Ask a tyre expert anything

[Ben Lowden]

We've teamed up with our friends at Michelin this year to help you get a great deal on tyres and to answer your burning questions about tyres that you've never known who to ask.

So, fire away on this thread and we'll work with the experts at Michelin to answer as many as possible.

[j44esd]

Be great to understand exactly *why* I should buy * marked tyres for a BMW and similar...I get that they're the OE tyres, but what's the actual difference for me 5 years down the line when I'm buying my new set?

[stevieturbo]

Ben Lowden said:

We've teamed up with our friends at Michelin this year to help you get a great deal on tyres and to answer your burning questions about tyres that you've never known who to ask.

So, fire away on this thread and we'll work with the experts at Michelin to answer as many as possible.

Why do all modern tyres start cracking in no time.....some severely rendering them scrap ?

[Dave.]

Why are incredibly ste tyres allowed to be sold?

[stevieturbo]

Dave. said:

Why are incredibly ste tyres allowed to be sold?

Quite true.

And what's the point in having ABCDE etc labelling to indicate performance, when it's all just a complete scam with no standards ?

[InitialDave]

I thought this was going to be for Jon from TyreReviews. Ah well.

What's the future of being able to get actually decent tyres in older/smaller sizes, 13"-15" for example?

Which sub brands do Michelin own (e.g. budget ones) and how much flowdown to them is there from the higher end stuff?

[Pica-Pica]

Why do we not yet have puncture-proof tyres?

[Chris32345]

Pica-Pica said:

Why do we not yet have puncture-proof tyres?

We do but they are awful for passengers cara
Only fit for dumps drunks and the likes

[thetapeworm]

Do you ever see a time when the Tweel will replace conventional tyres on mainstream vehicles?

[dbrbot]

do XL tyres confer any handling advantages?

if replacing a tyre on a car where the oem load rating is 91 but buying new tyre with a load rating of 94 can you reduce the pressure to compensate?

what is the lowest pressure you can run on a tire for the road? could you go below 30psi as long as it meets the load requirements of the car?

[E-bmw]

There is no need to adjust the pressure to suit.

Just use the correct pressures.

[GreenV8S]

When do we get to the point where the expert answers?

[Ben Lowden]

GreenV8S said:

When do we get to the point where the expert answers?

We're going to build up the questions to share with Michelin, who'll respond in due course

[Ben Lowden]

One from me - at what point are tyres considered too old? I've recently picked up a second set of wheels. Tyres are eight years old but look absolutely fine, loads of tread and no cracking.

[MustangGT]

Ben Lowden said:

One from me - at what point are tyres considered too old? I've recently picked up a second set of wheels. Tyres are eight years old but look absolutely fine, loads of tread and no cracking.

I would say it is totally dependent on how they have been stored. If stored correctly, out of daylight, they would probably be fine.

[sunnyb13]

I have a Michelin pilot sport 4 on my left front and a Michelin pilot super sport on my front right, both same size, same rating. Will this cause any difference in steering feel?

[yeager2004]

Two questions:

Has the compound of tyres changed? Cracking seems to be worse with newer tyres

Are there any products I can apply to the tyre to help prevent cracking?

[steveo3002]

why do some tyres especially Michelin crack in no time?is it acceptable to throw away tyres under 5 years old due to cracks?

[Konan]

When running a significantly different size wheel and tyre to OEM e.g. 215 up to 265, would there be a rule of thumb for a change in pressure (if any).

I guess a more general question would be, how do manufacturers arrive at their suggested pressures?

[robemcdonald]

Are N rated tyres for a Porsche just a gimmick? Would pilot sport 5s be just as good as an n rated 4?