[PaulTolga]

Sigh. Not my week tyre-wise.

A long while back I was on the M11 at about 70mph and hit a plastic wheel hub. A free range, eco-friendly one that had kindly been 'set free' by its owner and was travelling down the motorway like a flying saucer. It thumped impressively on the wheel and underside of the car and disappeared into the central barrier.

It caused a tyre wall bulge which has been there ever since and not changed. The tyre has been completely fine other than this for 3,000 miles. My next MOT is in December.
I have only really noticed it again because I am having my back set done.

Any chance it'll pass, or is this another £170?

 

[PhilB]

That shouldn't pass an MOT and should be changed as soon as possible.
The tyre sidewall is badly damaged and could blow out.
It's also on a front axle so if it goes on a motorway you will be lucky to avoid a serious accident not to mention any other drivers you might collide with in the process.
Legally it's also a defective tyre which is 3 points and a fine .

 

[Nuttyspark]

Oh dear, you're not having much luck are you! I would imagine the MOT term for that would be "Deformed side wall" and would imagine it would be a fail. Them 19" rubbers sure are expensive!

 

[Dragos]

I had in May 2020 an explosion on driver side front tire at about 75mph and I swear that I saw in a millisecond all my life.

 

[Indianajons]

Problem is should really change both... wouldn't fancy a new and part worn on the front wheels. Good news is you can get 15% off four tyres of certain makes at Halfrauds

 

[bik3rz]

change asap. it's another 170 squids or potentially your life and others at stake

i always change in pairs, either new or used ones or if thread is still deep and 1 tyre is damaged beyond repair, i look for same, used tyre with same thread

 

[Jeff123]

I wouldn't drive around with a bulge like that. You MIGHT be OK, but with safety in mind, is it worth the risk?

 

[First Jag-g-g]

DO NOT drive on that tyre! Put on the mini spare, keep it to 40 MPH or less, and get a new one ASAP as recommended by others. Assuming the other front tyre has only 3,000 miles on it, you should be fine if you purchase/replace the damaged one with the exact same brand, make, and size to ensure a matched handling pair.

 

[UV Blue]

Oh yikes! definitely DON'T drive on that tyre - I'd say you've been lucky to get away with driving with that bulge - but now's the time.

 

[PaulTolga]

Well, the good news is that I had the very excellent www.tyresonthedrive.com service come and fix my tyre problems in my drive.
They were bought by Halfords a little time ago, unbeknownst to me, and they not only priced very competitively, but the technician was very engaging and justifiably proud of his spotless van. Which I must say was very nice.
£523 lighter for 3 tyres though.

The cost of motoring on Britain's endlessly potholed lanes. Some are absolute killers.

 

[IvorB1H]

I feel your pain although £523 is less of a killer than that front tyre could have been

 

[PaulTolga]

Yeah. I very much look forward to the contribution towards this I shall be getting from Surrey County Council 😔
They are responsible for at least one of these tyres.
The stray hubcap? That's just luck.


I actually avoid the lane south of my house now, the holes are that bad. Low profile tyres are not built for this.

 

[Dragos]

Just fitted Wednesday 2 front tyres 225/40/19 Michelin Pilot sport 4 at local Kwickfit and cost me £351(including £5 donation for Ucraine). They told me I will need to replace and rears soon as one have an nail on the running surface near the edge and cannot be repaired.

 

[Fighterpilot]

The trouble with Councils, is they now have a mutitude of legal reasons they can spout, to avoid paying out. 2" is the depth they spout for a pothole, otherwise it is just minor deterioration. 2" on a sports alloys is nearly all the tyre height to the rim. They also like making parking spaces wide enough for a bubble car and at best a Ford Anglia. No allowance is made for the craze of tractors for home use ie shopping and taking "the kids" 500 yards to school.

 

[PaulTolga]

No allowance is made for the craze of tractors for home use ie shopping and taking "the kids" 500 yards to school.

Aside from absolutely avoiding my local multi-story car park (even my XE is too big), the most dangerous thing on my local roads? Mums in sunglasses that can barely peer over the steering wheel of their enormous SUV barrelling down the middle of the lane.
They are much more worrying than the large truck drivers, who generally are very capable. They have to be. The mums? Brain in neutral. Sexist? Yes. But born of multiple near misses.

 

[chrisjp]

I'm afraid to say that 19" and larger wheels with low profile tyres are just unsuitable for British roads in the potholed state they have now been allowed to deteriorate into. These wheels & tyres look good and are clearly very fashionable at the moment but, unless you are planning track days with your Jag, I don't think the handling advantages of the stiff, short sidewalls will be noticeable in ordinary road driving.
I was able to specify non-standard 18" wheels and 45 aspect ratio tyres when I ordered my XE. These are quieter running, tolerate most potholes (though I try to avoid driving into them), and the wheel rims are not as susceptible to kerbing because they are that much higher off the road level.

 

[bik3rz]

I don't think the handling advantages of the stiff, short sidewalls will be noticeable in ordinary road driving

hmpf, xe and ordinary road driving?

you are right - for most drivers it won't be noticeable, but unfortunately i can tell the difference, same with pressures

 

[Nuttyspark]

 

[First Jag-g-g]

The trouble with Councils, is they now have a mutitude of legal reasons they can spout, to avoid paying out. 2" is the depth they spout for a pothole, otherwise it is just minor deterioration. 2" on a sports alloys is nearly all the tyre height to the rim. They also like making parking spaces wide enough for a bubble car and at best a Ford Anglia. No allowance is made for the craze of tractors for home use ie shopping and taking "the kids" 500 yards to school.

Fighterpilot,
It's no better here across the Pond. So far the count over three years of careful driving is three tyres (all on the passenger side) plus two (on the driver side to ensure matched pairs) as well as one repaired then, on second hit, replaced rim. I'm running 19s.

 

[PaulTolga]

Good to know we all have the same problem. I suppose there's some consolation in that


Meanwhile, I posted some glowing comments about the installer of my new tyres. Perhaps he didn't deserve the 5/5 survey score after all.
I saw today that he clearly bumped one of the rims onto the calliper when putting them back on and left a shallow gouge in my lovely red paint.

Thankfully it's an easy five minute fix with a trusty tin of this:

I mention all this merely as we have a certain transatlantic correspondent, in a smart Caldera Red XE, who could do the same to his.