Car keeps sliding . . .

DylanII

Hi,

I recently got two new tyres on my car. I didnt have the time so I asked my dad to go. He came bank with winter tyres. They are the two front tyres.

Since then my far has been sliding out at the back a lot. I regain control quickly, but it just doesn't feel right. I once ended up sideways on the opposite side of the road. This is on roads that I'm used to and going at a lower speed that before.

Could the winter tires be causing this. With the new front and old back are cheap tyres, I think.

Popoutman

if the back is sliding, then it's the rear tyres that are causing the problem. Front grips and rear doesn't == rear slides around.

Get proper tyres for the rear and it'll improve the situation no end. I'd suggest staying away from the ditchfinder brands when you do.

DylanII

The rear tyres were on the car when I got it a few months ago and still have about 80% left. They never caused a problem before so I thought they wouldn't be the problem . . . I don't know anything about cars though.

Popoutman

Tread depth left is no indicator of the quality.

If the rear tyres are sliding then you need to change the rear tyres before you have an accident. Please change them before you involve someone else in that accident.

DylanII

Popoutman wrote: »

Tread depth left is no indicator of the quality.

If the rear tyres are sliding then you need to change the rear tyres before you have an accident. Please change them before you involve someone else in that accident.

Thanks,

Yes I will change them I have started driving really slow when turning though until I got them on Monday.

Esel

Believe it or not, the major tyre companies recommend fitting the better set of tyres on the rear wheels.

So, in your case, you should have the new tyres installed on the rear, and be sure to have the (older) rear wheels balanced before having them fitted on the front.

I'd say you will definitely notice the difference!

DylanII

Esel wrote: »

Believe it or not, the major tyre companies recommend fitting the better set of tyres on the rear wheels.

So, in your case, you should have the new tyres installed on the rear, and be sure to have the (older) rear wheels balanced before having them fitted on the front.

I'd say you will definitely notice the difference!

Really? That seems kind of strange considering the front controls most of the movement!

Popoutman

Better tyres on the rear ensures that the car will be less likely to rotate under emergency braking. Better tyres on the rear ensures that the car will understeer in a more controlled manner when going around a corner.

There's no other real options other than change the dangerous tyres that you appear to have on your car before you have an accident. In the interim between your ordering the tyres, you might swap front and back so that you are less likely to spin while driving normally, though you will most likely straight-line on bends and overrun stop lines. Drive as though you are on ice. Chances are you have about the same level of grip

Popoutman

DylanII wrote: »

Thanks,

Yes I will change them I have started driving really slow when turning though until I got them on Monday.

I apologise - I had missed this update. Good on you Please take care as emergency braking will catch you out until your 4 tyres are grippy enough!

DylanII

Okay thank you

Esel

Just swap back to front (NB remember to get wheels going on front balanced).

How did your Dad end up with winter tyres anyway?

dahamsta

I love the way the OP's tyres are labeled as "dangerous" with absolutely no evidence whosoever, and the ridiculous Gay Byrne lecture that goes alongside it. Pure bluffer guesswork.

OP, post some data if you want a proper answer: car make and model, tyre makes, models, sizes and positions.

langdang

dahamsta wrote: »

I love the way the OP's tyres are labeled as "dangerous" with absolutely no evidence whosoever, and the ridiculous Gay Byrne lecture that goes alongside it.

OP, post some data if you want a proper answer: car make and model, tyre makes, models, sizes and positions.

^this! Most interested to hear what car it is, and brand of tyres...

Sids Not

I'm guessin Nankang or some other asian crap........

dharma200

could be a rear wheel drive car for all anyone knows... who ever heard of getting new tyres when they are 80% ok without any other data or anything... most tyre places do free checks and will give you advice in about 10 seconds that makes sense, unlike the hours and hours of fantastic advice given here.....

Nissan doctor

dahamsta wrote: »

I love the way the OP's tyres are labeled as "dangerous" with absolutely no evidence whosoever, and the ridiculous Gay Byrne lecture that goes alongside it. Pure bluffer guesswork.

OP, post some data if you want a proper answer: car make and model, tyre makes, models, sizes and positions.

Other then the car sliding around and him ending up on the wrong side of the road at one point presumably?

OP, what car is it and what brands of tyres have you got fitted front and rear?

The reason that newer/better tyres are recommended on the rear is basically, for the average joe soap, understeer is much more neutral and easier controlled by natural reactions then oversteer.

Veloce

Popoutman wrote: »

Better tyres on the rear ensures that the car will be less likely to rotate under emergency braking. Better tyres on the rear ensures that the car will understeer in a more controlled manner when going around a corner.

True that. The only downside is that if the better quality tyres are on the rear your braking distance is likely to be slightly longer if in a straight line emergency stop.

dahamsta

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Other then the car sliding around and him ending up on the wrong side of the road at one point presumably?

That doesn't support the nonsense conclusions being drawn in this thread, and you know damned well it doesn't. Any other useless, unhelpful, smartarsed observations to make about my comment?

slimjimmc

Veloce wrote: »

True that. The only downside is that if the better quality tyres are on the rear your braking distance is likely to be slightly longer if in a straight line emergency stop.

Not necessarily, the braking balance and shift in weight distribution favours pushing the front wheels hard onto the road and increasing grip under braking. While at the same time the downward force on the back wheels is reduced.

Nissan doctor

dahamsta wrote: »

That doesn't support the nonsense conclusions being drawn in this thread, and you know damned well it doesn't. Any other useless, unhelpful, smartarsed observations to make about my comment?

Tyres have been changed, now the car is sliding.....no, your right, there is no evidence of tyres being the issue.

Sounds like a bad time of the month for a discussion with you though.

Nissan doctor

slimjimmc wrote: »

Not necessarily, the braking balance and shift in weight distribution favours pushing the front wheels hard onto the road and increasing grip under braking. While at the same time the downward force on the back wheels is reduced.

If their weigh pushes onto tyres with poor traction then you can be in bother.

slimjimmc

Nissan doctor wrote: »

If their weigh pushes onto tyres with poor traction then you can be in bother.

Of course, but you'd likely be in bother anyway if the rear end passes you by with even less grip. That problem would be due to bad tyres.

Veloce

slimjimmc wrote: »

Nissan doctor wrote: »

If their weigh pushes onto tyres with poor traction then you can be in bother.

Of course, but you'd likely be in bother anyway if the rear end passes you by with even less grip. That problem would be due to bad tyres.

Yes but I said that the braking distance is likely to longer in a *straight line* with poorer quality tyres at the rear.

mickdw

I don't quite get how having fitted the new tyres to the front can have made such a difference to rear grip. I could understand it if perhaps the OP was driving under race conditions where maybe a change in front tyre characteristic might lead to more roll in a bend or something but driving normally, I find this quite strange. Its not as if the new winters on the front could be offering stunning levels of grip surely

sambucus

as previous post. car make?, model?, engine?, tyre sizes(profiles etc) all matching? tyre pressures matching?

reminds me of my 2-3yr old kormorans on the back of my 406 giving me a lot of sideways action in the wet (and ice) loads of tread on them say 50% All tyre sizes and pressures same. I put it down to the tyres getting harder with age and problem sorted by replacing them. best 'looking' tyres I ever threw away....

guess it could be a simalar thing here?

DylanII

Its a 2001 Ford Focus - I believe the tyres are 15'' the winter tyres are sempert and the rear are nexen

sambucus

DylanII wrote: »

Its a 2001 Ford Focus - I believe the tyres are 15'' the winter tyres are sempert and the rear are nexen

IMHO its just a bad tyre combination for your car, (harder tyres on the back). if it was me I'd fit the same tyres on the back and keep the old ones for the spare. expensive i know but what price on your saftey?

dahamsta

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Sounds like a bad time of the month for a discussion with you though.

How mature. The observation of an adolescent teen.

Did you read the recommendations being made earlier in the thread? The back is sliding out because [edit] winters were added to the front? Them's some special tyres. [Sure, crap tyres on the back won't help, but unless they've magically changed, then actual data is needed.]

My point is that with zero actual data available, the conclusions being drawn are nonsense; and that the Gay Byrne style lectures are just ridiculous. Did you have to respond with such a smart-assed comment, before reiterating my suggestion almost verbatim? How is that helping?

OldmanMondeo

dahamsta wrote: »

How is that helping?

Cause it is giving the rest of us a laugh...

dahamsta

If that's what makes you laugh fella, you must have some dull life.

Esel

mickdw wrote: »

I don't quite get how having fitted the new tyres to the front can have made such a difference to rear grip. I could understand it if perhaps the OP was driving under race conditions where maybe a change in front tyre characteristic might lead to more roll in a bend or something but driving normally, I find this quite strange. Its not as if the new winters on the front could be offering stunning levels of grip surely

I would have thought (no personal experience though...) that winter tyres in general would be 'grippier'.

OP mentions Nexen is the brand on the rear.

From here (picked from google of nexen tyres review)

Nexen has filed patents on several of their new tire formulations which use nanoparticle technology....they are NOT a fly by night company. The company originates from a joint venture of Michelin in France and Woosung tire located in Korea. They have been in the business since 1984 and recently opened the Nexen tire brand here in the US. Their technology as well as their tires are performing quite well and their prices are much lower than most of their competitors...

@OP I really think you need to investigate why your Dad had winter tyres fitted.

DylanII

Esel wrote: »

I would have thought (no personal experience though...) that winter tyres in general would be 'grippier'.

OP mentions Nexen is the brand on the rear.

From here (picked from google of nexen tyres review)



@OP I really think you need to investigate why your Dad had winter tyres fitted.

He had winter tyres fitted because he thought I would need them because its nearly winter! My mother usually brings the cars for a service, new tyres etc and he thought they always changed them for the winter, he thought you had to so he asked for winter tyres.
I just didnt think it would be difficult to go and get some tires.

Matt Simis

DylanII wrote: »

He had winter tyres fitted because he thought I would need them because its nearly winter! My mother usually brings the cars for a service, new tyres etc and he thought they always changed them for the winter, he thought you had to so he asked for winter tyres.
I just didnt think it would be difficult to go and get some tires.

Its not nearly winter and no you do not legally "need" winter tyres in most parts of Europe and certainly not here. They are great at low temps and I do advocate them, but within reason (its August btw, our hottest month?).

Are your parents from a country with more proactive tyre laws than Ireland (Nordics, Germany etc)? If not, Im quite dubious of the lack of general road knowledge you (3 people combined) are displaying!

drunkmonkey

DylanII wrote: »

I once ended up sideways on the opposite side of the road.

Your driving a 01 focus, right? How exactly are you entering and exiting corners, even with close to bald tyres you should still be able to go around corners or brake without loosing control.
Is it possible you don't know how to brake properly, have you went for a drive with your dad and demonstrated the car sliding to him. I think either there's something really wrong with your car or your driving style needs some serious work.

Jimbob 83

Always have your best tyres on the back wheels.

Scenario 1: Best tyres on front, you go into a bend and front tyres give no indication of understeer as they are able to move the water from under the road contact area, rear tyres can't keep up lose grip and rear of car goes you are now either dead/injured or about to call your insurance company

Scenario 2: Best tyres on back, you go into a bend and front tres begin to slowly lose grip as they become unable to move the water from under the contact area, you slow down and continue driving and make a mental note to get some new tyres.

I know which scenario i would choose.

Simple solution OP is get matching tyres for front and rear, you now have a set of winter and summer tyres and all i right with the world (best tyres on the back mind) that is unless the backs are complete muck in which case get some cheaper €80-100 bridgestones or michelins or something of similar quality.

Also if you start to think "Jaysus i dunno that's alot of money" think of how it felt as you slid onto the wrong side of the road backwards

Pdfile

Sids Not wrote: »

I'm guessin Nankang or some other asian crap........

nothing wrong with nankings... they make a 316i drive like a m3 on its limits so long as you hit a wet patch of road

Esel

DylanII wrote: »

He had winter tyres fitted because he thought I would need them because its nearly winter! My mother usually brings the cars for a service, new tyres etc and he thought they always changed them for the winter, he thought you had to so he asked for winter tyres.

OK.

I assume your family has a good business relationship with your mechanic / tyre shop then. If this is actually the case, then the best way forward is to go back and have the winter tyres replaced with regular (summer) tyres. If they want to keep your business, they should not charge for doing this. If the Nexen tyres are at 80% tread as you have said, you could probably safely leave them on the rear.

If the above suggestion is not possible, then just have the wheels switched front to rear (including balancing the 'new' fronts) as I said above.

A (more expensive) alternative (if you live in an area which is subject to severe winter conditions) would be to have another pair of winter tyres fitted to the rear of your car. Winter tyres all round would probably work fine all year here, but they would posssibly increase road noise somewhat.

endplate

My brother has a galaxy and when he bought it part of the deal was two new tyres. After a few days the car felt very nervous and almost dangerous to drive. A ford garage mechanic eventually spotted the problem it turned out that the front tyres were a different size to the rears and as a result the front tyres were spinning at a different speed to the back hance confusing the traction control. The system kept thinking the car skidding. The previous owner had fitted oversized tyres to the car and the brothers dealer fitted proper sized tyres. Check the new tyres are a exact size match as the olds. Best way to prevent this in the future is to swap the fronts with the rears every six months to keep the wear even and replace all four tyres at the same time.