SteveOC

Thanks Tony - I'll raise this with the dealer tomorrow as the car is due for it's MOT - maybe they can sort it. I assume that nothing has changed since it was checked - the original tyre was worn before the check, and the replacement has worn exactly the same way. I am assuming that a harder compound tyre will take longer to become an issue but won't resolve the underlying problem - whatever that is. Any downsides to adjusting the Toe as you suggest? How does/would a Toe go wrong as you put it? Steve O.

Hello Tony - I am in Wiltshire, not far from Trowbridge if that is what you mean? Most of my driving is country roads - 20/30/40/50/NSL and two roads with speed humps that I drive over twice a day. Lots of potholes that I generally try to avoid - oncoming traffic permitting. I have had the car 3 years this week and done 20K miles so 6K is average (or just below) for me. I calculate that I get 500 miles to a tank and fill up once a month-ish which fits in with the 6K difference between the MOTs. This is my last Bridgestone tyre - an ER300 IIRC ( I have gone through loads of them and gradually replaced them on all corners). The previous edge worn tyre was also a Bridgestone but the model that preceded the ER300. They seem pretty hopeless on a Volvo V70 - I have had less than 4K from a set of fronts, yet the Neutons that replaced them at nearly £40 cheaper have done over 10K and are still going.strong. Higher wear rating on the Neutons. Steve O.

.........just wondered if anybody might have an idea what to look for, Back in 2012 my NSR tyre on my 2005 Volvo V70 was wearing badly on the outside edge, even though I had previously had an alignment done, and I took the car into WIM for a full GEO at the beginning of May. Unfortunately, there was found to be nothing to alter with the setup and after discussion about tyre history (the tyre was on the same wheel/axle from new) I swapped the two rear wheels over to prolong the tyre life a little. The worn tyre (now OSR) was replaced during the MOT at the beginning of July (although strictly not illegal) and due to some front components being changed a 4-wheel alignment was done. It was suggested that this might resolve the tyre wear issue although I saw no reason why it would. One year and 5-6K miles on, approaching the MOT again, and the now NSR tyre (was previously OSR) is again worn smooth on the outside edge. I guess this is not a wheel or tyre issue but am unsure what to check out next - perhaps something in the rear suspension needs attention. Any ideas? Steve O.

Maybe they split the reports down into subsections by subject after initial broadcast? BBC LInk Steve O.

get yourself a bit of hose and a glass jam jar, tried and tested method cheap and effective, only downside is you need a second person to push the brake pedal once opened and exposed to air it starts absorbing water, even in a half full sealed tin ! so use and throw is the best policy Yeah might do that, it's not like I have to bleed them that often. So it might be worthwhile bleeding all of the calipers then if I have to bin it. Cost me £6.50 and I used about 50ml!! So 450ml should be enough to do all of them again? I have a Gunson Eezibleed on my shopping list although I haven't yet decided to do the brakes myself and might still get the garage to do them. They seem to have gone up a bit on eBay since I've been dithering, although still a saving over Halfords price of a few quid. I used to use a jam jar, tube, and assistant years ago - and the assistant was later superceded by a tube with a one-way valve (retained the jam jar) - might still have it somewhere, but I am happy to spend a few quid on this bit of kit. Steve O.

I had P6000s fitted to my '97 S40 when I bought it in '99 and stuck with them, replacing them with P6000 Powergy when available (tyre fitters who didn't have them all claimed they were exactly the same so they didn't bother stocking them). I had no problems with stopping (as Bambi from the A4 will testify if he/she is still with us) but found them very noisy. I originally attirbuted the road noise to the car but after trying different tyre brands I concluded it was the tyres. I did get through a bunch of them over 75K miles and they had a hard life judging by the discs and pads I went though. Every puncture I had with these over the years was repairable and the tyres lasted until replacement until worn. I won't be buying Pirelli in future as I don't like the noise. I have 2 vehicles with Bridgestone tyres and no puncture on any of these tyres has ever been deemed repairable even when it is literally dead centre of the tread. I also got far fewer than 6K miles from a tyre on a Volvo V70 although they last better on an MX5 (I think the V70 runs Potenzas and the MX5 Turanzas). I also have an ongoing issue with what is an ER300(IIRC) wearing on the outer edge yet a full geomettry check at WIM said my car is fine. I won't be buying Bridgestone in future. I only ever had one Falken tyre fitted (a 452 IIRC) and it is the only tyre that blew out on me in 32+ years driving - in the overtaking lane of the M4 at 70mph. Whether I was just unlucky or not - that is my one experience of the Brand and I won't be giving it a second chance. I now run Neuton NT5000s (when I can get them). Note that the NT8000s may be an advance in dry weather driving, but apparently offer far reduced grip in the wet compared to the NT5000s. Incidentally, I went for the Bridgestones as they offer some protection for the alloy by virtue of a 'lip' and the Neutons look similar and offer similar protection for the wheel. I know a guy that used to work as a tyre tech / QC for a large tyre manufacturer and apparently they test other brands of tyres for comparability to their own and he claims that the 'best' brand out there in his day, ignoring issues of cost, was Michelin (he didn't work for Michelin). Also, I am informed, sometimes the only difference between budget and premium range tyres from the same manufacturer is.........the lettering on the side. That is my experience - your mileage may vary - such is life. Steve O.

Did you try it and what was the outcome? I am in a similar situation - I want to fit new rears for the MOT and am having trouble getting the size that I want, which are original fitment, however the US original fitment are available. For some reason, the US fit 235 45 R17 and the UK fit 225 45 R17 to the same wheels on the same car. Forogt about possible issues with DSTC fitted to the car (or perhaps not) until I read your posts. Steve O.

I recall someone was making/selling these on DetailingWorld nearly 2 years ago and just looked and you were discussing them in that thread. I see that there is currently a list of names in a Group Buy thread for another batch to be made. Group Buy Thread (Requires Login) Steve O.

Some pictures for you : (Left) Unused Blade - (Middle) First Attempt Blade - (Right) Second Attempt Blade (Left) Unused Blade - (Middle) First Attempt Blade - (Right) Second Attempt Blade All 4 lockbolts after removal All 4 lockbolt heads after removal Original problem lockbolt. The central indentation is the result of 3 hours drilling with cobalt drill bits of varying sizes. The outer damage to the rim on both sides is the result of 10-15 brute force attack with a hardened cutting tool that is now blunt. Steve O.

I did some searching on this topic and have avoided using anything on wheel bolts/nuts as a result but as may be seen on my other thread, the downside 'may' be a greater propensity for things becoming 'seized'. I nervously removed my wheel nuts on the MX5 just now, having sorted out the Volvo, and they came off with relative ease - and on close examination I found that the locking nuts had copper slip/grease on them whilst the standard nuts did not. I don't know when this was done or by who but assume it was done by the previous owner or his/my Mazda dealer as it was all 4 nuts on all 4 wheels and nobody but Mazda have removed all 4 wheels in the last 4 years. So, should I remove the grease and also what is a recommended torque setting for the bolts - I guess I should have asked whilst I was at WIM/BB getting tyres but didn't think? Steve O.

Just thought I'd take a crack at the last bolt as I had access to the tool today and managed to remove it using the same blade I cut and used for the last 2 bolts, so it is possible to use the same blade for 3 seized bolts - or at least it was in my case - and I reckon it would still be usable for a 4th if required. Again, I only used the supplied impact driver and avoided using the breaker bar at all. Yesterday I did try and penetrate the threads using WD40, and in one case removed all 4 other bolts on a wheel to facilitate this but there is no evidence of any of this on the threads of the locking bolts once removed so I don't know that this helped at all. I also found that 2 of the bolts eventually came free after loosening and overtightening the remaining bolts, although in one instance at least this was not required Steve.

Just did a search for your thread and given your location it really is a no-brainer that you pay to have them removed - especially as the cost of a replacement key is 16 Euros (or 32+ Euros with express delivery) and this will be wasted if the key broke due to seized lockers. Given that yours came off so quickly though, I wonder if they were seized at all or would have come off anyway with a replacement key. I was given the opportunity to try the tool out for myself yesterday and I would say that there is a knack to using it and perseverance really is key - together with ensuring that the tool is properly aligned each time so it recuts in exactly the same place. Although the recovery guy eventually got one bolt off using a breaker bar and jack, I found that this didn't work for me and eventually removed 2 in quick succession (after much prior effort) using the supplied impact driver and a single cut blade. Using the impact driver helps retain an almost perfect key impression cut in the blade and in my opinion is the best method to allow re-use of the same blade in the remaining bolts. Using a breaker bar allows the blade to ride out of the grooves and seems to distort and weaken the blade each time it is unsuccessful in removing the bolt. It also seems to help if you first cut the blade using the locking bolt with the clearest/best pattern to it if you need to remove more than one. My wheels needed refurbing before I started, so cosmetic damage doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't say I was able to remove them without a scratch although it is likely that you could limit the damage, if any, to the first wheel where you initially cut the blade and even that should just be cosmetic. In fact, to further avoid scratching, I ignored the instructions about removing the freed bolt from the tool whilst still on the wheel and removed it in a vice or with a hammer as this is how I scratched one wheel when the tool freed itself up. Amusingly, there isn't a scratch on the lockers after being pounded with the tool and a lump hammer - all it seems to have done is cleaned them up a bit, and my brake discs also look tidier after all the loose crap vibrated off the outer rims - LOL. Incidentally, all of the above discussion about cutting blades is specific to only a couple of bolt types - including the 'cloverleaf' McGards with the collars which I have, and the blades have 2 different ends which can both be used on different sizes/patterns. All other types of lockers require use of one of the other 2 tools provided, and different methods. Steve O.

A little update in case it is of help to anybody else.............. I went to see the welder guy and he said no there isn't the clearance to weld a nut and get decent penetration, so he sent me to a tyre fitter mate who tried a bunch of stuff with an airgun to no avail and then he in turn referred me to a garage where someone had some success previously, and he was going to try and cut one bolt off tomorrow morning. However, I had a problem with the repaired tyre and after a long conversation with Dynomec who told me that both AA and RAC patrols had their kits, I had the RAC back out - and this time they sourced a patrol armed with a Dynomec kit. After about an hours effort, a bolt was removed using the sacrificial type C blade - but I don't see it being reusable on the other 3 bolts as stated and a quick try seemed to confirm this. Dynomec are confident that they can remove my bolts with the kit - provided I take the car to Yorkshire and they will do so for something like £10+VAT per wheel. This *may* be an option now I have a new tyre and can travel without fear of being stranded with a puncture, or having a blowout on the motorway. However they won't guarantee success for anybody else using their kit, nor how much they might charge per wheel. They tell me that people have travelled to them from all over the country and even over from Ireland. As for drilling the bolts - hitting the head with a 'chisel' and lump hammer effectively removed many times more metal in 10-15 minutes than drilling achieved in 3+ hours. I don't think this would ever have worked. So the Dynomec kit is capable of removing Mcgard bolts with collars (Ultra?) and is probably a quick fix to use where the locker key is not available, but the lockers themselves are not seized or otherwise a problem and in this case the single sacrificial blade would probably do for all 4 wheels. Steve O.

Last post on the WIM link says it all with regard to your particular problem, almost like a repost. Thanks for the replies - I did a search and didn't see that thread but did come across mention of the Dynomec kit elsewhere and considered it. I also came across mention of other firms using them around the country but don't recall the company/franchise name. How true your post is about the last entry on that link - my lockers are a cloverleaf design, and yesterday I too flattened a centre punch with just a couple of blows. I also didn't mention that I had previously tried other things, like lashings of WD40 and overtightening the other bolts but to no avail. I think I'll call the mobile welder guy today and see what he has to say. Folks have mentioned welding on an oversized bolt but it occurs to me that a nut would be a better option as heat could be applied tthough the centre of the nut to the locker. Steve O.

Hello all. As per my last thread from a few months ago, I ended up having my rear tyres rotated to the fronts and two new rears fitted. After probably 2000 miles at most, I got a puncture in the offside rear - and couldn't get the locking wheel nut off so have been running on a temporary repair that the RAC applied to the tyre in place. It looked like the McGard key was mangled as it wouldn't work on any of the 4 lockers, so I ordered a replacement from Germany, but instead of removing the nut, the new key won't remove any of the 4 lockers and also mangled itself. I am not certain, but I thought that I had loosened and torqued all the bolts after the tyres were fitted so don't know why this should be. The McGard bolts are recessed (by the design of the wheel) and have slip collars on them so the socket/remover technique seemingly isn't working and although I have a small gas set I don't fancy welding a nut on in such an enclosed space (I never got on with Mig and don't have a set) as I don't want to damage the wheels. So today, I tried the drilling option.................I looked for tungsten carbide drill bits, but everywhere seems to have only cobalt(?) so I tried a bunch of those, and all I seem to have achieved is a very minor indentation in one bolt head. Is there a better option of drill bit for the job, is it a matter of technique, or can the bolts just not be drilled out? I do now have a recommendation for a mobile welder who works with alloy (presumably TIG?) and it may be that I end up calling him as my temporary repair has done aboutg 80+ miles and if it goes I am stranded, but I would prefer to persevere with drilling if I can find a way to get it to work. Any idea what the WIM/BB guys do if a customer comes in and they can't remove the lockers? Steve O.

Just a quick update - I drove past Carsons on the way home just after 12 on Saturday in the rain and as it was quiet I stopped in and they managed to fit me in without notice (they close at 1pm). Upshot with the tyres was that they rotated the rear tyres to the front and put 2 new tyres on the rear axle so I am now running an almost matched set (at least the same tyres all round with one that has a little less tread than the others). Although I did mention full geometry in my emails, what it says on the paperwork is 4 wheel alignment so I am not sure whether it is a terminology thing or they don't have the same equipment as at WIM, but I do know that they had to work to free up some bits and then wait for them to cool down so it took a while to do (up until closing). Anyhow, the car feels a lot better, especially after a few miles and scrubbing in the tyres and doesn't feel scary to drive. It doesn't handle as well as my MX-5 (obviously) or even my old S40 but it does feel an awful lot better. Tony- I didn't get any paperwork with any numbers on (no printouts or anything) and didn't see the point in bothering you at the weekend, so didn't try calling. Just thought I'd update here when I got a chance to try things out. Thanks. Steve O.

Unfortunately I haven't had time due to work and ended up using the other car today as I was running late. If Carsons don't have a slot this Saturday I may try messing with the wheels, but I currently have the best tyres (new and nearly new) on the rear axle as I understood was the recommendation. Steve O.

Thanks for the response - I was just taken aback at how badly the car drives having had quite a few new tyres in 30 years driving and on a lot of occasions replacing a single tyre rather than both on an axle. That and the fact that the spacesaver was new and unused and yet the car handled fine - and infinitely better than it does now. I am toying with getting both the geo and the 2 new tyres on the rear (even if I have to use a couple of credit cards) despite the fact that there is an awful lot of wear left on the 2 oddball fronts. Incidentally, you may have changed your username at some point but if you are Pete then I think it was you who did the geometry on my MX5 earlier in the year? Steve Oh

..........from what the wheels are doing - would a geo setup or tyres really make that much difference? Well, after getting my MX5 sorted (geo and tyres) the plan was to get my V70 down to WIM - but things (like a screw in my MX5 tyre on the shoulder requiring another new tyre, cracked sump, etc etc ) seem to keep preventing me getting things together. Anyhow, I have had the V70 since July with different tyres on every wheel (but with the two with the most tread, a Falken and a Bridgestone, on the back) - something which I planned to rectify in stages as funds allow, since I have always run matched tyres on all wheels on every previous car I have owned. Then, the Falken blew out in the outside lane of the M4 last week and despite my reservations, the 60 mile journey home on the spacesaver at 50mph was absolutely fine. I found a small crack in the original alloy so had it welded and checked/straightened at Lepsons and fitted with a new Bridgestone tyre to give me a matching pair on the rear axle with the other two more worn tyres on the front. Sorted.........or so I thought. The problem is that since replacing the spacesaver with the original wheel and new tyre, the car handling is terrible and feels like the steering is disconnected from the wheels, uneven roads make things much worse and it feels (to me) like the tyres are rolling around on marbles. I am tempted to put the spacesaver back on just to see how it drives, and it so bad I probably won't drive it tomorrow. Now, I could take the car into Carsons in Melksham who are just 5 minutes down the road from me for a geo setup (if they do Saturday slots), or I could get another 2 tyres fitted to the rear and rotate the other to the front, but can't really afford either right now so doing both is out of the question and I can't afford the spend if it doesn't rectify the issue. So do Carsons have the same facilities as at Chesham and would a geo setup be more beneficial than new tyres - or should I try to get a Saturday slot at WIM? I can't figure out what the issue may be, so can't decide what to do for the best or whether the whole wheel/tyre thing is a coincidence and I should be spending money elsewhere (suspension or steering issues?) to get it sorted Thanks. Steve O.

Hello. I was in on Thursday, despite being half-asleep, for a geometry setup (and some new front tyres), and just wanted to let you know that it's all looking good. What with the new tyres, I took it easy for the first 50-60 miles (mostly motorway) and then had a quick tryout for the remaining 35 miles mostly NSL and was able to maintain corner speed and exit roundabouts without the back-end wanting to come around and the steering going light, which were the issues I was most concerned with. The car had been getting progressively worse at doing this as the front tyres wore and the uneven wear patterns on the fronts indicated something was amiss (incorrect tyre pressures were diagnosed by the Mazda dealership last month). Oh - and it also doesn't pull to the right as it did before. Part of the journey home in the dark I was following what looked like a Lotus/Caterham/Kit car which was doing silly speeds on the straight bits of road, but I kept it in sight as it didn't seem to go around the corners very well - I'll point the driver in your direction if I see him again. Thanks all. Steve O.