Technical Panda 4x4 rear wheel alignment? +more

[JayAre]

My 2016 4x4 has:
Front: directional Continental AS Contacts
Rear: asymmetric Continental Winter Cross Contacts (the rear n/s tyre is noticeably more worn on the ‘outside’)

Rears are now almost 9 yo (2015 date mark) and I want the same as the fronts. Also get alignment checked (steering pulling v slightly to the left)
Qs:
1. is rear wheel alignment also adjustable on Panda 4x4s (which Halfords don’t do)
2. if so, is rear wheel alignment even necessary / worthwhile?
3. online tyre prices include “fitting +balancing +new ‘standard’ valves” - does anyone know if TPMS valves are now treated as ‘standard’?
4. car has usual alloys so does anyone know if these tyre companies put balancing weights ‘inside’
Cheers

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

My 2016 4x4 has:
Front: directional Continental AS Contacts
Rear: asymmetric Continental Winter Cross Contacts (the rear n/s tyre is noticeably more worn on the ‘outside’)

Rears are now almost 9 yo (2015 date mark) and I want the same as the fronts. Also get alignment checked (steering pulling v slightly to the left)
Qs:
1. is rear wheel alignment also adjustable on Panda 4x4s (which Halfords don’t do)
2. if so, is rear wheel alignment even necessary / worthwhile?
3. online tyre prices include “fitting +balancing +new ‘standard’ valves” - does anyone know if TPMS valves are now treated as ‘standard’?
4. car has usual alloys so does anyone know if these tyre companies put balancing weights ‘inside’
Cheers

No rear adjustment possible. Uneven wear can be down to incorrect pressure. The CrissContact Winters will be original fit, and may of course have been moved from the front? (Although ideally if only replacing two tyres, these should go at the back, regardless of driven wheels)

there are no TPMS valves on any Panda: it uses standard valves (uses part of the ABS system to detect a significant drop in pressure but will not report a drop of just a few PSI - so cannot substitute regular checks with a pressure gauge)

All weights will be stuck onto the inner surface, some by the spokes and some on the other edge (furthest from the kerb)

Halfords not the cheapest. Try BlackCircles.com (select 'Fully fitted' and they will direct you to a good, local, fitter)

 

[JayAre]

Thanks @Herts Hillhopper that’s great news. I’m glad that there’s no possible adjustment for rear wheel alignment on Pandas - makes matters much simpler +cheaper, only needing to get a front wheel alignment!

Agree the rears must be the originals, and at that age are pretty much end of life (though no visible cracking) and 50k+ miles is frankly astonishing on winter tyres by the previous 1 lady owner - she must have been a very careful driver!

On this age point, I notice KwikFit’s website has this outrageous statement: “Tyres are considered to be ‘new’ and are suitable for retail sale, for up to 5 years from the original date of production”!

Interested (and relieved) to hear that there are no TPMS tyre valves on Pandas, but I’m now intrigued how the system works…! I have chosen not to investigate this system (seems v complicated in the h/book) fearing I might awaken dreaded dash warning lights + an MOT failure. Still, I’ve always done regular visual checks together with pressure checks (with my trusty gauge) and see no reason to change

And thanks for the BlackCircles tip - I was gobsmacked when I reopened the Halfords website today and saw they had jacked up the tyre price from £83.99 to £109.99 in less than 24 hours! I’m wondering if their algorithm spots return visits +does this automatically, on the basis that the punter must now be very interested… Cookies truly are evil
Cheers

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Thanks @Herts Hillhopper that’s great news. I’m glad that there’s no possible adjustment for rear wheel alignment on Pandas - makes matters much simpler +cheaper, only needing to get a front wheel alignment!

Agree the rears must be the originals, and at that age are pretty much end of life (though no visible cracking) and 50k+ miles is frankly astonishing on winter tyres by the previous 1 lady owner - she must have been a very careful driver!

On this age point, I notice KwikFit’s website has this outrageous statement: “Tyres are considered to be ‘new’ and are suitable for retail sale, for up to 5 years from the original date of production”!

Interested (and relieved) to hear that there are no TPMS tyre valves on Pandas, but I’m now intrigued how the system works…! I have chosen not to investigate this system (seems v complicated in the h/book) fearing I might awaken dreaded dash warning lights + an MOT failure. Still, I’ve always done regular visual checks together with pressure checks (with my trusty gauge) and see no reason to change

And thanks for the BlackCircles tip - I was gobsmacked when I reopened the Halfords website today and saw they had jacked up the tyre price from £83.99 to £109.99 in less than 24 hours! I’m wondering if their algorithm spots return visits +does this automatically, on the basis that the punter must now be very interested… Cookies truly are evil
Cheers

The Panda is very light on tyres. I replaced my originals at 44000 miles still with plenty of tread but not great grip ( the CrossContacts were poor in most conditions!)

Tyres in storage will be fine. Tyres in the open, exposed to UV will have degraded. And of course in use suffer wear and loading too. So no need to worry about 5 years in a warehouse. (Likelihood of that actually happening is small though).

Tpms is easy - a soft tyre has a different rolling diameter and so speed compared to the others. It has to be very soft (I sensed the puncture long before the system did). The difference is not normally triggered by the space saver. Also of course if all four tyres are equally soft it has no idea. Note that a tpms light is not a mot fail (a big, social media-driven myth). Only two lights on will fail you: airbag fault and engine light on. You can also fail for lights that don’t come in - eg main beam warning or brake system test at start up.

Tyre prices are very fickle, and affected by things like exchange rates etc. all season/winter tyres always cost more in winter for some reason, and rarely are there good stocks in the spring. All to do with supply and demand. I very much doubt there’s an algorithm at play, but probably is a daily price match check happening.

 

[The Panda Nut]

The Panda is very light on tyres. I replaced my originals at 44000 miles still with plenty of tread but not great grip ( the CrossContacts were poor in most conditions!)

Tyres in storage will be fine. Tyres in the open, exposed to UV will have degraded. And of course in use suffer wear and loading too. So no need to worry about 5 years in a warehouse. (Likelihood of that actually happening is small though).

Tpms is easy - a soft tyre has a different rolling diameter and so speed compared to the others. It has to be very soft (I sensed the puncture long before the system did). The difference is not normally triggered by the space saver. Also of course if all four tyres are equally soft it has no idea. Note that a tpms light is not a mot fail (a big, social media-driven myth). Only two lights on will fail you: airbag fault and engine light on. You can also fail for lights that don’t come in - eg main beam warning or brake system test at start up.

Tyre prices are very fickle, and affected by things like exchange rates etc. all season/winter tyres always cost more in winter for some reason, and rarely are there good stocks in the spring. All to do with supply and demand. I very much doubt there’s an algorithm at play, but probably is a daily price match check happening.

my understanding, backed by experience is it lights up at around 5psi. So do stop and check immediately if you see a tyre warning.

halfords were recently doing very good prices on Goodyear Vector all seasons. Around £75 each on four

 

[JayAre]

The Panda is very light on tyres. I replaced my originals at 44000 miles still with plenty of tread but not great grip ( the CrossContacts were poor in most conditions!)

Tyres in storage will be fine. Tyres in the open, exposed to UV will have degraded. And of course in use suffer wear and loading too. So no need to worry about 5 years in a warehouse. (Likelihood of that actually happening is small though).

Tpms is easy - a soft tyre has a different rolling diameter and so speed compared to the others. It has to be very soft (I sensed the puncture long before the system did). The difference is not normally triggered by the space saver. Also of course if all four tyres are equally soft it has no idea. Note that a tpms light is not a mot fail (a big, social media-driven myth). Only two lights on will fail you: airbag fault and engine light on. You can also fail for lights that don’t come in - eg main beam warning or brake system test at start up.

Tyre prices are very fickle, and affected by things like exchange rates etc. all season/winter tyres always cost more in winter for some reason, and rarely are there good stocks in the spring. All to do with supply and demand. I very much doubt there’s an algorithm at play, but probably is a daily price match check happening.

the whole issue of tyres is a nightmare of terms +codes +numbers!

The Michelin site talks in detail about appropriate tyre storage, but it also makes a very dogmatic statement:

“Tyre age limit : the 10-year threshold
If the tyres have not been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tyres as a precaution. This recommendation also applies to spare tyres.”

Obviously the spare (though protected from the ‘elements’) is still exposed to some temp extremes (inside the car) - but I guess they’re in the business of selling tyres…

I had another look at TPMS in the H/book and notice it’s actually called iTPMS - “i” is for “Indirect”, so there’s the clue to how it works as you explained…

But then it also goes on to say that basically it’s a waste of time: “iTPMS does not relieve the driver from the obligation to check the tyre pressure every month; it is not even to be considered a replacing system for maintenance or a safety system”! So I can’t see much point in it, especially with @The Panda Nut ‘s post re 5psi, which is virtually flat

my understanding, backed by experience is it lights up at around 5psi. So do stop and check immediately if you see a tyre warning.

halfords were recently doing very good prices on Goodyear Vector all seasons. Around £75 each on four

Btw - just checked Halfords site again + these are listing at £101.99 (G2). That’s a big difference - does Halfords vary prices by region?

 

[The Panda Nut]

the whole issue of tyres is a nightmare of terms +codes +numbers!

The Michelin site talks in detail about appropriate tyre storage, but it also makes a very dogmatic statement:

“Tyre age limit : the 10-year threshold
If the tyres have not been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tyres as a precaution. This recommendation also applies to spare tyres.”

Obviously the spare (though protected from the ‘elements’) is still exposed to some temp extremes (inside the car) - but I guess they’re in the business of selling tyres…

I had another look at TPMS in the H/book and notice it’s actually called iTPMS - “i” is for “Indirect”, so there’s the clue to how it works as you explained…

But then it also goes on to say that basically it’s a waste of time: “iTPMS does not relieve the driver from the obligation to check the tyre pressure every month; it is not even to be considered a replacing system for maintenance or a safety system”! So I can’t see much point in it, especially with @The Panda Nut ‘s post re 5psi, which is virtually flat


Btw - just checked Halfords site again + these are listing at £101.99 (G2). That’s a big difference - does Halfords vary prices by region?

There was a 20% off 4 offer. In the end I bought local and paid a littlr more.