75ZT Community

What do we think about the front tyre protection kit which is said to stop a tyre being damaged by a broken spring please?

I've heard a lot of comments that they are as much use as a chocolate tea-pot but was hoping to get qualified opoinions from people who know

Thanks for any views.

Unable to add a qualified opinion but clearly if it reduces the risk its worth it ?


Rob

woolleysox wrote:Unable to add a qualified opinion but clearly if it reduces the risk its worth it ? Rob

Me too; I bought them from Rimmers very cheaply, assuming something is better than nothing. Surely MGR wouldn't have brought them out if they were no good, would they? What we want is somebody that has them fitted, had a spring break and still had a punctured tyre. These plates are quite common on other makes; I had a Citroen Berlingo in 2002 and a similar pair of plates were fitted under a re-call, because of this very problem.

The problem was supposed to relate to poor quality re-cycled steel, used in European springs, but I am not sure. I think modern springs are not finished off properly at their ends, where they seat at the top and bottom. I changed some springs on a 1956 Rover P4 90 and those springs are ground off to form a flat area on the ends, so that they sit squarely in the housings. If this is not done, you end up with a 'pointy' end to the coil, which doesn't sit squarely, resulting in lateral forces at the very end of the spring, coupled with 'scratching' which sets off corrosion.

Roverite.

Roverite wrote:What we want is somebody that has them fitted, had a spring break and still had a punctured tyre.

Hello!

Apparently most springs break near the bottom, so the protectors should reduce the risk, but in some cases they break higher up and do for the tyre. That happened to me shortly after I bought my car. It seems to have set the tone for the whole ownership so far!

The reports I have seen suggest springs usually break when pulling away from cold, or with the car stationary. Not unheard for them to break when in full motion, but uncommon (thankfully).

Bolin wrote:Not unheard for them to break when in full motion, but uncommon (thankfully).

I must be uncommon then Thanks for the views chaps

Personal view based merely at looking at them:

They aren't strong enough with the fixings they have to support the spring. But then they aren't meant to. The problem occurs when the spring loses the bottom half coil, and the remaining spring slips sideways off the flat plate, and drops onto the tyre. So this protector is there to prevent the bottom of the spring slipping sideways. It's debatable whether those little screws would even do that, but the protector goes round all sides so helps itself to withstand the side force.

So, I can understand why people (especially in some places) might rubbish them, but unless anyone has actually experienced them failing to protect the tyre (and I'm quite willing to listen to someone that has) then I would, and have, fitted them.

I've got some on the way

I have two sets one for each motor but as of yet have not fitted them, but from your other thread t I fear they will be going on as soon as we have some dry weather, Arctic

PS Paul link below I offered them £10.99 and they accepted
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-75-Fron ... 2a35f65990

Duncan wrote:unless anyone has actually experienced them failing to protect the tyre (and I'm quite willing to listen to someone that has) then I would, and have, fitted them.

Hi Duncan, as my post above alluded, my car has them fitted but they didn't stop a spring puncturing a tyre as it broke above the top of the protector. So they don't work in all cases, but if the spring does break at the bottom then they should work. So I do think it is worth having them fitted.

I remember there being a few reports similar to mine on the OC when I searched after mine broke, so it's not just a one off.

Bolin wrote:

Duncan wrote:unless anyone has actually experienced them failing to protect the tyre (and I'm quite willing to listen to someone that has) then I would, and have, fitted them.

Hi Duncan, as my post above alluded, my car has them fitted but they didn't stop a spring puncturing a tyre as it broke above the top of the protector. So they don't work in all cases, but if the spring does break at the bottom then they should work. So I do think it is worth having them fitted.

I remember there being a few reports similar to mine on the OC when I searched after mine broke, so it's not just a one off.

Sorry, I must learn to read properly!

OK - is there a fitting "How-To" please?

The ones I got came with a how to included.

That'll do nicely Mick - thank you