Replacement Tyres

[CaliforniaPhil]

I am sure you will be surprised at the ride improvement. I had 215 Duravis (17 inch) fitted from new and the ride was hard and crashy. Swapped to 18 inch wheels with similar to CC2 tyres and the ride has improved against all the known wisdom of 18 being harder than 17 due to tyre profile. It was just those tyres at high pressure, a 235 should be much better for you.

I'm actually running 18" Palmeston's that came with the van in the summer. I bought a set of 17" Transporter Davenports with 215's. I was going to get cc2's fitted to these for winter and if they are as comfortable as people say, probably run them all year.

So the cc2 on the 18" give a good ride. My 18" are 255/45 103 (Bridgestone), they aren't very forgiving on our crap roads. I was also considering a higher profile for the 17" cc2, swapers normally fit 235/65 r17 but these are not standard fitment on californias.

 

[Ocean100]

The tread is similar to CC2 they are actually Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 winter tyres ( I couldn't remember last night). Still a vast improvement over the Duravis tyre. I imagine an all season, eg CC2, or summer tyre would be even better.

 

[Velma's Dad]

...
There are tyre tests on youtube, they experimented with whether you should put new tyres on the front or back. I have always put new on the front, as that was the drive axle on my cars. Apparently, its the back as most people would panic with overstear Understear is better for control. This would be the situation with AS tyres on the front when it gets cold.
...

Yep the 'correct' (tyre manufacturers') advice is newer/grippier tyres on the back, for the reason you outlined. BUT the snap/lift-off oversteer problem is less likely to manifest if you have a reasonable amount of tread all round, say 4mm+.

For that matter I think it's important to remember that a much bigger factor in handling safety is going to be the load state and weight distribution of the van. On a Cali, even without people/baggage/camping gear/bike racks, the rear axle is much more heavily loaded than on a Transporter. So a Cali is relatively safe from rear snap behaviour, unless you put on some lunatic tyre mix...

...and of course that's where tyre pressures start to make a big difference. But which of us alter the rear pressure bias with different loads??

Stay safe out there everyone.

 

[BristolCali]

Hi
Our Princess Doris ( 24 plate 6.1 Cali ) Just over 2 years old. 17,000 miles on the clock and both front tyres are in need of replacement. The passenger side has more wear.
Is this normal for this mileage ?
Came with factory fitted with Bridgestone Turanza tyres.
Any recommendations on alternative replacements and any experience of budget brands such as Linglong. My local dealer is offering a great price for these.

A proper commercial tyre is best, I use Bridgestone Duravis which are excellent. Pirelli make a Carrier range which is a proper light truck / commercial tyre. The sizes we buy for Californias tend to be the smallest in these ranges which are used by light commercials such as supermarket delivery vans banging up and down kerbs all day long.

If you want Michelin their commercial van range is called Agilis in which I think there are cross climate versions also.

 

[Velma's Dad]

A proper commercial tyre is best, I use Bridgestone Duravis which are excellent. Pirelli make a Carrier range which is a proper light truck / commercial tyre. The sizes we buy for Californias tend to be the smallest in these ranges which are used by light commercials such as supermarket delivery vans banging up and down kerbs all day long.

If you want Michelin their commercial van range is called Agilis in which I think there are cross climate versions also.

Yes the Michelin Agilis is indeed available in Cross Climate as well as standard summer variants. They are both outstanding in terms of durability, particularly sidewalls (I've mentioned elsewhere that they're widely used in endurance rallying, eg the Peking--Paris Challenge, on which their puncture resistance is well proven).

I've had poor experiences with 'non-commercial' all-seasons tyres on the back of my Cali, which does a lot of its miles towing but even without that a Cali carries a lot of weight on the rears. My local VW indy who services my van says the issue - tyre carcases becoming deformed - is in their experience a common problem with various 'car' type all-seasons tyres when used on the rear of VW T5s and T6s.

I've twice had that problem, thought I had a wheel bearing giving up but it was actually the thrumming of a lumpy tyre on the back. So I'll probably only be putting on 'proper' commercial-grade tyres like Agilis in future.

 

[colintfcolintf]

Yes the Michelin Agilis is indeed available in Cross Climate as well as standard summer variants. They are both outstanding in terms of durability, particularly sidewalls (I've mentioned elsewhere that they're widely used in endurance rallying, eg the Peking--Paris Challenge, on which their puncture resistance is well proven).

I've had poor experiences with 'non-commercial' all-seasons tyres on the back of my Cali, which does a lot of its miles towing but even without that a Cali carries a lot of weight on the rears. My local VW indy who services my van says the issue - tyre carcases becoming deformed - is in their experience a common problem with various 'car' type all-seasons tyres when used on the rear of VW T5s and T6s.

I've twice had that problem, thought I had a wheel bearing giving up but it was actually the thrumming of a lumpy tyre on the back. So I'll probably only be putting on 'proper' commercial-grade tyres like Agilis in future.

Pity they don’t do. So far as I know, cross climate Agilis in 18” for those of us running 18” wheels

 

[Bearoon]

Should do, but some tyre shops still fit new matching tyres on the front not the rear.
All Season on one axle, especially in the snow, is a really back idea, under 7c in the wet the all
Season will be better. This image is from Tyre reviews website, of snow braking 40-5kmh, BS all season 6 20m Vs 35metre for the summer tyre, showing the difference in grip.

Yep, the idea is to put a pair of Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 on the front axle leaving the OEM Bridgestone Turanza on the rear.
However, I'm not clear what you are driving at in your second sentence??

P.s. Great website share! I love the tyre comparison section <3

 

[chockswahay]

Yep, the idea is to put a pair of Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 on the front axle leaving the OEM Bridgestone Turanza on the rear.
However, I'm not clear what you are driving at in your second sentence??

P.s. Great website share! I love the tyre comparison section <3

The point that is being made is that putting the grippiest tyres on the front is a BAD idea! IMHO you will be taking a very unnecessary risk and reduction in general road safety for the once in a blue moon risk of losing grip on a camp ground (where there is bound to be others who will help you if you get stuck). If you are really worried it would be safer to buy a set of composite snow chains for those odd occasions (yes they are great on wet grass and mud).

 

[Velma's Dad]

Pity they don’t do. So far as I know, cross climate Agilis in 18” for those of us running 18” wheels

Ah yes I see no R18 option with Agilis, sorry. (I'm on 17 inch wheels.)

 

[Bearoon]

The point that is being made is that putting the grippiest tyres on the front is a BAD idea! IMHO you will be taking a very unnecessary risk and reduction in general road safety for the once in a blue moon risk of losing grip on a camp ground (where there is bound to be others who will help you if you get stuck). If you are really worried it would be safer to buy a set of composite snow chains for those odd occasions (yes they are great on wet grass and mud).

Can you talk me through this because I fear I'm missing something? As a motorcyclist, I was taught to use my front brake as the primary force to stop my bike. You may have noticed there is also a mismatch of tyre sizes on superbikes.
Given my current tyres are worn out at the front I believe I'd be right to assume that the primary braking force on the van is applied to the front axle, and given it's a front-wheel drive vehicle, that is where the power is being laid down so why would I not have the grippiest tyres on the front?

I defer to you and the groups expertise. All this is very interesting.

NB My rears have 5mm tread left.

 

[WelshGas]

Can you talk me through this because I fear I'm missing something? As a motorcyclist, I was taught to use my front brake as the primary force to stop my bike. You may have noticed there is also a mismatch of tyre sizes on superbikes.
Given my current tyres are worn out at the front I believe I'd be right to assume that the primary braking force on the van is applied to the front axle, and given it's a front-wheel drive vehicle, that is where the power is being laid down so why would I not have the grippiest tyres on the front?

I defer to you and the groups expertise. All this is very interesting.

NB My rears have 5mm tread left.

Always fit new tyres to the rear axle. This is critical for safety, regardless of whether your car is front or rear-wheel drive, to prevent losing control of the car’s rear (oversteer) in wet weather.

Why New Tyres Go on the Rear:

• Prevents Oversteer & Spinning: Worn tyres on the rear can lead to sudden, uncontrollable sliding of the back end (oversteer) on wet roads.
• Better Water Displacement: Deep tread on the rear tires helps prevent aquaplaning.
• Safer Handling: While worn tyres on the front might cause understeer (car goes straight when turning), this is generally safer and more intuitive to manage by braking than losing the rear end.

 

[chockswahay]

Can you talk me through this because I fear I'm missing something? As a motorcyclist, I was taught to use my front brake as the primary force to stop my bike. You may have noticed there is also a mismatch of tyre sizes on superbikes.
Given my current tyres are worn out at the front I believe I'd be right to assume that the primary braking force on the van is applied to the front axle, and given it's a front-wheel drive vehicle, that is where the power is being laid down so why would I not have the grippiest tyres on the front?

I defer to you and the groups expertise. All this is very interesting.

NB My rears have 5mm tread left.

@WelshGas has answered this very succinctly. I agree that it can seem at odds with previous beliefs or expectations.

If you search on Google you will find plenty of evidence confirming tyre position and relationship on 4 wheeled vehicles.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Just to add to the above (as I'm sitting on a train doom scrolling)... Yes the issue described is that of inducing premature loss of grip on the rears and resulting snap oversteer. Not under power but rather when lifting off or braking, causing unweighting of the rears on a bend or coming into a roundabout in the wet. (That can of course still happen with 'good' tyres all round, if you drive like a t**t.)

But as I said yesterday, a Cali (Ocean) is pretty tail heavy even when empty, so personally I don't think the more-worn-on-rears issue is really a big deal on our vans.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Yep, the idea is to put a pair of Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 on the front axle leaving the OEM Bridgestone Turanza on the rear.
However, I'm not clear what you are driving at in your second sentence??

P.s. Great website share! I love the tyre comparison section <3

Hi, sorry, I have watched so many tyre test video from that site. As others have said, If the lower grip is on the front then you will notice the tyres loosing grip in steering and braking.
On the rear, there’s less warning of loss of grip. One video is shot in a climate controlled facility, where they tested winter, all season and summer tyres.

Summer tyres are compatible to around 0c so long as it’s dry, in the wet, the all season and winter tyres have an advantage in grip below 7c. Of course once there winter precipitation on the ground, then the differences are vast.

 

[Souter]

Yep, the idea is to put a pair of Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 on the front axle leaving the OEM Bridgestone Turanza on the rear.
However, I'm not clear what you are driving at in your second sentence??

P.s. Great website share! I love the tyre comparison section <3

Hi Totally different subject but can I ask if you bought the Thule G2 2.4 Sunblocker from Dryfisc? Thanks