Allegro Club International

[Richard Howe]

I went out this morning to view an Allegro Estate I had been told about. Gonzo hadn't had a run for a while, and he was beginning to suffer from battery drain in the cold, so I figured he could serve as my steed for the 180 mile round-trip. I did the usual basic checks (look to see if tyres need pumping up, check water levels, confirm fuel exists in spare can) and set off.

After an hour (20 miles) of escaping London & the M25's reach, I hit the M3 and started to enjoy the open road. Gonzo behaved as you'd expect a nearly 30 year old 998cc car to behave - he could keep up with most traffic, but was in no real danger of getting his picture taken for free. However, after another 10 miles or so, I noticed the steering was feeling odd; I had to keep the wheel pointing a little to the left to maintain straight progress, and observation of other vehicles implied that this had nothing to do with windy conditions. Still, it wasn't much - maybe the camber was off, maybe I was exaggerating it mentally, who knows? So I pressed on.

After another 10 miles, I noticed a slight knock. This perturbed me, and brought me back to worrying about the steering. Perhaps there was a problem with the nearside suspension? I've noticed the car seems to be sitting lower, maybe it had just sunk? No, the view out hadn't changed, and if both sides had gone at once I'd be hearing/feeling more. Okay, back off a bit... It's gone. Hm, odd. I pressed on.

Just a couple more miles down the road, and after I'd performed an overtake on a slow-moving policecar there's a thud - not a bang, not a clang, but a thud and suddenly the steering feels very weird and there's definitely noise from the front left corner. Hazards on, into the hard shoulder; the police car that I'd just passed helpfully continued on his merry way, and I phoned my breakdown service.

Here's what had happened:


What you can't see is the nail that had been stuck deep in the tread for who-knows-how-long 6 inches away from the edge of the bulge. Water had obviously found its way in along the nailshaft, causing the cords to corrode & then freezing, separating them. While I'd been motoring at urban speeds the tyre had been okay, but when I'd started going faster it had heated them enough to cause distension.

So - check your tyres for nails!

Oh, and I'll now be viewing the Estate next week instead...
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...that's why Allegro will look as good 5 years from now as it does today.

[M. Irvine]

Richard,

I notice that the tyre was made by Stomil in Poland and I would imagine is fairly old. Is there a date marking on it, usually consisting of three number (now four) in a circle? If so, the first two number refer to the week of production and the last number (or two) to the year. The reason for four numbers used now is that you can tell which decade they were produced! If I was betting man I would go for 10 years old or more. It has suffered from casing failure, which can also happen for other reasons such an impact or kerbing.

I am only saying this as I 100% agree with you conclusion. How right you are that they should be examined often for any signs of a problem.

Members should also remember:
1) Tyre manufacturers say that a tyres is only expected to last three years, but of course they want to sell more.
2) The quality of tyres from certain parts of the world (especially C....) are a disgrace, giving less grip, wear out faster and waste fuel.

For your own safety keep to the well known established makes and not 'Budget tyres'.

Merv.
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ALLEGRO = Agile, Lively, Legendary, Economical, Genial, Reliable & Outstanding.

[Laurence]

I had a similar fault with some budget tyres a year or so ago. I think that they were well past their 'use by' date.

The thing is, you can check your tyres for ruptures, bulges, distortion etc., find everything looking fine then set off on the journey & often, only then does the fault appear.

It may be a good idea to have some 'winter' tyres fitted. These aren't the ones with snow/ice studs fitted, they are made to have good performance @ below 7C. They are a bit more expensive than 'standard' tyres @ around £45 per tyre, but they far out-perform standard tyres & can be used all year round.

When my tyres are due for renewal, I'll have some winter tyres fitted.

[M. Irvine]

Since an article appeared in Auto Express a few weeks ago about winter tyres, they have become extremely difficult to find.

I am not so sure that they are the best for all year use however. The summer wear rate is higher and the ultimate grip above 7 deg C is not as good. They are best kept for the winter months use only, as they do in some other countries.

Some BMW dealers have offered to give owners free tyre/wheel swaps in the autumn and spring and store the ones not in use. The owners obviously have to buy two wheels and tyres first. The antics witnessed of some (rear wheel drive) BMW's in the last couple of weeks and earlier in the year makes me think they need something rather more than a driver with a brain and additional training!

Merv.
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ALLEGRO = Agile, Lively, Legendary, Economical, Genial, Reliable & Outstanding.

[Richard Howe]

Yeah, they wear ridiculously in the summer.

The blown tyre was on the car when I bought it last summer. I can't check its code now, but its twin from the other side has become my spare after I replaced the front pair (I always do pairs when I can!) so I'll report on that later. It wouldn't surprise me if it was past its shelflife though, I'd recently noticed a little crazing and had already considered getting them replaced for the next MoT in Feb.
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...that's why Allegro will look as good 5 years from now as it does today.

[M. Irvine]

Seen today. Ford Fiesta 1.25, driven gently by an older lady driver.

Four new budget tyres from C.... fitted last December for MOT test and after just over 6000 miles. NSF tyre less than 4mm tread depth and OSR slightly better (as usual). Not a geometry/steering/suspension fault, or any obvious kerbing damage. The last set of Firestone tyres did just over 30,000 miles, with one swop front to rear. The first set, which I think were Michelin, did nearly 40,000 miles.

Enough said.

Merv.
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ALLEGRO = Agile, Lively, Legendary, Economical, Genial, Reliable & Outstanding.

[Laurence]

Some say that winter tyres can be used up to 15C no probs.

Wear rates differ depending on manufacturer, some are hideous ie Vredestein wear badly whereas Pirelli give best wear/good performance.

Advances in tyre technology means modern winter tyres don't degrade as much as they used to in warmer conditions.

So cold weather/winter tyres can be used all year round, but if you have a high performance car, don't use winter tyres on it during the summer. But if you drive at 70mph or below (like I always do ) you should have no worries.

I have used Uniroyal Rain Tyres for several years on my Allegro 1.3 all year round with no wear issues & they are always 'grippy' which frustates me when I see modern cars in front of me making a meal of bends/roundabouts etc. in the wet.

People who run winter tyres all year round use Nokian WRG2 or Conti TS830P no probs.

Always fit a set of 4 tyres (if you have a four-wheeled car ) regardless of FWD or RWD because if you continue to use summer tyres on one axle they become useless in adverse conditions.

[Richard Howe]

There was some surprised comments about that last point when the subject first got raised this year on my Merc club forum. A few RWD guys thought they just needed them on the back like snowchains, a few FWD guys thought only their front wheels would need them; took a lot of convincing for some of them to realise how both ends of the car were just as important regardless of which set actually move the car along.

I already have a lead on a spare set of rims; maybe if I get properly organised next year I'll get some winter tyres - just need to decide which car to fit them to
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...that's why Allegro will look as good 5 years from now as it does today.

[Laurence]

As my Allegro 1.3 won't see the road again for maybe another year of graft (sorry, TLC) I decided to swap the Uniroyal rain tyres to the silver VP for the winter (I have to drive north of Brum @ Xmas).

When I used to drive the old Allegro, I always thought that the tyres felt 'funny'. (like a flat spot)

I found today, during the swap-over, that the NSR tyre had an odd wear pattern which I think is caused by a ruptured carcass.

Needless to say, I didn't fit the wheel/tyre to the VP, & will renew it soon.

[Richard Howe]

Well my new tyres got me through again today, but I do wish he'd had M&S in stock... It was a bit more slippery than the old ones, despite their wear (or perhaps because of it; they'd have softened a little over time?)

Oh, and here's a great tale of how not to deal with the conditions:
Saw a Volvo with reduced pressure in the tyres to increase grip.

A V40, with utterly flat *rear* tyres! Needless to say, it wasn't making very good progress!
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...that's why Allegro will look as good 5 years from now as it does today.

[Laurence]

It sounds daft, but the best time to buy tyres for winter is during the summer, because, by the time winter comes along, most of the winter tyres have 'sold-out'.

The manufacturers only produce a certain quota of winter tyres, so grab 'em while you can.

I run my tyres in the winter/snow etc. at a lower pressure than during the summer, but not so low that the rims are touching the ground & a bit unsafe. Plus I rarely drive at more than 65mph on dual-carriageways etc. winter or summer, so a reduced tyre pressure won't cause problems.

[Paul-V]

..........over on the Rover 200 forum, there has also been discussion about winter tyres.

The representative from Chris Knott Insurance, who administer the club's insurance scheme, has confirmed that insurance companies want to be informed when winter tyres are fitted, as it is considered to be a deviation from standard specification

Some companies (but not his) actually charge extra as well!

[benmagoo]

[Richard Howe]