Bongo Fury

I've been reading all I can on the forum and it's slowly sinking into my brain (about as fast as treacle through wet sand) but what I would like to know is, what make of tyre would people recommend? I've got a 2wd and the same tyres on front and back. Yesterday, in wet weather, I went around a tight bend, going uphill, and as I straightened up I went into a skid. It wasn't a dramatic all over the road, but it moved enough for me to swear in front of my young son. I wouldn't say I was going fast, as I was going up a pretty steep road and had slowed down for the bend, but I'm now a bit nervous of driving in the wet on these tyres. I'm going to Dorset next month and, as we can't depend on fine weather, I would like tyres with better grip.

Advice/opinions anyone?

Hi Jackie.

Dont think the make of tyres would really affect skidding as you`ve described,more likely the amount of tread on the tyres and whether they were inflated correctly.
If not correct those factors could cause a skid,even if your speed was a little bit fast when exiting a bend.
Also were you fully loaded,as a tight bend into a hill fully loaded could affect the centre of gravity,and AFT`s, i believe are top heavy.

Brian

If you still have the tyres it came on from Japan, anything you change them for would be an improvement, I would think.

People here recommend Yokahama, Conti, and if you want a budget tyre Nangkang.

Just make sure they have the right load rating: 92 Front 96 Rear.

Remember a 2wd Bongo is RWD, if you have only driven FWD cars for years, the handling is different.

The tyres have loads of tread on them and the pressure is 36, these were the first things I checked. No weight in the van apart from me and The Boy - mind you, I am a sturdy girl. I have been told (by Mike at Wheelquick) that they are van tyres and not the type he puts on his Bongos, but I can't see how this would have caused it.

I'm just so bloody crap with mechanical things, now if it was knitting there was a problem with....

Where do I look on the tyres to find the load rating? I don't think they the original tyres from Japan, but when I've just gone to look (and been blown all over the garden) they are 4 different makes but the tread all looks like the same pattern.

The only difference I've noticed in the handling is that the Bongo is easier to drive than my car was, maybe it's because this was the first time I had been driving in wet conditions.

The load rating numer should follow on from the tyre size number, i.e. 215/65/15 92 0r 96 etc... As brian righty pointed out, the tyres per se may not be at fault, there may have been a little diesel spill on the road (from a bus or truck) that in conjunction with the wet road would have made for a very slippy surface, that many a vehicle, regardless of tyre brand, could well have slipped on.

It would have been quite disconcerting i can imagine.

If Mike has given your tyres the "once - over", there is little chance he'd have let you drive away with the tyres in a dodgey condition, follow his suggestions...

No being an expert I would think that having a different make of tyres on each of the four wheels could be part of the problem. I always thought that different makes of tyres had different handling characteristics even if the tread patterns looked the same.
My four wheel drive aft has 215/65 R15 96H tyres all round with the front wheels being shod with identical Toyo's and the rear wheels with identical Bridgetone's. So far I have not experience any of the difficulties which you have encountered.

That's a good point actually tony...