Three plus a triangle is '90s. Three is '80s.
I think you might be getting confused between M+S and winter tyres.
M+S just means a certain amount of empty space relative to tread block, plus clear grooves across the tread.
Winters are a completely different compound of rubber, on top of the different tread, with far more small grooves.
Most Chinese bargain-bucket pikey-stripy tyres are M+S rated.
4
Actually, it went "pop-hiss-silence". But there was a 6" chunk of tread hanging off.
Fortunately, it was. I had a little electric compressor with me, anyway.
D'uh. I never thought of that. Since I was on my way to a race meeting, I had a bootfull of tools, so I had a trolley jack with me. It only happened
2 miles from the event (Shelsey Walsh Hillclimb, if anyone cares) so I just drove there at 5mph and changed the wheel in the paddock (literally - finding a bit without cowshit was the hardest thing.)My nerves insist that they are all replaced, which they are being. The thought of having one fail at 60mph on the M6 doesn't bear thinking about.
S'what the Caravan Club say.
I wouldn't trust a KwikFit fitter to tell me which way was "up".
you baby, I use to have at least one a week fail on the way to Crayford or Lydden. Eventually I upgraded to a larger trailer with bigger wheels :)
And, of course, it's common enough to semi-retire near-worn-out car tyres to trailer duty. That brings its own risks, but safe enough most of the time. Doesn't bother me at all, but I know whence they came and how long they've been lying around. I bin them as soon as they are likely to be dodgy.
Problems arise when they get ignored and it's forgotten the tyres have already given of their best on the car. It's surprising more accidents aren't caused by trailer tyres exploding or shredding under load/speed.
It also depends upon the type and size of trailer. I had a small trailer
5' x 3' with 18" sides that I built myself. It had brand new suspension units and one failed on the A34. The wheel, hub and bearing disapppeared into a farmer's field. From my point of view, I noticed the trailer tilt sideways and that was the only effect. I pulled over where there was just enough room to get off the carriageway, unhitched, propped a torch shining on the offside reflector and left to call a recovery vehicle. Similarly my dad had a tyre blow out on a caravan, he heard the bang, saw the lean and pulled up - no fuss at all.On the other hand, friends had a blow out on their car and spun backwards into the central reservation of the M62.
On the evidence and the assumption that with or without a tyre or wheel most trailers will still just follow the car, I'm far more concerned about tyre failure on a car than a trailer.
SteveW
I'd agree. When my trailer tyre failed, we just heard "pop, hiss" and the (4 wheel) trailer continued on as if nothing had happened. It's a beaver-tail plant trailer weighing 500kg, with (at the time) an 1100kg car on it.
Using old car tyres is OK for small, light duty trailers, but I wouldn't use them for anything that weighs more than the car they were originally fitted to. My trailer is rated to 3.5 tonnes, so it needs commercial duty tyres, which have more ply's (plies?) than car ones.
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