Tyres

I bought a set of wheels for my Toyota Aurion from Tyrepower, but they shook the car so badly I took them back to have the balanced again. They were no better after the second attempt at balancing them, so I took the car to my local Ultratune guy. He told me that they were cheap wheels from China and some were 120g out of balance. Tyrepower should have warned me of the quality of the wheels; if they had I would probably have chosen a better brand. They must have known that the wheels weren't true when they installed them. What do you think?

Suzuki Australia and tyre supplier Goodyear were quick to repond after reports from concerned owners over problems sourcing replacement rubber for the Alto's 14-inch rims.  A shipment of 155/65R14 tyres arrived on April 28 and another 120 tyres are due this week.Suzuki Australia spokesman, Andrew Ellis, admitted there was a shortfall of spare tyres in the country.  "The issue is that we are changing over to a new tyre, an eco version, and the shortfall has happened in the changeover," Ellis says.If any owners still have problems with replacements Suzuki will supply a wheel and tyre from one of its own vehicles.  The new low rolling resistence "eco" tyre, similar to the one fitted to the Ford Fiesta EcoNetic, delivers marginally better fuel economy.Ellis says with the new tyres fitted, the 50kW three-cylinder Alto's combined fuel economy drops .1 of a litre to 4.7 litres/100km.  Apart from the Swift, the Alto is one of the company's success stories.  Demand has exceeded supply but the company expects more shipments soon.Despite the Alto's success, the five-year old Swift is still the company's most consistent seller.  A new, larger Swift is in the pipeline for launch next year.It is expected to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September.  In Europe a range of petrol and diesel engines are planned, from a 1.3-, 1.5- and 1.6-litre petrol fours to a Fiat-sourced 1.3 common-rail diesel.

Just a few years after luxury cars and bikes introduced tyre pressure monitors, the Cyber Tyre will further improve road safety, according to automotive sensor developing company Schrader Electronics.The company has worked with tyre manufacturers Pirelli to produce a sensor that is mounted inside the tyre rather than on the valve or wheel rim as with current tyre pressure monitors.  The sensor transmits information wirelessly to receivers in the car and via the car's computer to the driver.Information will include the tyre's tread depth, pressure and temperature, along with the shape of its footprint and the amount of load it is under.Sensors will also monitor the road conditions to measure the amount of grip available.  All this information will be made available to the car's anti-lock brake system, stability control system and other electronic systems to keep the vehicle stable and safe.The sensors work by measuring pressure, temperature, average load and the number of revolutions.  Schrader Electronics spokesman Alfonso Di Pasquale said the Cyber Tyre would "enhance a vehicle's safety and the driving experience".  Cyber Tyre will be available in the European market this year and around the world by 2013.

If you are putting on two new tyres on a car, front wheel drive or rear wheel drive, should they go on the front or the back? ??I am assuming the other two older existing tyres have at least 50 percent tread left and are on the back. ?? Depending on who I talk to, I get different answers. ??Also is it ok to pump the tyres from 32 up to 34 psi on any vehicle, or wagon, or front wheel drive. ??Does higher pressure make a difference in towing or using a wagon? Victor.

After recently fitting two new BFG A/T 245/70/16 tyres to the rear of a 2006 Toyota Hilux 4x4 it now has very poor directional stability and very bad oversteer. The car is dangerous to drive on country roads at speed; it's like driving with tyres at 10 psi. The front tyres were the same brand and type, but about half worn, and when I put them on the back and moved the new tyres to the front the car drive ok. Have you heard of this problem before?

Special tyres are now being made for driver training, to teach control without needing to use a skid pan.  Skid Tyres Australian distributor Joel Neilsen, of Safe Drive Training, says the tyres allows people in regional areas -- who are often far from a skid pan facility – to get advanced training.The tyres can be used on any sealed surface including airport runways and taxiways, closed roads or car parks and at small go-kart circuits, drag strips and other race circuits without the need for purpose-built skid pans, water features or expensive skid frames."It will revolutionise driver training particularly when it comes to teaching drivers how to cope with wet and slippery road conditions including snow and ice which many Australian driers struggle with," Neilsen says.   "In the past this sort of driver training has been very limited due to availability and cost of skid pans or skid frames. Now for just a few hundred dollars we can give drivers the experience and training need to learn car control in marginal conditions.""You can teach drivers how to control understeer by putting the Skid Steer tyres on the front wheels of the training car or oversteer technique by fitting them to the rear of the car. It is very simple and extremely versatile."Neilsen says other Skid Tyre advantages include low noise and the use of normal street cars. They also don’t require fast or aggressive driving to replicate slippery conditions.  He says the Skid Tyres have been tested by various police forces around Australia, including the Federal Police.The tyre is a hard-wearing 8mm thick plastic coating which is applied to a worn-out tyre.  A vehicle fitted with the tyres is stable at up to 30km/h but at higher speeds the tyre breaks traction, providing the perfect driver training scenario at low overall speeds.Skid Tyres can be applied to cars, SUVs, trucks, buses and even specialised military equipment.  The tyres are available for passenger cars in these sizes: 13 175/70; 14 185/65; 15 195/65; 16 205/55; 17 225/55; and 18 235/45.Bus and truck tyres come in sizes 22.5 315/70 (truck), 22.5 385/65 (trailer) and 19.5 265/70 (dolly).  As tyres are only used in low speed training, the correct rolling diameter is not necessary so long as tyre does not foul on inner guard or suspension.  Neilsen says new sizes will be added based on demand.

Before my 60th Anniversary Holden Captiva LX had its 15,000 km service, I noted the LHS front tyre was wearing on the outer side and asked the dealer to check it. They advised me that it needed replacing, and that all four tyres needed aligning as the rear tyres are also wearing although I could not see any wear. They also indicated that rear camber bolts were needed to prevent further wear. Is there a problem with Captiva tyres wearing? If so should the repairs be covered under the warranty?

VW doesn't recommend rotating wheels and tyres on their cars. Their argument is that the fronts wear quicker and that by rotating not only will it possibly alter handling it will also mean that instead of having to replace just two tyres you will eventually have to replace all four. Is this now considered normal for European cars, or are they just trying one on?

AFTER 37,000 km in her 2008 Ford Mondeo my wife complained of a bad vibration and a banging noise from the front, which I discovered was because the front tyres were worn down to the wire and chunks had been flying off. Later, at the 45,000 km service, the dealer told me that it needed a wheel alignment, but as it had just had an alignment by a Goodyear dealer I took the car back to them and they checked it. They told me there was no camber adjustment on this vehicle and I would just have to rotate my tyres more often. My EL Falcon gets 60,000 km out of a set of tyres; is it normal on modern cars to get such low mileage from the tyres?

AT THE end of March I will be driving my 2007 Subaru Outback to the west and expect to cover about 5000km touring southwest WA. It's fitted with Yokohama Geolandar 6900 215/55 R17 93H tyres, which have done 34,000km. The original tread depth was 8mm, but it's now 3mm in the centre and 5mm at the edges. Do you think they would safely stand another 5000km, or would it be prudent to put new tyres on before I leave?