Conference terri::cars_uk

    Lisa,
    
    you definitely skidded (hence the squealing and the smell of rubber),
    but your tyres and brakes are almost certainly not damaged. Rad tyres
    are made of pretty hard rubber and so you shouldn't have flatted them
    by skidding. If you are really worried, pop along to a reputable tyre
    fitters and ask them to check them. I don't know where you are, but
    if you are in Reading I've always found ATS to be honest.
    
    Mark

A second vote for ATS to et the tyres inspected.  Alternatively, find some
mechanically-minded person and try the helpless female bit, and maybe they'll
have a look for you.  I'm always falling for that one (not that I mind, in case
any of my helpless females are reading!).

Regarding the brakes, depending on the car's age/condition, you may have split
a rubber seal or burst a pipe.  A small leak may not show up for several days
or weeks.  After I'd braked sharply once, one of the rear-wheel slave cylinders
started leaking.  I only noticed once the pool of brake fluid under the
car started staining the ground where I park every night...  Definitely worth
getting someone to look at the brakes: more so than the tyres, in my opinion.

Scott

    re .-1
    	When you have new brakes or tyres fitted you should always run them in
    before going fast, as they need time to bed in. In fact, if you run a
    tyre in, then it will last longer
    
    
    Ady

    My previous car Peugeot 505 had to be handled carefully on this.
    Whenever I had braked like you did, the disks were bent and braking was
    terrible: the steering wheel and the fornt of the car was shaking bery
    much!  
    
    This occured when new and I got new disks under warranty.
    Second time after 50,000 kms again on my own cost.
    
    Third time at 60,000 kms and at this time the garage ruined to front
    strud, so this had to be replaced as well.
    At that time I refused to pay and after some discussion the garage
    accepted they had done a bad job.
    
    Beware of Peugeot disks!
    
    Also the wheel balance can be disturbed after such a brake action.
    
    Furtheron the 505 was a fine car to drive; very classy!
    
    
    Hans
    

>> Beware of Peugeot disks!

Going by my experience I'd warn of Toyota discs. My MR2 is on it's fourth
set of front discs in only 38000 miles. The third set lasted 6000 miles!

Last service Reading Toyota said that if this set warp they'll replace
the hubs. All of this has been under warranty fortunately.

Steve

PS The front pads lasted up to the 36000 mile service.

>>PS The front pads lasted up to the 36000 mile service.

shouldn't they have replaced the pads too when the disks were replaced?

>>shouldn't they have replaced the pads too when the disks were replaced?

Well, if they should have done no one at the garage suggested it. I would
feel less than happy about paying for new pads when the old ones have plenty
of wear left and I dare say the warranty doesn't cover pads at all.

Steve

    
    ... which is a shame, as my front pads have worn 60% in the last 6,000
    miles! Incidentally, Toyota are now using a low-asbestos pad material
    which seems to wear more quickly and squeak occasionally (though the
    wear rate on my car is probably unusual for other reasons).
    
    Bill.

>>    miles! Incidentally, Toyota are now using a low-asbestos pad material

Yes, my lastest pair are these. I was under the impression that they
had no asbestos at all, containing a mixture of brass scrap and ground
up chopsticks.

Actually I'm only conjecturing about the chopsticks, but they definitely
contain brass.

Steve

    All Ford Granadas have ABS; thus in my 2.o litre one, I never, ever,
    locked up the brakes.
    
    It was getting through a pair of front discs every (about) 12000 miles.
    
    They eventually fitted a steering mod, which was supposed to fix the
    problem. Then the lease ended, so I don't know whether it worked.
    
    Steve

    
    Ford cars tend to eat discs because Ford, in their infinite wisdom,
    don't destress the metal they use in manufacturing the disc. Having
    warped a disc (probably due to the rapid cooling of a disc, from the
    very high temperatures they can reach), you could try having it planed -
    and it shouldn't give any more trouble.
    
    Otherwise, ensure they use plenty of heat transfer gel when replacing
    the disc - it may help.
                                 
    Bill

    In case anyone is interested - my tyres and brakes seem to be OK!
    Thanks Scott!
    
    
    
    Lisa.
    
    PS Skidded again this morning - on ice about 6 inches from my drive!
    

one of the guys down at SBP locked up hard on the M3 last friday,
and both his front tyres blew out at speed on Monday morning, for
no apparent reason.... Fortunately he controlled it.

Which just goes to show...... or not.

Peter.

But Lisa's car is only 6000 miles old and the tyres have loadsa tread and you
can't even see any skid marks on them...

The only problem was that they were several psi too flat...

Scott

    
    A mechanic told me the other day that Pirrelli tyres have a habit of
    twisting, which could have caused my blow-out on Friday night.  What
    did he mean by that ?
    
    Julie.
    

    
    Re. 1353
    
    Well thanks for the response peeps - not !  Social lot in here aren't
    we ?  Or should I take the lack of response as meaning that no-one
    knows the answer ?
    
    Well, I'm having the tyre inspected anyway, so I'm sure the inspector
    will fill me in on the details.
    
    Julie.
    

    Sorry Julie,
    	I've no idea what he means by "twisting".
    
    	Rik

    
    I've heard of tyres on race cars 'Turning' on the rim (i'e the wheel
    spins faster than the tyre!). I've not heard of that kind of thing on 
    'humble' road cars, but MAYBE this is what he meant.
    
    Mark

    
>>>    I've heard of tyres on race cars 'Turning' on the rim (i'e the wheel
>>>    spins faster than the tyre!). I've not heard of that kind of thing on 
>>>    'humble' road cars, but MAYBE this is what he meant.
    
    
    ...Not exactly 'humble' But, I remember a picture a few years back -
    which I may still have somewhere - of A Lambo Countach doing a standing
    start using Pirelli P7's, The combination of massive Torque and superb
    traction had the rim turning inside the tyre for a brief moment before
    taking off down the tarmac, the twisting motion was enough to distort
    the writing on the sidewalls....
    
    Graham

re.22:

The "mechanic" concerned was talking out of the incorrect orifice.

Dave.
Ps Hi Julie!

re. .23

Warbs'
Having seen the causes some your previous Friday night 'blow-outs' I wasn't
going to comment on  you getting your tyres in a twist, but if you insist...

:-)

T. 

>    start using Pirelli P7's, The combination of massive Torque and superb
>    traction had the rim turning inside the tyre for a brief moment before
>    taking off down the tarmac, the twisting motion was enough to distort
>    the writing on the sidewalls....

Yeah, I can relate, I have to put up with it all the time in the Isetta....

Dave

    
    Thanks for the response, peeps !  I take back my remark about you being
    an unsocial lot !  ;-)
    
    Hi Dave (Kerrell), Hugs Julie.
    
    Tony Smith, are you still here ? ;-)
    
    Julie.
    

>    Thanks for the response, peeps !  I take back my remark about you being
>    an unsocial lot !  ;-)
    
I can't speak for the others, but I freely admit to being antisocial  :)

Chris.

>> Tony Smith, are you still here ? 

Still sculking in the corners looking for the opportunities....;-)

Warbs,
Are you still behind the bar at Bretts ?  Or is that Max in a tutu ?   :-}



TKS.

    
    Don't know.  I haven't been to Brett's for donkey's years !
    
    julie.