Reply to: Costco Tyres, company policy?

[Lockhouse]

I usually use Black Circles, they use local garages to fit the tyres they usually are very good on price I've found.

WHS++ Use them all the time.

[swamp]

Current thinking on tyres with respect to front wheel drive cars is replace all four tyres at ones (as opposed to swapping the worn front tyres for the rear ones). The extra tread on the rear is very important.

Think about it: bald tyres at the front and fresh ones at the rear is OK -- lots of understeer but you will adjust your driving style; fresh rubber on the front and bald tyres on the rear and you'll likely lose the back end with no chance of controlling it.

If you're only replacing two tyres then Costco are probably correct: put the best tyres on the rear for a front wheel drive car.

[TykeMerc]

I personally tell them they can't swap my tyres round. They then go into their lecture about how it's company policy and for safety and yadda yadda yadda.

I let them finish off their lecture and then point out that my rear tyres are wider than the front ones, at which point the Muppet goes "Oh...." and puts them where I originally told him to.

Impressive

Maybe as a compromise you could have promised to drive the next 3-4k miles backwards to ensure that their policy is upheld?

[Fred Bloggs]

I usually use Black Circles, they use local garages to fit the tyres they usually are very good on price I've found.

[Ardesco]

I personally tell them they can't swap my tyres round. They then go into their lecture about how it's company policy and for safety and yadda yadda yadda.

I let them finish off their lecture and then point out that my rear tyres are wider than the front ones, at which point the Muppet goes "Oh...." and puts them where I originally told him to.

[Tingles]

Thanks...

I went back to Costco - good service and am happy they've got my best interests at heart.




Tone

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Every time I have gone to Costco they have given me the same problem where the steering wheel starts to drift and the tracking goes completely out.

I dunno why that is?

[Support Monkey]

I Stand corrected.

Tips on how to get the best from your tyres

Is it a good idea to rotate your tyres?
Many tyre manufacturers agree that it is no longer good practice to rotate your tyres in order to extend their legal life. The reasons for this are;

Partly worn tyres are more likely to experience punctures – particularly in wet weather conditions.

Front tyre deflation will create an under-steer effect which is easier to control than over-steer (the effect produced by a rear tyre deflation)

In the unlikely event that a tyre deflates suddenly, then it is easier to control the vehicle if this occurs at the front of the vehicle. For improved handling and stability it is now recommended that the ‘best’ tyres, those with the most tread, should always be fitted at the rear of the vehicle. This is irrespective of whether the car is front or rear wheel drive.

[VectraMan]

1. You've gotten used to the reduced grip from worn front tyres and adjusted your driving to suit, albeit subconsciously, putting brand new rubber on the front drastically increases grip, since you are subconsciously adjusting for less grip it may result in accidental over steer and loss of control.

All that's assuming newer tyres have more grip, which isn't true. Brand new tyres can be lethal, as can extremely worn tyres, but in between there's not that great deal of difference.

[Spacecadet]

They do seem quite pricey though... It's more for the contractor convenience I am assuming. Do they do weekends?

For our 4x4 they were cheaper than everyone else...

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I've just used them during the week to get brand new tyres
Their website says they can do puncture repairs. Of course, not all punctures are repairable!

They do seem quite pricey though... It's more for the contractor convenience I am assuming. Do they do weekends?

[DaveB]

There are a couple of things related to this that suggest that rotating tyres is a good thing.

1. You've gotten used to the reduced grip from worn front tyres and adjusted your driving to suit, albeit subconsciously, putting brand new rubber on the front drastically increases grip, since you are subconsciously adjusting for less grip it may result in accidental over steer and loss of control. This is exacerbated by the fact that the rear tyres have comparatively less grip at this point, being part worn, and may spin out as a result. This is especially so in wet conditions.

2. On cars that are used infrequently the rear tyres may remain on the car long enough that they start to deteriorate due to age rather than wear. Putting them on the front gets maximum life out of them by avoiding this.

EDIT:

Subsequently found this on the Michelin website

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-care/how-to-buy/

If you’re purchasing only two new tires instead of four, insist they are installed on the rear axle

.

[Support Monkey]

I thought current thinking was:

Front drive cars: New tyres on rear
Rear wheel drive cars: New tyres on front

It's what I have been doing for the last few years for my front wheel drive car.

Wrong, its the other way round, you should always have your best tyres on the driving wheels, Front wheel drive on the front, rear wheel drive on the back

[Spacecadet]

Could you give me some more info? Will they come on a weekend? Any problems after the fitting? What if you get a puncture etc? Does sound really good.

e-tyres - UK's No.1 for Tyres up to 40% Cheaper + FREE Mobile Fitting

I've just used them during the week to get brand new tyres
Their website says they can do puncture repairs. Of course, not all punctures are repairable!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I've used etyres twice and they've been superb. They come round with a van which has all the machinery in it and they just sort it out there and then. Only thing you have to make sure is that there is enough space for the van to park up near your car.

Has to be the easiest way to get new tyres on the car.

Could you give me some more info? Will they come on a weekend? Any problems after the fitting? What if you get a puncture etc? Does sound really good.