Tyres (Sorry) on Fiesta Zetec 1.25

[PistolPete]

Hello all,

Admittedly my tyre knowledge if we were to use a scale 1-10 is about a 2! (10 being expert) so forgive if this is daft...

Awaiting my new Fiesta and as I'm expecting it a week or 10 days before Christmas, it's just in time for the Great British Winter!

Should I be thinking of getting winter tyres or will the ones I have do rightly? I'm assuming and hoping for the latter. No, I don't drive like a moron, but want to be able to feel comfortable going into corners and enjoying it rather than crawling through at 15MPH!

I suppose I'm asking how have you all found the grip?

Any recommended pressure settings?

And finally in your humble opinions, and where a Fiesta is concerned, which brand/series or tyres are the best to get when it comes time for a change?

Many thanks people,

Peter

[thesilverfox]

Hello all,

Admittedly my tyre knowledge if we were to use a scale 1-10 is about a 2! (10 being expert) so forgive if this is daft...

Awaiting my new Fiesta and as I'm expecting it a week or 10 days before Christmas, it's just in time for the Great British Winter!

Should I be thinking of getting winter tyres or will the ones I have do rightly? I'm assuming and hoping for the latter. No, I don't drive like a moron, but want to be able to feel comfortable going into corners and enjoying it rather than crawling through at 15MPH!

I suppose I'm asking how have you all found the grip?

Any recommended pressure settings?

And finally in your humble opinions, and where a Fiesta is concerned, which brand/series or tyres are the best to get when it comes time for a change?

Many thanks people,

Peter

To be honest, the tyres it comes with should be more than adequate - especially as they will be new. I've never contemplated winter tyres for any car at all - and would only do that if I lived in a totally mad place that has crazy winters. I know folks in Scandinavia and the like will swap for winter tyres, but here in the UK, no need really.

When it comes to replacements, it's down to preference. Do you want longer-lasting tyres (P6000/NCT) or softer compounds that grip a little more (Toyo Proxes, Eagle F1 etc). Plenty of folk like Hankook and Kumho as well, but I'm not so keen.

Recommended pressure settings are exactly what Ford advises for me. I would only ever put more air in the tyres if carrying heavy loads, or dropping a little pressure if I needed to get over extremely soft terrain at VERY slow (crawling) speeds to improve traction.

You are perhaps, worrying a little too much!

[PistolPete]

To be honest, the tyres it comes with should be more than adequate - especially as they will be new. I've never contemplated winter tyres for any car at all - and would only do that if I lived in a totally mad place that has crazy winters. I know folks in Scandinavia and the like will swap for winter tyres, but here in the UK, no need really.

When it comes to replacements, it's down to preference. Do you want longer-lasting tyres (P6000/NCT) or softer compounds that grip a little more (Toyo Proxes, Eagle F1 etc). Plenty of folk like Hankook and Kumho as well, but I'm not so keen.

Recommended pressure settings are exactly what Ford advises for me. I would only ever put more air in the tyres if carrying heavy loads, or dropping a little pressure if I needed to get over extremely soft terrain at VERY slow (crawling) speeds to improve traction.

You are perhaps, worrying a little too much!

Thanks a lot for the reply silverfox, taken on board.

Haha not worrying, I reckon it's brought about by the waiting for the car! These random thoughts will enter my head then off I'll go and look it up; whether to use Super Unleaded was last week's in house debate!

Cheers,

Peter

(keep opinions coming in if there are anymore who wish to add?)

[thesilverfox]

Thanks a lot for the reply silverfox, taken on board.

Haha not worrying, I reckon it's brought about by the waiting for the car! These random thoughts will enter my head then off I'll go and look it up; whether to use Super Unleaded was last week's in house debate!

Cheers,

Peter

(keep opinions coming in if there are anymore who wish to add?)

I've had the 1.25 in my MK IV Chicane ... super unleaded is a waste of time :) I tried it in my ST170 numerous times as well (so that I could have a 100% SU tank of fuel) and it made no difference. Unless the engine is sensitive enough to need it, most of the difference is in the mind. A few people report better economy, but I can't say I noticed any difference.

At least the 1.25 is now 80bhp instead of 75!

[cyb]

Simple bit of logic here – if the weather is so bad you need special tyres I wouldn’t bother getting the car out , otherwise I would offer the same advice as silverfox.

As for tyre pressure best keep them at the recommended pressures that they were designed to run at :)

[PistolPete]

I feel a slight feeling of numbness in the common sense part of my head now!

Nevertheless many thanks lads,

Appreciated B)

Peter

[thesilverfox]

I feel a slight feeling of numbness in the common sense part of my head now!

Nevertheless many thanks lads,

Appreciated B)

Peter

No problem.

Just remember this much: winter tyres means one of two things;

1. Snow chains. Ever seen them on a car in the UK? Me neither!

2. Snow tyres (the ones with metal studs in them for extra grip). Ever seen them on a car in the UK? Me neither ... !

Both of the above I have seen when in Sweden - but even then, only in more Northern parts. Stockholm and Gothenburg were even rare. Lund (far south) was non-existent.

[FMC]

I think using snow chains is illegal in this country, might also be something preventing use of studded tyres too.

There will be certain tyres that perform better than others in the snow and ice. Generally the narrower the tyre, the more grip it will have becasue a lower surface area on the road contact patch will mean higher pressure therefore more "bite" into the snow.

So you could get a set of smaller diameter wheels (say 15" cheap steel rims) and fit a set of skinny tyres, so that you save your fat, low profile tyres and alloys from getting scrubbed or scraped in icy conditions. Look for tyres advertsed as good wet grip or low rolling resistance, these will have a higher level of silica in the tread compound and perform better in wet and icy conditions ;)

TBH this is something i've considered several times and would definitely do, if i could afford it.

[PistolPete]

I think using snow chains is illegal in this country, might also be something preventing use of studded tyres too.

There will be certain tyres that perform better than others in the snow and ice. Generally the narrower the tyre, the more grip it will have becasue a lower surface area on the road contact patch will mean higher pressure therefore more "bite" into the snow.

So you could get a set of smaller diameter wheels (say 15" cheap steel rims) and fit a set of skinny tyres, so that you save your fat, low profile tyres and alloys from getting scrubbed or scraped in icy conditions. Look for tyres advertsed as good wet grip or low rolling resistance, these will have a higher level of silica in the tread compound and perform better in wet and icy conditions ;)

TBH this is something i've considered several times and would definitely do, if i could afford it.

Hmm yeah I don't think my account has the liquidity this close to Christmas to be getting new ones come to think of it but I like the idea. Advice is good keep up the good work lads!

Peter B)

[SpeedyChic]

www.etyres.co.uk they can tell you what tyres to get.

[InstructorPiggy]

correct me if I am wrong, but I think they fit Hankooks to most of the models of festa, I wasnt sure unitl I had some cheapies fitted (gota contract car) and the change was drastic, me thinks Hankook got somthing right with their tyres in the wet now, im converted!

F1 tyres etc are great but just not for GB i feel, gets too wet too often, takes ages then to get them warm to us in wet...ok for abroad.

Piggy :)

PS no wuz bout the tyres, just dont drive in snow!

[PistolPete]

Many thanks again chaps, good info.

Peter

[948kev]

Ive seen many Fiesta's with Hanooks but when I picked mine up I got Michelin's.

Not sure if they are better or worse than the Hankooks - any ideas?

Kev