I stuffed up my 2nd Pirelli Dragon today after driving on flat. When I knew that it was flat, it was too late. There goes 250+ dollars in the bin! Can I get general tips from you to how you take care of your tyres. It seems that I am not doing a good enough job to forsee these small disasters. Much appreciated and sorry for the noobness.
Hi Waz sorry to hear about your tire. Was it a front or rear one? I'd think that a front one you'd detect pretty quickly. Maybe not a rear. Not sure what caused your flat but there is a theory that the front wheels kick up anything on the road (might stand up a nail for example) which the rear tyres then catch. I've heard of people putting flaps under cars, etc to limit this. Probably not a good look. Maintenance wise I reckon you need to check the air pressures about once a month. Or half that. The pattern of the tyre I always think might help or hinder punctures. If the tyres have a wide open pattern it's a bit like widely spaced teeth. Less likely to get things caught. Guess otherwise all you can do is take a look at your tyres regularly as often a nail or wire will be in the tyre and can often be removed by pliers before it punctures. Others might put tubes into tubeless tyres after an initial puncture. I've got Nexens which are a fraction of the top priced brands. If I was to do one of these it's more like $100. ANd they seem very good tyres. Be interesting to know the breakdown between front and rear punctures % wise. I'd say most front wheel punctures are caused by impact (kerbs, etc). Rears by foreign objects (nails, etc)
It was my driver side Front Tyre. It had a bit less air then the other when I first drove it, but I didnt expect it to give up before I got to a service station. What tyres do you guys recommend. I do not want to spend that much money on them any more... Isnt some sort of monitoring system for tyres? where we can monitor the Psi levels in them and get warnings when needed? I don't think it is that complicated is it?
Waz I've got Nexen 2000 on the standard wheels. They also have 3000 series but these don't come in 225/50/16. $470 a set of 4 including balancing & fitting.. If you are not sure why not try two? Normally if fitting only 2 you'd put them on the front and then rotate them onto the rear.
yeah, there are monitoring devices, they are called "eyes", how to use them is as follows, before driving car, walk around it and check tyre inflation level either by sight or with a tyre air pressure gauge, you would be amazed at how well this works
Mate thanks for the sarcasm, but I deserve it I guess. You are right, I need to use my eyes more and to check the pressure from time to time...But I didn't see anything wrong except the tyre with a bit less air then the others. I pressed on it and tried to hear for air leaks and nothing showed up. I tried to drive to the service station and the tyre was gone! I guess it is just my bad luck
Waz I go to a couple of BP servos here in Melbourne (one in Eltham and one in Burke Rd Kew). They both have pretty neat airlines where you set the pressure on a fixed unit and then clip the end of the hose onto your valve. It inflates or deflates accordingly. These are a few miles away so it's a once a month job. But miles better than the old type where the gauge is at your end of the hose.
hi Waz, with low profile tyres they don't usually look very under inflated to have very low air pressure, the sidewalls are very thick on low profiles and they don't "squash" very much at all, i have 265 x 18 x 35 on the back of my car and you can hardly tell the difference between 12lb and 35 lb by looking at them, so i went and bought a good quality tyre gauge straight away after that and i use it regularly, as in at least once a week cheers
Nitogen may help Dependin on how u stuff ur rubber but honeslty man i cost me 20 bucks to have nitro wacked in i get much better wear, however u lose a touch of performance
Tyres I run the same size tyres as Blackhearted. I have just changed from Pirelli to Hancocks, Pirelli were quieter but harder ride, but I prefer the Hancocks as they grip well in both wet and dry - yes we do get rain up here! I have Dunlop on the front, they are great tyres, but price for price I go Hancocks Neill
waz .. the "eyes" do have it .. but also another very simple approach .. just add 5 minutes to each fuel fill up and check the tyres on the spot at the air compessor machine .. once a month is not sufficient for sensible monitoring ... now, to make your life easier still... i found at autobarn or repco a set of tyre valve caps .. they are set to 36psi .. and attached to the valve, they show up a florescent green ... if tyre pressure drops too low, they turn red .. easy for the 'ol eyes to pick up at a glance .. may not be spot on for accuracy but close enough to sound (sight..??) the alarm if necessary ... so double insurance .. regular check plus some blingy valve caps .. go for it ..!!
Thank you guys, that was very helpful. Yesterday even my midget spare failed me after work and I drove to a Kmart Typre and Auto which was 2 mins away from work. I got there at 4 45 and the guys looked at me like they wanted to kill me since they close at 5. I replaced the dead pirelli with a cheap-ass sonar that got me back home. I couldn't find any better brands there with for the size of my wheels. Thanks again guys. :zlove:
also on a side note Waz, assuming by the tyre thing, you're a bit lax in checking most things, i assure you with a Z you need to very regularly check oil, coolant, tyres, cleaning air filters, checking hoses, tightening hoses, etc, these cars are not just a "jump in and drive" car, they are high maintenance and that starts with all those simple things, i learnt the hard way by being stranded 180km from home all for a simple little hose clamp being loose cheers i just noticed you've been a member since '04 so you should know all this stuff anyway
