened to me twice now strangely on the same stretch of the m5. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted February 9, 2007 Back from the garage. Got the front two changed for now - going to get the rears done in the near future but sticking with the slightly different sized toyo's to save costs for now. Not ideal running different sizes but just too broke to do otherwise! Steering is much lighter on these narrower tyres - can really tell the difference. I didn't throw it around as its snowing fairly heavily but even taking a right hander fairly tightly round a roundabout it felt incredibly planted. The test tonight really is if the new wishbones have helped cure the wandering / vague handling. Will find out on the way home! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pkripper 0 Posted February 9, 2007 I have had a nail in both cars this year, the smart cost me a matching pair of 205*40*17's and one in the rado that didnt pierce, so that was OK. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
