Was it you? M25 J17 anticlockwise this morning?

[SCOTT325SE]

I was sitting at the side of the road waiting for a recovery truck and as you went past and beeped (i think you saw me last minute)

Anyway, thanks for the acknowledgement, I appriciated it! (Today hasnt been a good day)

Scott

[Zayyan]

Come on then, tell the whole story.

[SCOTT325SE]

i'l shorten the story....

1)caught a flat tyre (nail thru middle of tread)
2)tyre wall fell apart (i was doing 80 and the car just went very sideways very quickly)
3)had no spare (jjust bought the car) so waited for recovery truck to take me to kwik-fit
recovery truck turned up and took me to Ruislip
4)Waited for kwik-fit to open.
5) kwit-fit relieved me of £135 for a new dunlop 215/45/17 tyre
6)got to bristol and dropped in to see JonB for a light cluster and picked up a spare 14"bbs just incase i got the same problem again.
7)coming out of Bristol onto M4, same thing happened, only this time i didnt catch a nail..... the tyre hasnt been put on and sealed properly, so i was doing 70 down the m4 and again my car went very sideways very quickly, only this time i nearly ended up in the barrier. (im VERY glad i hadnt forgotten how to control a rwd e30)
8)coasted/drifted car to sliproad and put jons bbs on (BIGUP THE JONB!!!!!!! YOUR A SAVIOUR!)

SO, in short, today has considted of me spending £135 on a tyre, only to have no tyre to show for it. Kwik-fit will be getting a call tomorrow morning, expressing my dis-satisfaction with a polite but firm request that my tyre be re-imbursed or replaced

[Jamesb318is]

Cant get sh*tter than a kwik fit fitter!
Unlucky, hope you get it sorted. If i were you i'd kick up a right stink and try and get something out of it, that is a big cock-up, and should think they will want to keep you happy, (and quiet). Were'nt me btw!

[SCOTT325SE]

To be honest mate, i dont wanna "get" anything out of it except a new tyre or a refund, as i do think that the second tyre failure had a lot to do with the fitting of it. (I mean, ive never seen a tyre delaminate/fail on the sidewall, and i doubt anyone here has either) I drove home on Jons BBS wheel, and i didnt have any problem with that, and thats just done 130ish miles on the same hub as the 17" Dunlop did, so i know its no problem with the car/hub etc.

I specifically asked the guy if he could put some sealant around the tyre wall and the valve stem, as i wanted to make sure that it couldnt happen again. Ive just been looking at it over the last 10 minutes, and I dont think he put any sealant around the valve at all. Its an alloy valve and i hate them with a passion because they are more prone to leaking. They cost 5 times as much as a rubber valve and they die in a tenth of the time that a rubber one does.

Im gonna be on the phone tomorrow, but at the minute Im just thanking my lucky stars that I didnt end up in the crash barrier, because trust me, it was bloody scary (and im not easily scared in a car... especially when im the driver)

[SCOTT325SE]

oh, thought i'd also add that Ive got nothing against Kwik-fit - theyve replaced tyres on cars for myself and my dad on a couple of occassions when we've really been stuck! One kwik-fit guy even drove 10 miles to another kwik-fit store to get a tyre in the right size to me and my dad when we were near newcastle! THATS service.

[Andy325i]

Glad to hear you are ok dude!

Andy

[Jamesb318is]

Fair enough mate, but working in the trade myself, i'd expect a severe ticking off for that, its akin to leaving someones brakes or wheels loose dont you think?

[SCOTT325SE]

i agree mate. if i was a total numpty when it comes to handling an e30, id be dead or in hospital at least! Dont want to sound a primadonna, but it could have ended that way.

[Jamesb318is]

Absolutely mate, you were lucky and im glad to hear so. Thats exactly why i would go down there guns blazing threatening legal action etc, and get that tyre for free!

[bmwe30mtech]

Sounds like a bad day

I was in quick fit today also getting some new tyres for my new 15" bbs. The fitters were very helpful etc, i got a pair of dunlops also, set me back 175 including getting all 4 balanced, the two new tyres fitted and the tracking re done all round.

Paul

[SCOTT325SE]

so u got a pair of dunlops for the price of my 1? bargain. lol

just had a thought.... if the car had been on 15s and not 17s, id have deffinately ended up in the crash barrier!

[dobbie82]

it was bloody scary (and im not easily scared in a car... especially when im the driver)

Glad to hear you are ok, I know you aren't easily scared in a car, I knew that when you called the drive home iafter buying my old 320i only "interesting!"

Kwik-fit are hit and miss, never go there within an hour of closing time though you sometimes gain a few spanners left in the engine bay , and be wary of the YTS lad, the supervisors generally just sign the work off as checked when theyve never seen the car.

cheapest 15" tyre at Kwik-fit kendal £87.00 ouch! (but didnt have a spare and hubby had driven 4 miles on a flat to get to kwik-fit)

[bmwe30mtech]

so u got a pair of dunlops for the price of my 1? bargain. lol

just had a thought.... if the car had been on 15s and not 17s, id have deffinately ended up in the crash barrier!

lol, not quite, mine are 'dunlop' gt tyres. Made by dunlop but just not branded with their name, but they are apparently almost identical and come out of the same factory. Why would you have ended up in the barrier on 15"s and not 17"s?! So far after 1 days driving i have only found that 15"s offer a huge amount more control and stability.

Paul

[SCOTT325SE]

Hannah, that was fun driving home in your old 320. i hadnt driven an e30 in almost 6 months then..... it was mega extasy bliss!

Paul, i could feel the car losing and gaining grip and directional controlability as it pitched from side to side, as the tyre tread slid under the alloy. If the car was running 15" tyres, there would be another inch for the corner of the car to drop, meaning the car would be tilting a little bit more than it actually did with 17s. Think of a supermarket trolley with 1 mangled wheel - the trolley rocks about and doesnt steer straight. A new trolley has all 4 wheels firmly on the deck - good steering.

bit of a crap comparison, but the best i can think of at short notice. alternatively, think of an e30 with 1 wheel completely missing.... i think you'll get the picture. lol.

[billgatese30]

scott, if the tyre actually delaminated (i.e. the rubber coating came away from the steel/canvas bands) then the tyre itsdelf was at fault regardless of fitting

was it directional...if so was it on on the correct rotation?? seen it put on the wrong side beofre