I really hope comeone can answer this please?

[Dave]

Firstly, please forgive the length of the post - I scared the life
out of myself and I hope someone can answer a couple of questions please?

Of late, I have had a couple of things to do to my Beat.

Fuel pump relay is on order and should be here next week.

I've had her serviced - air and oil filters cleaned out because the
garage couldn't find filters for me - the usual. Two new rear tyres.

I found a diamond of a man locally! There was a rattle from the exhaust
really noisy and he replaced the completly rusted back box and pipes, bent some standard pipes with his gear - all for 90 euro! I'm delighted with that.
I can hear the engine again!

The problem I'm hoping someone can help me out with please is (I think) the rear tyres.

When I drove her home from the garage she felt different - I expected it to be strange but she felt weird. Now perhaps this is a little reckless of me but one of the things I love to do most in the Beat is to DRIVE her around roundabouts.

It took me a couple of weeks to get used to her but I would have been quiet confident to drive into a roundabout and really DRIVE her all the way round - wheel turned fully and accelerate all the way around!

I said I'd take her for a spin tonight and open her up - you know new tyres, new exhaust - just for fun. Going into the roundabout she just felt funny and I thought 'S*** I'm not going to make it all the way round here.' So as I lay off the acceleration and straightened up to take the first exit the back of the car started to come round. I was coming off the bloody thing side ways! I tried to straighten her up and the back end started to come round from the other side! Thankfully there was nothing else on the road. I just stopped dead and drove off REALLY CAREFULLY.

Now as I've said perhaps it is reckless of me but I'd expect this if I was going like 50 - 60 not 35 - 40. I used to have a go-kart now it feels like I have a jelly car!

I don't think the tyres are wide enough or something - I don't know - can someone give me some info please? I know nothing about tyres and spacers and balance etc so I took down every number on them.

They are -

Bridgestone 371
165/60R14
75H
E9
02 2045

Again, sorry for the length of the post - I just scared the living bejazus outa myself!

As always, any info is GREATLY appreciated - thanks for your time.

Kind Regards,
A scared Dave.

[Steve_M]

How many miles have your new tyres done?? it can take a few hundred miles before a new tyre loses its new new and actually has some grip.

A brand new tyre has less grip than a bald tyre.

There not a problem with the tyre size, that is correct and a bridgestone tyre is probably the best suited to the rear of a beat.

HTH

[Dave]

Phew...

Thanks Steve - I guess also @ this time of year its wise to take it easy!

I never knew about the grip taking a while and I have to admit that the old tyres were a bit like Kojak!

Again, as always many, many thanks!

Regards,
Dave

P.S. Oh yeah I'd say the new tyres have done about ... oh 8 miles

[Paul w]

I seem to remember this problem is due to the releasing agent they spray into the tyre mould. It acts as a lubricant and gets into the first 1/10th of a mm or so of the tyre.
Lubricant and wet road=new pants!

PW