[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by Skyline GT-R

BUT! I will get a lighter steering due to 175 patch on front. 70 profile will ensure that underbody does not scrape.

& what are the advantages/disadvantages w.r.t handling if i have less track width in front & slightly more track width in rear?

Or should i go for 175/70R14 for both front & rear?

I think the 70 profile will not make much difference to your under body scraping. On the flip side, by increasing the tyre sidewall maintaining the same tread width, you might induce more body roll. So to maintain similar handling characteristics, you should proportionally increase the tread width too.

Keep in mind that the handling of the car/ shockers as tested by Ford are for 175/ 65. And you are toying with all the dimensions of settings by altering the tyre sizes and the combination. IMO, its too much a risk considering the "friendly" A.S.S of Ford which will outrightly paste the banner of void warranties and what not!

Thinking again, your warranty would anyway expire within a few months right?

[Skyline GT-R]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Keep in mind that the handling of the car/ shockers as tested by Ford are for 175/ 65. And you are toying with all the dimensions of settings by altering the tyre sizes and the combination. IMO, its too much a risk considering the "friendly" A.S.S of Ford which will outrightly paste the banner of void warranties and what not!

Thinking again, your warranty would anyway expire within a few months right?

You are scaring me, man.

I guess my different size theory is not going down well at all, therefore will stick on to 185/65R14 itself. Brand will depend on cash-in-hand at the time of purchase.

[fiery enzyme]

185/65/R14 XM2s solved the GC issue for me. Scrapping has come down by about 95%.

[Parthasarathig]

Hello friends, last night I ended up with this from my rear RHS wheel.












I was doing 40 to 50kmph on the expressway as it was raining. Is the tyre gone? My car just finished 15000kms yesterday, so do you feel I should get a change done for the entire set of wheels?

The incident happened as follows.
All of a sudden on the road I started getting a "dhakdhak" sound which later i figured to be the noise when the rim was hitting the road.

I was doing 40 to 50kmph on the expressway as it was raining. Is the tyre gone? My car just finished 15000kms yesterday, so do you feel I should get a change done for the entire set of wheels?

Smoke was also emanating and as it was night and me driving alone I was pretty scared till I reached a Restaurant. I drove at 20kmph since if I drove fast smoke was coming and I was pretty scared that a fire may start. All I could see in my ORVM was the tyre gone flat.

I was afraid due to constant impact of the rim and the road, the rim would've got out of shape but thankfully its not the case.

After this incident im not confident at all of taking out my car on the road till I can find a proper solution from tbhp.

From the looks of the tyre, it is not repairable now is it? It is Goodyear GT3 175/65 R15. I had filled nitrogen in them and had kept the rear tyres at a slightly high psi of 38 and the front at 36 since i frequently have people travelling with me and high psi helps me to prevent the underbody scrapings.
But is the high psi also the cause for this damage? Ford has written 41psi is the max for rear tyres.

If ive to go in for a new set, can you recommend some good tyres for the figo? Which will also be safer in the case of puncture?

Also should i get my rim changed? I wont shift to alloys, so do we get steel rims from the dealers?

Also can you give me some tips regarding what speeds to drive at when a puncture has happened?.

Im pretty shaken up after the incident. Hope to get my car out soon enough

Thanks

(mods please move my post to the apt section if necessary. This is the only thread that turned up on my search query "Ford Figo tyre" gracias!)

[jayded]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

From the looks of the tyre, it is not repairable now is it? It is Goodyear GT3 175/65 R15. I had filled nitrogen in them and had kept the rear tyres at a slightly high psi of 38 and the front at 36 since i frequently have people travelling with me and high psi helps me to prevent the underbody scrapings.
But is the high psi also the cause for this damage? Ford has written 41psi is the max for rear tyres.

If ive to go in for a new set, can you recommend some good tyres for the figo? Which will also be safer in the case of puncture?


Also can you give me some tips regarding what speeds to drive at when a puncture has happened?.

Im pretty shaken up after the incident. Hope to get my car out soon enough

That tire can be discarded. Looks like the tire hit a stone at pretty decent speeds. There is nothing to be worried about. Just get the tire replaced with a new one an drive on. Also get the rim checked for any bends. Certain bends are not visible to the untrained eye, so get it checked at a good tire repair guy who can fix it for you. If the vehicle still vibrates when driven above 60-70 kmph after getting the balancing checked, you might want to replace the rim as well. It can be sourced by your A.S.S. folks. My estimate would be around 800 bucks, not sure though.

P.S: I don't think there is any ideal speed at which you need to drive once you get a flat tire because with every inch you move, you will be damaging your tire sidewall even more, so the only solution is to pull over if it is a safe location/timing and replace it for the spare.

EDIT: I'm not too knowledgeable about tires but having used Michelin XM1 on our previous car, I can vouch for the ride and grip. But not sure how it will gel in with the other 3 goodyears here. In case you are changing the entire set, try the new MRF Z-LO range, they are available from 185 section onwards. It has received good reviews in tbhp itself.

Cheers!

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by jayded

That tire can be discarded. Looks like the tire hit a stone at pretty decent speeds. There is nothing to be worried about. Just get the tire replaced with a new one an drive on. Also get the rim checked for any bends. Certain bends are not visible to the untrained eye, so get it checked at a good tire repair guy who can fix it for you. If the vehicle still vibrates when driven above 60-70 kmph after getting the balancing checked, you might want to replace the rim as well. It can be sourced by your A.S.S. folks. My estimate would be around 800 bucks, not sure though.

P.S: I don't think there is any ideal speed at which you need to drive once you get a flat tire because with every inch you move, you will be damaging your tire sidewall even more, so the only solution is to pull over if it is a safe location/timing and replace it for the spare.

EDIT: I'm not too knowledgeable about tires but having used Michelin XM1 on our previous car, I can vouch for the ride and grip. But not sure how it will gel in with the other 3 goodyears here. In case you are changing the entire set, try the new MRF Z-LO range, they are available from 185 section onwards. It has received good reviews in tbhp itself.

Cheers!

Im thinking of getting the entire set replaced since I really cant make out the condition of the tires after this incident. Before the journey I did check all my tyres but despite that this happened. The tyre also had a good amount of tread left on it but that didnt help.

Do you feel steel rims are safer than alloys in such cases?

Btw the figo recommended tyre size by ford is 175/65 R14. So I guess getting the ZLO in 185 would void my warranty even though MRF says its applicable to the Figo as well.

I also checked up Michelin's website. They have new tyres called energy XM2 which is the next generation of XM1. They have the recommended Figo tyre size.

Do you feel Michelins will do a better job than Goodyear GT3? Also is the difference in Fuel Efficiency stated on the Michelin site, really true or just marketing? Did you notice any difference? Also are these tyres safe on high speeds?

Please excuse me for asking so many questions, but I really dont want to go through that experience again. It was horrible.

Thanks for helping out !!

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Is the tyre gone?

Yes. Definitely so. that tyre is definitely a goner!!

If you don't want to upsize, then you can consider your decision of changing all tyres looking at the condition of the other three tyres. Within 15000 Kms the tyres should not wear off. Your tyre would have initially got punctured and you aggravated the situation by driving on further. You should never do so. It is detrimental to yoour rims, alignment, axle and the suspensions.

There should not be any problem with the other three tyres. My stock MRFs served me for 42000 Kms. As jayded has rightly pointed out, you can get a new rim sourced from A.S.S.

I have shifted over to XM2 of Michelin ( 185/ 65 R14). The ride is supple and planted. Michelin XM1+ had reported problems of side wall bulges and tears. Michelin says that XM2 is custom made for Indian road conditions and have improved upon the issues of XM1+. So I hope that it should be durable enough. Upsizing however will void your warranty irrespective of whatever the tyre manufacturers claim. The suspensions are road tested and warrantied for 175/ 65.

In case you are changing the tyre profile, 185/ 65 R 14 is the best option for R14. And ZLo is not available on this profile. I would suggest and recommend XM2. It will cost you somewhere close to Rs 4600 a piece

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

From the looks of the tyre, it is not repairable now is it? It is Goodyear GT3 175/65 R15. I had filled nitrogen in them and had kept the rear tyres at a slightly high psi of 38 and the front at 36 since i frequently have people travelling with me and high psi helps me to prevent the underbody scrapings.
But is the high psi also the cause for this damage? Ford has written 41psi is the max for rear tyres.

If ive to go in for a new set, can you recommend some good tyres for the figo? Which will also be safer in the case of puncture?

Also should i get my rim changed? I wont shift to alloys, so do we get steel rims from the dealers?

Also can you give me some tips regarding what speeds to drive at when a puncture has happened?.

Im pretty shaken up after the incident. Hope to get my car out soon enough

Thanks

(mods please move my post to the apt section if necessary. This is the only thread that turned up on my search query "Ford Figo tyre" gracias!)

hey Partha, looking at the pics it seems to me that you had a nasty puncture due to something sharp on the road and lost pressure but the side wall damage seems to be cause of you driving on flats rather than poor quality of the tyre itself. Considering you have done only 15K, there is still lot of life left in the other 3 tyres in my opinion ( about 20K or so). GY GT3s are not the best tyres but not bad either. They are present on my dad's santro and do the job well.

Its your choice in my opinion. For peace of mind you can choose to replace all 4 tyres and definitely get something superior like Michelin XM1+ or XM2. But you could save money and replace a GT3 as well.

In terms of size 175 to 185 upgrade doesn't really make a huge difference to grips or efficiency. Probably give little better visual appeal for the car. If you care for the warranty i would suggest stick to 175 width.

[jayded]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Im thinking of getting the entire set replaced since I really cant make out the condition of the tires after this incident. Before the journey I did check all my tyres but despite that this happened. The tyre also had a good amount of tread left on it but that didnt help.

Do you feel steel rims are safer than alloys in such cases?

Btw the figo recommended tyre size by ford is 175/65 R14. So I guess getting the ZLO in 185 would void my warranty even though MRF says its applicable to the Figo as well.

I also checked up Michelin's website. They have new tyres called energy XM2 which is the next generation of XM1. They have the recommended Figo tyre size.

Do you feel Michelins will do a better job than Goodyear GT3? Also is the difference in Fuel Efficiency stated on the Michelin site, really true or just marketing? Did you notice any difference? Also are these tyres safe on high speeds?

Please excuse me for asking so many questions, but I really dont want to go through that experience again. It was horrible.

Thanks for helping out !!

Michelins are soft compound tyres, so there is no definite answer to your questions as to will it do a better job than the goodyears. They will offer better ride comfort and better grip. They might wear out a bit faster than the goodyear. Being softer rubber, they are more susceptible to damage than the harder tires. So keeping all this in mind, you can make your choice. Please ignore the claim of Michelin increasing your mileage, even if it does, you won't notice the difference.

The best option,in my opinion, would be to use the spare goodyear in place of the punctured one, buy a new tire and keep it as spare tire. When the car has done around 40-45K, and when the tread has worn out, you can replace the entire set of 4 or even 5 with a new set of Michelin or which ever is the popular model then. That according to me, would be money better spent.

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

It is Goodyear GT3 175/65 R15.

Are you sure that it is R15? Or is it a typo? If it is R 15, you have anyway void the warranty already

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by jayded

The best option,in my opinion, would be to use the spare goodyear in place of the punctured one, buy a new tire and keep it as spare tire. When the car has done around 40-45K, and when the tread has worn out, you can replace the entire set of 4 or even 5 with a new set of Michelin or which ever is the popular model then. That according to me, would be money better spent.

Guess Im going ahead with your opinion sir. But I guess I would have to use the new tyre directly rather than as a spare cause the current tyre that Im using had also undergone a puncture by a 2inch nail but got that repaired with the puncture repair kit.

So what is your advice regarding that?
Is it better to keep the new one as spare or use it directly?
Will it be safer to drive around with the spare(already punctured and repaired once) that Ive currently put on the rear wheel in place of the damaged tyre?

Also will my warranty be void if I get the tyres replaced from outside dealers? Ford on Facebook told me to get the replacement done by the dealer but no mention of the warranty.
Do the dealers give any discount for damaged tyres?

Hope you are not flustered by so many questions. Im a noob regarding tyres.

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Are you sure that it is R15? Or is it a typo? If it is R 15, you have anyway void the warranty already

Oops it was a typo. I checked again and its R14.

[jayded]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Guess Im going ahead with your opinion sir. But I guess I would have to use the new tyre directly rather than as a spare cause the current tyre that Im using had also undergone a puncture by a 2inch nail but got that repaired with the puncture repair kit.

So what is your advice regarding that?
Is it better to keep the new one as spare or use it directly?
Will it be safer to drive around with the spare(already punctured and repaired once) that Ive currently put on the rear wheel in place of the damaged tyre?

I generally do not inolve the spare tire when I get my tires rotated, I only get the running set rotated around. A repaired tubeless tire, I believe, is in no way fragile compared to the other tires. I would like to get some thoughts on this from people who might have a different opinon.

If I were you, I would put the new tire as a spare, that way it will stay unused/very sparingly used by the time I get the entire running set replaced, I will get better resale on the spare compared to a used one.

Also will my warranty be void if I get the tyres replaced from outside dealers? Ford on Facebook told me to get the replacement done by the dealer but no mention of the warranty.
Do the dealers give any discount for damaged tyres?

As long as you stick the stock size, you can get it replaced from any store without voiding warranty. Do not ask such questions to Ford on facebook in future

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

I guess I would have to use the new tyre directly rather than as a spare cause the current tyre that Im using had also undergone a puncture by a 2inch nail but got that repaired with the puncture repair kit.

Originally Posted by jayded

I generally do not inolve the spare tire when I get my tires rotated, I only get the running set rotated around.

If i were you, I would rotate all the tires evenly. And i would rotate it every 5000 Kms initially and then after a cycle of rotation of all tyres, I'll maintain the best four on the vehicle and keep the most punctured one as spare.If all tyres are equally good/ bad, then I would shift to 10000 Kms rotation of tyres.

This would serve the following purposes:
1) All the tyres would be in the same condition. Therefore, in the eventuality that you change one of them with a spare, you'll get almost an evenly worn tyre.
2) A brand new tyre on one wheel and worn out tyres on the others will be detrimental to your alignment. Later on when it is actually time to change the set of tyres, it will be difficult to restart the rotation scheme also
3) You actually are not going to get resale value on a worn out tubeless tyre. Gone are the days of retreading. And that too is done generally for tubed tyres only. It is not worth wasting so much money and keeping it as spare for the sake of better resale value. Remember that it is gonna be some 40000 odd Kms before you would replace that tyre next. So, the money spent on a tyre would rather be wisely spent
4) A brand new tyre is best kept running rather than on spare. Before it gets its time on the resting square, it has to serve some period of its job. Otherwise, it is not good for the life of the tyre

As in parthasaratyg's case here, in my opinion, if he has not already rotated the tyres, he should do the first rotation right away by bringing the front tyres behind and put the new tyre on either of the front wheels.

Differences in opinions welcome. I will be happy to stand corrected

[ownerofazkaban]

Hi Experts,

My figo has clocked 40k kms on mrf which came from factory.
Given the fact am fairly satisfied over 2 yrs of driving thru all terrains and weather. Do you recommend sticking to mrf or upgrade to XM2 or ZLOs ?


I have extended warranty taken and do not plan to void it.
Thanks

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by ownerofazkaban

Hi Experts,

Do you recommend sticking to mrf or upgrade to XM2 or ZLOs ?


I have extended warranty taken and do not plan to void it.
Thanks

If you do not intend to risk voiding the warranty, there is no question of upsizing the tyres. I had upgraded to XM2 after running 42k in stock MRFs. I am quite happy with XM2 for its ride comfort and handling performance