I suffered a offside front blow out at speed (over 90 mph) today in lane 3 on the M4 (- anyone see me sitting up the bank just after J17 westbound with my laptop while I waited for the recovery people to change my wheel - between 7 and 8 am?).
I was happy that despite a fair amount of noise etc, the car (Omega MV6) handled extremely well, and I was able to safely slow down and reach the hard shoulder. (Which, btw, allows me to in future smugly answer those who fret in other threads - what if you have a blowout when you are "speeding"? :-) )
The wheel was duly changed. Needing two rears anyway, I called my tyre depot to also order a front, thinking that I would get them to swap the Brand New original from the spare onto the alloy wheel, and use the (still legal) good front on the spare. They had to order the (235x17) tyres in.
Tyre depot was extra busy this afternoon, over an hour waiting. When the fitter finally called me in, he said that the spare tyre is a different size from the rest. He called it a spacesaver, but the tyre is fatter (higher profile) than the rest, and is a W instead of Z rating. This is the original as supplied with the car from new. so I now have to buy 4 new tyres instead of 3, and keep the brand new original on the spare wheel. Can't see it getting a lot of use.
Why do they do this? Rhetorical question I suppose, it's bound to be to do with cost...
(And of course I have to waste more time tomorrow going back for the fourth tyre...)
(I've browsed around other threads and am aware that it could be deemed an offence to use the spare in anything other than an emergency...)
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Until recently, I ran a 2000W Vx Vectra GSi Estate, with 17" alloy wheels and 215x45 Z tyres.
The factory supplied spare was a steel wheel and 195x65/15 T tyre, as I recall, exactly the same (even down to tyre brand) as what was fitted to each corner of my brother's Vectra 1.8 LS Estate, supplied within a few weeks of my GSi.
The predictable answer I got from Vx was that by specifying a steel wheel and lower speed rating tyre as a spare, as already supplied in huge quantities for another car in the range, it did indeed save a few pennies.
Thankfully, I never used it!
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Smokie - may I be the first to hector and patronise you about your admitted criminal behaviour this morning? I would imagine that you now accept this was some form of retribution, for as we know, SPEED KILLS! No, okay, I can't bring myself to - we'll have to wait for Trevor! ;-)
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Mein Gott in Himmel.
You had a tyre blow out on you at speed.
Now you find that you need 4 tyres, not 1 to replace.
Was there any tread anywhere, one wonders?
You don't know a spacesaver from a standard tyre.
What am I thinking, I wonder?
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Smokie
First of all, good to hear that you're safe and well and that the Omega coped with the blowout (if it's anything like mine perhaps a blowout is difficult to tell apart from the usual tramlining)....
I've got the standard 235/45/17's fitted to my Omega 3.0 and confirm that the spare is a 195/65 - can't remember the wheel diameter but do remember that it all added up to the same overall diameter. It's not much of a spacesaver but I suspect it's much more of a costsaver from VX's point of view.
Out of interest, what are you paying for the new tyres? I got Goodyear GSD 3s for about £90 each...
Paul
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Avon somethings for £84 each - by far the best priced tyre I could find, and the dealer reckoned they would have similar properties to the B F Goodrich they had previously fitted, which cured the severe tramlining I suffered on original Pirelli's.
Sean - the rears were close to the tread bar which was why I was replacing them. The fronts had a quite few thou in them yet (rear wheel drive, you see). The roadside people reckon I'd hit something. A strip of rubber about a foot long and 1.5 inches wide had come away from the inside wall of the tyre, right alongside the tread. I recall a loud noise going over a temporary "catseye" in the new roadworks near the A34 junction, maybe that's what caused it. At least I'd checked the spare a couple of weeks ago...
An ineresting situation developed while I was waiting at the tyre place. An older BMW screeched into the yard, blocking the whole area and three thug-looking types emerged. They strode into the working area heading straight for a young lad, and accusations about where he'd laid his head one night started to flow, and also that he'd beaten their friend up. The gaffer of the place went over to find out what was afoot, and as the heavies realised they were being surrounded by tyre fitters, who mostly happened to be holding the tools of their trade, they left, but with little good grace. Afterwards the youngster pleaded ignorance, but actually seemed terrified as they knew where he lived and he was sure they'd get him later. Another sign of the wonderful society that we live in I suppose...
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A quick tech question, related tho the above - why are tyres so damn un-grippy when they first go on? I lost the back end without trying as I left the tyre depot, and further up the road felt it slipping away again on a roundabout. I guess they have some kind of protection treatment or colourant which needed to wear off.
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I just realised that this was a question.
Why are tyres so damn un-grippy when they first go on?
They are coated with a release-agent to get them out of the mould at the maker and to facilitate installation by the fitter.
Did you not know this?
Act sensibly for the first 100 miles, then revert to normal and all will be well.
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Sean - I know nuffin.
The alloys are about the dirtiest I've seen them in a while, as the fitter had to paint a lot of creamy gunge onto the tyres as he had trouble getting them to "pop" onto the wheels, even inflating them to enormous pressure. He was less than accurate with the paint brush. I just hope it washes off OK.
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I don't think so Smokie.
A bright post for someone who knows nuffin.
This is a release agent. He brushes it there, regardless of the tyre.
It helps him fit it, and excess causes no problem.
All the rest is the same.
LOL. (what is that, in English, please?)
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If you've spun them on the rims they may need rebalancing too - I'd be interested to hear if you have any problems with vibration - I still haven't been able to cure mine 4 months after getting new tyres (Vibrating Omega thread)
Paul
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Not quite sure what you mean by spinning them on the rims, but each one's been balanced when the tyres are fitted.
I'll report back after all four are on and they've bedded in...
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Not quite sure what you mean by spinning them on the rims....
He means that if you've given the loud pedal too much wellie just after tyres have been fitted, the tyres can remain still while the wheel rims move, thus knocking out the balancing, as the tyre is now in a different place on the rim to where it was balanced. That creamy gunge the tyre fitter applied helps the tyre "pop" onto the rim, it has similar characteristics to washing up liquid. Take it easy for the first 100 miles, and also check the wheel bolts are still tight after 50 or so miles.
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Ahhh...OK.
250 miles on the new rubber today. No vibration, no tramlining, Avon's seem OK so far. Grip seems fine, although not driven in wet conditions.
I'm still on the space saver (till tomorrow am) and even with this on, I was happily able to exceed HMGs speed limit without 1) any effect on the drive and 2) losing my life
Dropped in today to get £260-worth of exhaust fitted. Fitter removed old pipes and showed me corrosion on the tops of both pipes just in front of the rear boxes, satying "that's where they usually go". I wonder if anyone's told Vx that?
Just the MOT on Thursday, then the credit card can have a rest...I hope!
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