When size does matter
Submitted: Wednesday, Nov 26, 2003 at 11:27
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Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic)
Ok it's an odd topic heading..and I bet you're thinking what the hell is she
on about now...
well...it's simply this...
I've been reading all about tyres...
well I've been reading the
forum, and
before we all got political, and stood on our soap boxes and flung insults
at each other [and yes that's been happening...] nearly every day someone
had a question about tyres...Now..I'm not afraid to reveal my sum total
knowledge of tyres is this...they're black, they're round, they're made of
rubber, and they're necessary for comfortable driving.
I know brand names, I've read about heaps of them on this
forum, and I'm not
about to ask anyone which tyre they think is the best, coz that's like
asking why do you support a particular football team. However, I would like
to know, what makes a good 4wd tyre - is it the size of the knobby things?
..is it the thickness of rubber that gives greater satisfaction when it
comes to traction?...do people have a couple of sets of tyres so that if
they're going serious off roading they can change..or are there tyres out
there that are a combination of both....see I told...I know nuffin....
Lyn [Mrs. Al]
PS..I'm not about to buy Al a set of new tyres...but I am trying to lighten
things ups abit
'S Rioghail Mo Dhream
Reply By: Moose - Wednesday, Nov 26, 2003 at 14:28
Wednesday, Nov 26, 2003 at 14:28
Hello Mrs Al
Hope this doesn't turn into a "pussy" episode. Talk about rubber with knobbly bits will soon degenerate into mindless dribble knowing what some people on this
forum are like!
On a serious note I suspect Diamond may be one of the few who could claim unbiased and expert status here but I'll add my few unexpert cents worth.
First though I doubt that there's too much rubber in tyres these days - I suspect they are synthetic.
The number of steel belts (assuming you're talking radials) is meaningless - it's the thickness that counts. So a 3 thin ply tyre can have no better
puncture reistance than a 2 thicker ply tyre. Without mentioning names my tyre retailer told me that a
well known tyre manufacturer that makes a big deal of their 3 ply construction actually use the thinner plies so their claim to greater
puncture resistance is hogwash.
Generally speaking the thicker the tread (the knobbly bits) the better the
puncture resistance. But
the gap between those knobbly bits also comes into play. The bigger
the gap the greater the chance that a sharp object can get to the thinner bit of the trye carcass and cause a
puncture. Then again the bigger those knobbly bits the better the traction offroad, but they are not much use in softy sand where floatation rather than bite is more important. Oh bugger it - it's all too complicated. So it really depends on many factors and there is no such thing as a perfect compromise tyre. 2 sets would be great but I can't afford it nor do I have the room to store them.
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Follow Up By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Wednesday, Nov 26, 2003 at 15:16
Wednesday, Nov 26, 2003 at 15:16
I think I preferred it when all I though i knew was they are round, black and made of rubber...lol...'S Rioghail Mo Dhream
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Nov 29, 2003 at 16:15
Saturday, Nov 29, 2003 at 16:15
I love cats, they taste like CHICKEN!Laterally Literal
Seriously Cerebral
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