tyre pressures in the wet

One problem that police instructors have is a possible over confidence of the student. Your comments still apply, it just makes it harder for the instructor to spot the student's limits.

LOL

Reminds me of the emergency stop in my normal (civilian) driving test, many, many years ago. The tester indicated the emergency stop by tapping the dash with his clipboard. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the clipboard descending and hit the brakes at the same time as the clipboard touched the dash. The car was an Austin 1100 (with air suspension) and it stood on its nose, depositing the instructor into the well of the car (no seatbelts in those days). Fortunately, he was not a vindictive person.

I wonder how long she remained an instructor? :-)

I shouldn't have said all. Sorry. Well, tyre manufacturers usually do at least. Long list of exceptions there too.

mrcheerful

*all*??? I've never seen a handbook or manual recommend all those actions, and I'm certainly not swapping my (directional) rear tyres from left to right...

Having said that, I do currently have new(ish) tyres on the front of mine at the moment, and part-worn at the back, but that's only because I'm (a) seeing how Dunlop SP2000s perform on the front compared to my usual Pirelli Dragos and (b) putting off replacing the Dragos (now on the back) as they're down to 3mm...

Same with the Renault 25...

The message from Howard Neil contains these words:

Hydraulic. It was the Allegro that got the semipneumatic/semihydraulic system.

The message from Howard Neil contains these words:

Longer than she should have done. She was crap - but at least I used to pick up a lot of her ex pupils.

Sorry. You are right, it was hydraulic. The point remains the same; it was a very soft suspension that made the car dip to a very steep angle under hard braking.

Yes.

Eh? But it's not silly, there are good reasons for it, heh.

Perhaps, but if the worn fronts are down to 2 mm, the part worn rears are down to 6 mm, most people won't be fooled into getting four new tyres.

Great advice there, KLF, you've really thought about it, yes?

It depends on the design. The last set of tyres we ran on the Ka were going to be down to 2 mm in 30,000 miles on the front, and 50,000 miles on the back. After 30,000 miles, the back tyres were going to be slapped onto the front, at 60% worn, and new ones on the back.

The reason for this? Although I detest understeer, I probably hate unwanted oversteer even more.

Wanted oversteer? Well that's ideal for scrubbing-in the rear tyres, then! :)

Howard Neil ( snipped-for-privacy@REMOVETOREPLY.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

He's not as right as he thinks he is... Both Allegro and 1100/1300 had the same "hydrolastic" - same as some Minis, late Metros (ooops, Rover

It's all-wet, with hydraulic fluid (see below...) under pressure acting on "displacers" - rubber bags which can bulge about, and interact front- to-rear.

So what is this mysterious hydraulic fluid?

"I've used 50/50 antifreeze/water before. I've used straight antifreeze, but think the viscosity may be a bit too thick. You can actually order the original Hydrolastic fluid from Mini Mania. But my latest mixture is

The message from Adrian contains these words:

Hydrolastic was the system with the fluid-filled displacers, used in Minis and Maxis.

Hydragas was the one with the pressurised nitrogen filled spheres on top. Allegros and even the MG-F had it!

They're different. Hydragas doesn't creep downwards as much as early hydrolastic systems. Later hydrolastic systems creep down less as well 'cos they changed from nylon reinforcing threads to terylene - I know 'cos my brother was working for Dunlop at the time and did the work on the change - he's a lot older than me!

Is it only me that still cringes at the thought of the Maxi?

Tim S Kemp ( snipped-for-privacy@timkemp.karoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

I remember my mum's... White K-reg 1750. Replaced with a yellow Dolomite Sprint...

Guy King ( snipped-for-privacy@zetnet.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Mea culpa. Like I said - too tedious to recall correctly...

There's a couple of chaps who live nearby who collect the things. One of them, bless him, washes and polishes it every Sunday and puts it out to display on the grass verge near the main road. It's brown.

...good load area mind ;-)

Good call - that's a serious upgrade on all points!

Ah the Maxi - the very first 5 speed, 5 door hatchback to go into production. A design icon!?!

krystnors

I thought the Renault-16 got there first? Or were some of the poverty-spec models only 4-speed?

The message from "DocDelete" contains these words:

Worse were the white Marinas with the brown interior - looked like a soiled nappy.

The message from PJML contains these words:

I remember riding in one when Dad took it for a test-drive. After the B-reg Cortina we'd had up till then it was a revalation. Quiet, smooth and the ride was like sitting on clouds - so gentle and wafty. Loved it for all the years we had it. Ate drive-shafts but otherwise splendid.