Hi
Tyre advice would be appreciated.
Coming to the point of buying first pair of replacement tyres on 2004 Jazz at 24,000 miles. We have the Sport model with 15 inch alloys. The tyres on the car are Bridgestone Potenza tyres 185/55 R15 with a 82V speed rating. Questions:
1. Is it overkill to have a V speed rating (up to 149 mph) on a car that never does more than (ahem) 85 to 90?
2. Can you mix speed ratings on tyres i.e. go for a lower rating on the replacement tyres?
3. Bridgestone have AZ and DZ versions of this tyre but about £10 diff in price, unsure what this means.
4. Are summer tyres, which these are, the correct ones to go for in the UK or is an all year tyre better for normal use?
5. Is it still the learned advice to put new tyres on the rear regardless of whether FWD or RWD?
Thanks in advance for any help.
GM
{SLT}
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 14/10/2007 at 12:50
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The speed rating is related to the car's maximum possible speed, not the maximum speed you drive at. Also higher rated tyres will tend to have stiffer sidewall construction so you might find tyres rated higher than the car's max speed have been fitted to sport versions of a car.
I wouldn't mix speed ratings but as long as they are rated higher than the max speed of the car I believe it is legal.
IMHO summer tyres are fine all the year round in the UK, unless perhaps you live in the Highlands or somewhere really cold.
Every test I've seen, and tyre manufacturers' advice, is to put new tyres on the back. You may get some different advice on here, up to you who you listen to.
If you did put lower rated tyres on and had an accident, your insurance company may take a dim view and you may not be covered.
For the sake of a few tens of pounds, and if you are happy with the Potenzas, I'd fit the same tyre as the manufacturer did.
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The speed rating is related to the car's maximum possible speed not the maximum speed you drive at.
It also has some connection to the car's weight as well as speed.
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Isn't the number before the speed rating (in this case 82V) the load rating for the tyre? Courtesy of Black Circles, whose site explains: www.blackcircles.com/general/sidewall why the tyre must be replaced by at least the equivalent, as mentioned earlier.
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Bridgestone Potenzas are excellent tyres, so why change.
As is commented elsewhere, the speed rating of tyres gives them particular characteristics, and as they are an integral suspension component then the original speed rating should be adhered to.
Most tyres sold in the UK are 'summer' tyres. Winter tyres have different tread compounds which operate better when temperatures approach freezing. Several countries with worse weather than ours require winter tyres during the worst months of the year. Residents don't use them in summer because they wear badly at higher temperatures.
Yes, new tyres on the rear is the most common advice.
JS
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Just bought another two new tyres for the Jazz, at 28k miles that's all 4 original tyres now been changed, agian bought the Bridgestone Potenza which is quite an expensive tyre but a good one i beleive and what was originally fitted to the car by Honda.
It is certainly worth shopping around and looking at websites such as blackcircles and mytyres. My local KwikFit originally quoted me around £90 per tyre including a 15% discount but then ultimately matched the £72 per tyre i managd to find on the web. The guy said he could only match a price if i had a written quote but when i told him it was a price i'd seen on the web he matched it anyway. Pays to shop around.
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Had a huge row with a company car leasing firm a few years ago when they put lower speed rated tyres on my company car than those originally supplied.
In the end, they produced a memo from Ford saying that the factory had fitted higher rated tyres than necessary for commercial reasons and that it was perfectly OK to downgrade. We also checked with our company insurers and they didn't seem to care less - they said it didn't matter as long as the tyres were OK for the speed being used.
Very technically, I think this breaks the cars EU type approval and renders the whole car "illegal", but it seems that no one is concerned about that.
Regarding the Jazz, I fitted Michelin Energy tyres to ours (1.4SE on 14" steel wheels) to replace the original Yokohama Aspecs. Bought the Michelin very cheap from Costco (under £40 each fitted inc VAT). Changed the fronts first and they do absolutely insist on fitting the new tyres on the rear.
While this is strictly correct, I don't think it's a valid thing to do where the original tyres are pretty grippy and the new "eco" tyres have lower rolling resistance and higher treadwear rating. I swapped them around as soon as I got home, and there's no doubt that on the greasy surfaced country lanes around here, the Michelin Energy tyres don't grip and turn in as well as the original tyres - it's nothing that would ever trouble my wife, but to me there's a noticeable difference.
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My wife is just on her way to get some budget tyres fitted on our Honda Jazz wnd I have just come across this. My local COSTCO is quoting £80 per tyre. How did you manage to get such a low price? Would appreciate an early reply, I may be able to stop her in time. My garage thinks budget tyres should do for our type of mileage and car. additionally I have three tyres to replace. I had replace the two rears with Michellens but one ahs been damaged.
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My local COSTCO is quoting £80 per tyre. How did you manage to get such a low price?
I have the receipt in front of me and ours were 175/65R14T Michelein Energy X and they were £38.76 each inc fitting and VAT. The ex-VAT price of the tyre only is shown as £29.99. This wasn't in sale, or special offer period. I was surprised how cheap they were - I bought 2 others a while before and I'm sure they were just under £50.
£80 seems a lot for anything that could go on a Jazz - I just had a price from Costco for tyres for my Merc - 205/55R16V Michelin primacy HP at £79.88 each.
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The car manufacturer went to all the time and trouble of finding out which tyres were the most suitable and now you want to fit something different.
I can't think why.
Edited by L'escargot on 10/10/2008 at 10:40
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I doubt that many motorcyclists would deliberately choose tyres that are likely to give lower grip. Even low performance cars can stretch the limits of grip, in adverse circumstances. For less skilled drivers, not a pleasant prospect.
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I doubt that many motorcyclists would deliberately choose tyres that are likely to give lower grip.
Makes driving more exciting! Did you ever drive on cross-ply's?
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Especially in the rain:) Morris Minor was the only car I had, that I recall with cross plies, but my powered bikes were certainly all x-ply. Ran them on what they came with. Required care on greasy roads, but were hard, unyielding and long-lasting. I think the rubber on most bikes now is far more grippy: they certainly have a short life.
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