Taxi Driver Online

My mate runs a Merc Sprinter van LWB on a 58 plate delivering papers in the mornings for Smiths News in Nottingham, he pays £36 for each tyre fitted and balanced.

Now these tyres can handle some weight when he's loaded up with green boxes and papers each day. Why can't they be used as Taxi tyres on a SWB vehicle carrying 5 people??

hes doing well at that price, i only ever fitted avons or contis (couldnt afford michelin agilis) to my 311cdi

but they lasted well

He gets them from a Taxi Garage in Mansfield.

So after lots of discussion - the important question remains unanswered.

Any answer to the question of supply would be gratefully received.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Hi Chris,

Glad you put that last post in today... (about this topic not having been answered!) No disrespect to anybody, but the thread just seems to have 'waffled' on!

Have to say though - and this probably contributes as to why the question is still unanswered; don't understand the bit about driving a 'Bread Van'??? What vehicle are you driving as you don't state this? Also, wannabeahack did ask what tyre size??

Assuming you're driving a 'real' taxi - i.e. LTi or Metrocab, or even an Asquith!!! - and not a 'parts delivery van (Peugeot E7 or similar) or a mini-cab (i.e. a saloon car masquerading as a taxi!), then you will be running 175/16s.

(The profile is not shown (usually) as it's the full 80% and is only shown (usually) if it's anything less.)

You also don't state where you're based? So we can't recommend places to buy!

After years of trying different tyres on my 'taxis', I've settled (along with many local to me) on Austones. I shunned the idea of these, what I though to be budget tyres, when they were first suggest to me by a colleague. Now I swear by them! They are excellent in dry, rain and snow (love driving in snow!)

I buy mine in Bristol @ Ablefit. They cost £42.95 each fitted & balanced. That is about 2 thirds of the Dunlop price, and they last about 2 thirds of the mileage, so that equates to the same money - but I think they are better (sorry Dunlop)!

If you can't buy them from even the likes of Kwik-Fit (albeit a little more expensive) then you must be living somewhere very remote!


Hope this helps, darth.

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The Kilt wearing cabbie from Bath...
Who is most definitely a MAC!!!

I drive a bread van Darth (Fiat Scudo 5 yr old), so I have no problem with tyres at all. I used to drive a metro with a smaller seat and steering wheel as neither Metro nor LTI make (made) vehicles with enough space in the front for a full grown adult to drive - I believe they are designed for ex jockeys.

The lack of space very nearly made me give up Hackney Driving but the LA saw sense and allowed conversions (100% WAV here) - more comfortable for me, more comfortable for my passengers, much better for wheelchairs (and I do a lot of wheelchair work) and cheaper to run. You have to get your mind around the fact that it just won't last as long as a purpose built.

However my colleagues in purpose builts are struggling to get tyres - remoulds simply don't exist and new tyres are as rare as Rocking Horse Sh*t.

I just wondered if it was a National problem or just local to Plymouth.

I'm still wondering.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

I have just done a google search and there seems to be plenty of places offering taxi tyres, including remoulds. So it must be a Plymouth thing.

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Grandad,

Yes Grandad, some of them that advertise on the net in Plymouth doing the same search. But when you go there the cupboard is bare....

I have found that London is not short, so perhaps it is just a logistical thing, and only a temporary glitch.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Seems that while remoulds are still unavailable, new tyres are now in plentiful supply.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

How much do they differ in price?

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IDFIMH

Not a scooby I'm afraid - I don't use them. Do you want me to ask around tomorrow?

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Not really.

It's just that I can't believe the difference in price will be worth all the hassle.

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IDFIMH

loads of tyres here in north west.roughly 35 for a remould

175/75/16

cant see any reason they would have to have taxi written on them.
the profile is the important part as it would affect your meter ie 80's would do you out of money and lower than 75mm would do the punter.

of course you could get 75's and let some air out of them

Costco stock 'Taxi' tyres & if you are a member they have 20% off a set of 4 shortly.

As for 'Taxi' on the side of the tyre; it's a taximeter thing.

In Brum many years ago there was a scam whereby drivers would use Range Rover tyres on the back for the meter test & then change back to the standard tyres as soon as the meter passed.

They were raking it in!!

So the council now insist on the word 'Taxi' on the tyre as they are all the same size.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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