Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - driverofavehicle

Hi,

I have one tyre that has a slow puncture. I looked at the writing on the tyre in question and it says:

continental
195, 65, R 15, 95 T

Now, since I have had some skidding issues last winter I am wondering if I should get some better grip ones now in a pair, in preparation.

The slow puncture one is back farside but I was thinking switch the front ones to the back and new grippier ones to the front due to front wheel drive.

The grip issues though were just on my own land but that was due to mud and wet so I am thinking probably better to deal with the surface rather than the tyres for that as I read tyres are expensive and due to that small use case no point getting tyres which may be less suited to the road just for muddy/wet track. Though they may help in general use I did not have complaints on normal tarmacced roads.

Now I write it might just replace with the same one then! or whatever is cost effective? Advice welcome here.

Are those tyres good enough? It did say summer tyre I think when I looked it up so perhaps winter ones are better for general grip. Who cares about summer? in summer they just work, unless you are driving for sport which my van certainly isn't!

Oh another thing, what is the deal with tyres vs the whole wheel? I thought you change the whole wheel but my mum said you buy a tyre not a wheel but she is in her 70s and probably going on what was normal in her day according to what she saw my granded do in the 50s when she was a child.

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - elekie&a/c doctor
I’ve got the same size tyres on my transit . I’ve found Falken or Hankook perfectly adequate. About £70 -80 per corner . Probably best to have 2 same make on the front .
Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - driverofavehicle

Thanks, is that the whole wheel that is replaced or the tyre? Not done it before.

I somehow cannot envision how you would take a vehicle tyre off like you do with a bike one!

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - elekie&a/c doctor
Tyre only . The wheel stays unless it’s damaged or badly corroded. Take it to a tyre shop . It takes seconds to remove the old tyre with the fitting machine.

Edited by elekie&a/c doctor on 03/06/2025 at 12:03

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - bathtub tom

Why not just get the puncture repaired? How much tread is on the tyre?

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - driverofavehicle

Didn't know that was an option. I would choose that. Do the mechanics do it at the same place I would otherwise buy a new one?

The tread seems decent on them all, about 3-4mm? It just passed its MOT with no mentions of the tyres so must be fine in that area.

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - Andrew-T

Didn't know that was an option. I would choose that. Do the mechanics do it at the same place I would otherwise buy a new one?

You must identify the cause of the pressure-loss. Could be [a] something like a nail in the rubber, [b] slow leak at the bead (where the tyre meets the metal wheel) or [c] a faulty valve. All those could be repaired or fixed cheaply unless the 'nail' is in the sidewall of the tyre. Take it to a reputable tyre place such as ATS.

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - driverofavehicle

Oh right, that would be done by the mechanics though while I wait I presume?

If it has to go to the tyre shop either way then I will just see what they recommend.

Edited by driverofavehicle on 09/06/2025 at 11:57

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - bathtub tom

Be careful where you take it! Unscrupulous places will try to flog you a new tyre regardless, also tell you new shock absorbers and brakes are necessary. If you get any of that sort of old guff, take it away to somewhere else.

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - driverofavehicle

Regarding unscrupulous places I am wondering can I do it myself?

Not only to for that reason but also I prefer to learn things myself if it is practical and saves money which is wasted on some 5 minute job paying a garage from the sounds of it.

Would it require specialist equipment or can I get by with usual diy tools?

Oh yea and looking online is a nuisance because the results I see so far are just changing the rim and tyre, using the spare, which very unhelpfully is usually what 'changing a tyre' means in common parlance yet ironically, as mentioned in the discussion above, when taking to the garage it is usually the opposite! How dumb is that!?

Edited by driverofavehicle on 16/06/2025 at 17:48

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - paul 1963

Presumably your looking at fast fit type of places? Kwickfit etc? Just put in the size tyre you need and you will get a price for a tyre only, no wheel.

To answer your first question, it is possible to change tyres at home but you will obviously need a pair of tyre levers ( big screwdrivers won't do) and a compresser.

I really don't mean to offend but at times this all sounds like a wind up......

Edited by paul 1963 on 16/06/2025 at 18:00

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - Andrew-T

Regarding unscrupulous places I am wondering can I do it myself?

I would strongly advise not trying to fix any tyre problems yourself, you need special equipment. What you could do is (as I suggested above) find out where and how your tyre is losing pressure. Take the wheel off the car and immerse it in water, just as you would for a bike tyre. Usually the problem can be cured for a tenner or so. If you have been unlucky with a puncture in a sidewall a new tyre will be needed.

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - Brit_in_Germany

Always listen to your mum!

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - edlithgow

I've had good results with the cheapo "sticky string" plugs, widely available in Taiwan and I think still narrowly available in The Yook, though I;ve never used them there. Of course this requires a puncture in the tread area, no good for sidewall or leaky rim

Comparison Utoobery of DIY fixes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm6fTWaj3QE

UK source of kit

www.tyreconsumables.co.uk/shop/tyres/tyre-repair-m.../

(I've not used this specific kit, and, though some of the Taiwan kits also come with rubber cement, I havn't used it and it doesn't seem to be necessary)

The tools that come with these kits are necessarily poor quality and if you have your own pliers would be better off using then. You probably wont have your own reamer or insertion tool and those supplied in Taiwan work well enough. For follow-up you can buy the strings separately

I've replaced my own tyres (with remoulds, usually) in the distant past, motorcycles more recently using tyre levers but it can be quite difficult, especially with old hard tyres.

tw.forumosa.com/t/bead-breaking/185598

if you get tyres replaced new/best tyres should always go on the back of the vehicle 'irrespective of whether its FWD or RWD

Edited by edlithgow on 07/07/2025 at 08:45

Ford Transit - Advice for new tyre - edlithgow

If attempting to change a car tyre yourself without special equipment other than tyre irons, a central pivot is a big help (though I've done it without one a long time ago)

A scaffolding screw foot, if you can score one of them, makes a good pivot clamped into the centre of the wheel hub, and can also clamp the wheel down onto a ladder, decking etc to stop the wheel counter rotating

Edited by edlithgow on 08/07/2025 at 13:51