which tyres

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hamster
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which tyres

Post by hamster »

What tyres do people run with for best grip in winter?

I've always used budget tyres because I haven't had the cash to spend on expensive branded tyres.
In the summer I needed two new back tyres so I decided, due to the number of miles I was doing at the time, to splash out and got two Pirelli P600's (185/65 R15 88H) put on the front and moved the cheap tyres that still had plenty of tread left onto the back.

I have to say I've not been to impressed with the grip from the pirelli's almost to the point I'd say its worse than the £30 budget tyres I used to have on the front. If its damp they wheel spin when pulling away at the slightest opportunity and if I do anything more than touch the brakes they lock up, which with out abs can be rather worrying. I went sideways towards oncoming cars twice this morning on narrow roads coming accros the New Forest.

Just wondering what brand tyres people find have best grip at this time of year and what pressure and size you use. Think I'm going to change these before I end up wrapped around a tree or horse on the way to work!

thanks

Graham
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Post by MikeT »

If you're unsure of the tyre pressure then could it possible that your front's are overinflated as that will cause loss of grip. They warned of black ice on the roads last night too so I expect there wasn't that much grip to begin with anyway.

Next time you open the drivers door, look down near the door stay on the pillar, there should be a sticker/label showing the correct tyre pressures.
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Post by XantiaMan »

P600's are old school and most budget tyres are better than them. Hope you didnt pay too much for them! Goodyear or Continental would be my choice for a premium brand.

But as mentioned the roads are terrible at the moment, the roads are cold and most tyres we have here are summer spec so will not grip as well, there is a greasy mix on roundabouts and other bits of road, you just have to be careful anyway.

It nearly caught me out on the way home, i went over a mini roundabout no faster than 20 mph and the front just kept sliding towards the kerb, it shocked me as there was no signs of frost or ice. I was in the Transit that has 2 bald tyres (the works van, not mine) which to be fair, havent been too bad in this weather as they are Mud and Snow spec.

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hamster
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Post by hamster »

Think I paid around £70 each for them.

I checked the pressures the other day and they are at 33/34psi. Citroen say 33. I may try letting a bit of air out and seeing if it improves although not to much as i'll end up using loads more fuel.
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Post by XantiaMan »

hamster wrote:Think I paid around £70 each for them.

I checked the pressures the other day and they are at 33/34psi. Citroen say 33. I may try letting a bit of air out and seeing if it improves although not to much as i'll end up using loads more fuel.
33psi is fine for the front, lower it and they will start to wear unevenly if too low, steering wont be as responsive and of course lower your mpg.
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Post by Toby_HDi »

I usually go with 35psi all round. If you do a google search for tyre reviews there are numerous sites that have reviewed a fair number of tyres. I will have to look again but I did roughly decide what I was going to go for next (need two new fronts)

Btw, notice your in Ringwood. What colour Xantia your have? I'll keep an eye out for you :lol:
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Post by myglaren »

I did quite a lot of research on this and opted for Klebers*. Missed the opportunity to get them at the huge discount that ATS were offering.
£170.

ATS are one of the few places able to balance Citroen wheels.

This included balancing and tracking plus insurance - they will come out and fix a puncture free, anywhere or if the tyre is beyond repair they will replace it at a significant discount depending on the wear. Within the first few thousand miles completely free.

Prior to that they were the usual £30 budget tyres.
I can't say that I have been aware of any difference other than the front end seems less "Grippy".

My Accord seemed to want to break away on roundabouts and did on one, removing a rather large motorway type road sign in the process. New REAR tyres fixed that. The C5 always seemed more secure than the Honda until I put the Klebers on, now I'm a bit wary in the wet.



* Kleber are rebranded Goodyears
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Post by hamster »

Its a dak green estate

what is yours??
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Post by XantiaMan »

myglaren wrote:


* Kleber are rebranded Goodyears
Kléber (Made by Michelin)

Falken (made by Goodyear) which i have on mine, its a good mid range tyre.
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Post by Toby_HDi »

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Post by Xaccers »

I "treated" Cassy to Michelin Energy all round as they were about £75 each from Costco (and filled with nitrogen ooooo!)
So far I've been impressed, where I throw her around roundabouts the grip is consistant with plenty of feedback letting me know when she's starting to let go.
They're lasting pretty well too. The last pair of continentals I fitted only lasted 3 months and were squealy as an oiled up pig.
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Post by Citroenmad »

A few months back i got a pair of Vredestein SporTrac 3s fitted to the front of the Xm, think i paid £115 for the pair. My Xm has 195/65/15s - if i remember rightly. Oh, the Vredesteins are directional for better wet weather performance and are V rated - not that makes any difference at all!

They are SUPERB! grip is much improved over the old budget tyres, noise is reduced also, its arrow straight in the rain, it used to wonder a little in deep water on motorways. Now its fine, very confidence inspiring. Ive not had a problem with front end grip, never had any understeer since fitting these and they seem very secure under hard braking. They sit quite flush with the wheel trims (yes i have steels!) which i like and they have a funky tread pattern.

They do however show up my rear tyres now, as the back is the first to step out on wet sharp bends now, which is fun! They are Lassa something’s on the rear, would not have been my choice but i needed some quick and they were all that were in stock. So i dont rate those, infact i want rid of them, but they are practically new. Infact i may swap them front to back and get these used up, your supposed to fit the newest/best tyres to the rear anyway.

So to counteract that problem a little, i find it better to have a few PSI lower pressure in the back than the front, i never have the same pressure all round in any of my cars, even if its recommended. Citroen state 33 front and 27 back for my Xm, but 27 in the rear is a little low for me, tends to make the back wallow, so i usually have 33 front and 30 rear.

Michelins are good, ive got the Energy E3A on my other car and they offer great grip, very quiet and last forever. You do pay a lot more for them over other tyres but they are worth it as they last longer.

I was going to get michelins for the Xm, but really fancied trying these Vredesteins, as they get great reviews and i think they have awards for being the best tyre available for the 195/65/15 size (my size!)

I dont actually rate Pirelli tyres at all, they are often very old designs. I think its the P6000 tyre which has been on sale for over 12 years, and still is! Hardly keeping up with modern standards!

Its not so much the tread pattern that gives good wet grip, its the rubber compound, you you need to research that if your wanting new good tyres.

I am very picky about tyres, hate budget brands as i never get along well with them, you generally get what you pay for, but some brands (Pirelli maybe) still make old and out of date designs but charge a fortune for them, so you need to do your research.

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Post by Xaccers »

I seem to recall hearing about P6000's disintegrating back when dad got his 406.
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Post by Koukku »

Michelin Energys do last forever, but the grip isn't that good IMO, especially on the wet. Went sideways a few times with my ex Saxo in the rain, even though I had the better pair at the back. Braking wasn't that good either.

I had Kumho Ecsta SPTs all around on my Xsara, and those had loads of grip, both on dry and wet. And they were rather cheap too (lot cheaper than Michelin at least). I was a bit worried that they might wear fast, because some older Kumho tyres are known to do just that, but I didn't notice any excessive wear. They didn't like rough surfaces though, and wanted to steer the car a bit when driving on roads that were worn down by studded tyres... a problem that is more common with really wide low profile tyres.

We probably have a little different needs for winter tyres, so my experiences on those might not quite apply... :)
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Post by Citroenmad »

You do get two types of Michelin energys though. The early type:

Image

Looks pretty basic looking, not tried that one myself.

And the later one, the E3A:

Image

Which are the ones i have and find them good, only have a pair fitted to the back but its not slipped out once as it did with previous tyres.

Conti Premium contacts are great imo, very very good no matter if its dry or wet. They do squeal when pushed hard though.

Ive heard good things about Nokian and Fulda tyres, i think they are a little cheaper than the top brands, ive not tried either yet. Anyone had those?
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