Bridgestone Tyres

creedp

I went to fix a puncture on Sat and when i saw the state of the 2 rear tyres I opted to change them. The tyre cente only had 2 option for an s-max 225/50/17 XL tyre - a Sunny @€;110 or a Bridgestone Potenza 98Y @ €245 ea. I dont like putting on non-premium tyres so I opted for Bridgestone which they gave me for €390 for 2. However, today I looked again at tyres - wondering how they could cost €390! - and I noticed that while one is a 98 Y XL the other is only a 94Y, i.e. not an XL.

I presume I'm well within my rights to to back and insist on a refund or a replacement 98Y XL. I've been told before by other tyre retailers that they wouldn't fit 94 tyres on the s-max as its rated for XL but this obviously didn't preturb these guys.

Any views

Thanks

Mc Love

Fecking hell they are expensive!

Vicxas

Yeah... jesus they're pricey.

Anan1

creedp wrote: »

I went to fix a puncture on Sat and when i saw the state of the 2 rear tyres I opted to change them. The tyre cente only had 2 option for an s-max 225/50/17 XL tyre - a Sunny @€;110 or a Bridgestone Potenza 98Y @ €245 ea. I dont like putting on non-premium tyres so I opted for Bridgestone which they gave me for €390 for 2. However, today I looked again at tyres - wondering how they could cost €390! - and I noticed that while one is a 98 Y XL the other is only a 94Y, i.e. not an XL.

I presume I'm well within my rights to to back and insist on a refund or a replacement 98Y XL. I've been told before by other tyre retailers that they wouldn't fit 94 tyres on the s-max as its rated for XL but this obviously didn't preturb these guys.

Any views

Thanks

You've already agreed a price and paid, so there's no more to be done on that front. Re the 94Y tyre, they'll have to replace it with a matching 98Y as that's what you paid for.

creedp

Anan1 wrote: »

You've already agreed a price and paid, so there's no more to be done on that front. Re the 94Y tyre, they'll have to replace it with a matching 98Y as that's what you paid for.

OK so I been had on the price obviously. This is what happens when you don't plan ahead and get quotes!

Anyway as said I will have to go back and insist on replacement 98Y XL. Its bad enough to be stung on price without they also trying to slip in a lower grade tyre.

Next time I'll shop around

Thanks

You should have gone elsewhere op when they quoted you those ridiculous prices.

creedp

Avery Uptight Fumble wrote: »

You should have gone elsewhere op when they quoted you those ridiculous prices.

OK OK I know:) This is what happens when you go to fix a puncture and when they have the tyre off they tell you its in dangerous condition and so is the one on the other side of axle. It was Sat at 5.30pm and I had a long journey next day with 3 kids and fully loaded. Yea I buckled and got stung:)

mathepac

It still horrifies me to hear some of the auld guff that cowboy tyre sellers (and some of their less-well-informed customers) trot out.

"Y" = The very optimistic Speed Rating of a tyre. An industry standard marking that indicates that the tyre can sustain a speed of 300 kph for ten minutes without falling to bits. The two tyres have an identical speed-rating which is well in excess of the speed the car is capable of even in the most optimistic owner's wildest dreams.

"94" / "98" = The Load Index of a tyre, an industry standard, the maximum load a tyre can sustain, assuming that all four tyres will carry an even distribution of the fully-laden weight the vehicle is rated for. 94 = 670 kg, 98 = 750 kg. Either tyre is more than sufficient for the car. This, along with the correct European certification mark and correct size, is the most important measure of the performance metrics of a tyre.

"XL" = extra load. Not an industry standard for European tyres, it is used by some manufacturers and ignored by others depending on the market their tyres are destined for.

Check for "E-marking" on your tyres.

There are more marks and imprints on tyres than you can shake a stick at, including temperature ratings, traction ratings, US Department of Transportation markings, car manufacturer markings (Ferrari, Porsche, Honda, etc may have special requirements from time-to-time), most of them irrelevant to the ordinary motorist.

Use the sizes, pressures and ratings on the door pillar / fuel filler / manual of your car and replace like for like.

TestTransmission

€245 a tyre... :eek:

Anan1

creedp wrote: »

OK so I been had on the price obviously. This is what happens when you don't plan ahead and get quotes!

Anyway as said I will have to go back and insist on replacement 98Y XL. Its bad enough to be stung on price without they also trying to slip in a lower grade tyre.

Next time I'll shop around

Thanks

What makes you so sure you were had on price? Have you shopped around since? I just had a quick look on eiretyres and Potenzas in your size are €171 each in 94Y, plus the cost of balancing & fitting.

neilthefunkeone

Yeah 98Y potenzas are €191 on Eiretyres.. So factor in getting a garage to fit, balance and dispose of the old ones and your not too far off the price the garage quoted!!

Plenty of other choices on that site next time your in need of tyres.. don't have to be stuck between a crap tyre and a really expensive one!!

EDIT: Missed Anan1's post.. Basically just repeated what he said!!!

Anan1

Anan1 wrote: »

What makes you so sure you were had on price? Have you shopped around since? I just had a quick look on eiretyres and Potenzas in your size are €171 each in 94Y, plus the cost of balancing & fitting.

Its rather the lack of choice I was referring to, plenty of better value tyres out there which would be plenty good enough on a people carrier.

creedp

It still horrifies me to hear some of the auld guff that cowboy tyre sellers (and some of their less-well-informed customers) trot out.

Hold on a minute, what's horrifying about it. Tyres are rated and the price is set accordingly. There's no guff about that its simply a fact. I don't care whether I will ever drive up to the max speed or not or carry the max load or not, those are the tyres that are rated for the car and I was quoted a price for that spec and it wasn't fitted. As a less informed customer I will fit a tyre that is rated for my car irrespective of whether people in the know think its ridiculous. Next thing you'll be telling me to argue with the brake fitter that my car could do with lower rated brake pads because the official ratings are simply over stating what my auld people carrier would need!

Bottom line is that the ratings are supposed to be informative and ensure that people who are not tyre geeks are not done over by unscrupulous tyre dealers or which I am sure there are a few.

creedp

Anan1 wrote: »

What makes you so sure you were had on price? Have you shopped around since? I just had a quick look on eiretyres and Potenzas in your size are €171 each in 94Y, plus the cost of balancing & fitting.

Sorry I didn't mean I was done on price for that tyre brand. The next time I'll shop around a get a more reasonably priced brand.

Anan1

Avery Uptight Fumble wrote: »

Its rather the lack of choice I was referring to, plenty of better value tyres out there which would be plenty good enough on a people carrier.

creedp wrote: »

Sorry I didn't mean I was done on price for that tyre brand. The next time I'll shop around a get a more reasonably priced brand.

I just had another look on eiretyres, and it looks like all the premium brands are up in that price range (or above) for that tyre size. Maybe it's just an expensive size?

mickdw

Be sure to go back and get the proper tyre as paid for though and take no crap either about them being "all the same" etc.

-Corkie-

That was crazy money OP for those tyres. One thing I will say is DO NOT buy Sunnys. They are total crap and they wanted 110 euro for those..:eek:

They normally retail for 60-70 euro for that size.

Btyreman

Always fit the tyre size and load speed index specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Details can be found in the owner's handbook. You should return to the tyre retailer and make sure all tyres are as specified for the vehicle.

Extra load tyres are normally fitted to people carriers as they tend to carry more weight. Vehicle manufacturers and tyre companies allow extra tolerance in terms of speed and weight as this makes reaching the outer limits impossible under standard driving; providing motorists with additional safety.

Independent studies have shown that branded tyres such as Bridgestone last longer and stop quicker makeing them a good investment. When buying any product it is never a bad idea to get at least one comparative quote but remember the service element of a tyre dealer should be taken into account. Good equipment and well trained staff cost money.

Ask your dealer how he disposes of his waste tyres also.

creedp

-Corkie- wrote: »

That was crazy money OP for those tyres. One thing I will say is DO NOT buy Sunnys. They are total crap and they wanted 110 euro for those..:eek:

They normally retail for 60-70 euro for that size.

That was the problem as the choice was sunny's or bridgestone and i wasn't going with sunny's no matter what some people might say about them. On the price thing you and a couple of other people referred to earlier I checked around and could have got Goodyear Excellence and Goodyear Sportmax for €180 or Bridgestone Turanza'a for €160 or Michelin Premacy's for €220!! for what I was advised are well priced outlets. So I wasn't completly burned by these guys and as long they replace the 94Y with a 98Y XL I'll be as happy as one can be having forked out €390 for 2 tyres.

Btw the point about unusual size seems to be right in that a 225/45/17 would be a slightly cheaper option and have more brand options. Not sure how this would affect ride/setup - probably not much. However, it can be pretty rough now on poor surfaces so not sure what it wold be like on 45's.

Finally, I have one Kumho Ecsta which replaced a Michelin Premacy which I blew in a pothole. The other premacy is now on last legs and i was considering putting on a matching Kumho - any views on the Kumho?

creedp

creedp wrote: »

.........
Btw the point about unusual size seems to be right in that a 225/45/17 ......... Not sure how this would affect ride/setup - probably not much. ..............

Almost an inch in overall diameter, might well notice that

creedp

RoverJames wrote: »

Almost an inch in overall diameter, might well notice that

When put that way it certaintly looks likes a lot but I suppose its less than a 1/2 inch in radius which isn't far off running a well worn tyre on one side of axle -v- a new on other side. I current have that set up on front, i.e. an almost illegal Michellin on one side and a new Kumho on the other and I don't notice anything in terms of smoothness or stability. However, I will be changing the Michellin in tne next couple of days. Just wondering if one was running a 45 on each side of axle of even 4 all around would it cause big problems? Im not proposing to go down this route as I already have 3 50 profile tyres but just raising the option. When I was changing tyres in the past this option was mentioned to me but I didn't go ahead because I don't like messing with tyres.

-Chris-

Yeah, but what happens when your mismatched tyres wear or get damaged.

You could end up with a worn smaller tyre giving you >1" radius difference.

Seems messy imho

creedp

-Chris- wrote: »

Yeah, but what happens when your mismatched tyres wear or get damaged.

You could end up with a worn smaller tyre giving you >1" radius difference.

Seems messy imho

Sorry I wasn't suggesting putting 2 different sized tyres on same axle. What I was hamfistedly trying to say was if I replaced 2 50 tyres on the one axle with 45 tyres, or replace all 4 50 tyres with 45 tyres, would it cause problems. I wouldn't want two differently worn, even if of same size, tyres on the one axle. Currently have it because I blew one in a pothole but don't intend to keep it that way for long.

coylemj

creedp wrote: »

OK OK I know:) This is what happens when you go to fix a puncture and when they have the tyre off they tell you its in dangerous condition and so is the one on the other side of axle. It was Sat at 5.30pm and I had a long journey next day with 3 kids and fully loaded. Yea I buckled and got stung:)

They all try that stunt, someone from RTE's consumer program needs to expose these gangsters and they way they treat innocent motorists. It even happened me one day I was in one of the big chains, a lady motorist came in to get a puncture repaired, once the tyre was off the guy (big gorilla type, not to be tangled with) told here there was a tear blah, blah, dangerous condition, couldn't let her out with a tyre in that condition so of course she caved in and bought a new tyre.

I was getting my wheels balanced because I had spotted the start of uneven wear, the same guy tried it on with me, said I was below the legal limit for tread, I asked him to define the 'legal limit' and to produce a tread depth gauge to prove his point, he could do neither so I told him to get his facts right before trying the sale pitch, got my wheels balanced and left.