by "Matsayz" (matsayz)
Published 02/25/2017 at 19:21
by "Matsayz" (matsayz)
Published 02/25/2017 at 19:21
Tags: cars
STARS: 1
Apparently today was just not my day. The Wife and I were out doing some stuff and as I was walking back to the car I saw something silver-ish in my tire. I was really hoping it was anything but a nail but alas, it was a nail. Luckily I thought to myself it wasn’t in the sidewall. But heh, my luck was done.
The TPMS light was not on and there was no air escaping so I decided to drive it home to drop the Wife and head to Firestone (where I buy all my tires, “life-time alignment”, being Military they have discounts on base and nationwide). Well they did their thing while I waited. I asked them to rotate my tires and check my brake pads because squeaks (although OEM pads on the Golf R are known for squeaks and crazy dust!!!!). Well 2hrs later... Can’t repair the nail tire because it’s too close to the edge and there is a “bunch” of wear, technical term. And my 1.5yr old tires that have 20k on them are almost dead (2 can be pro-rated right now). Oh and your brake fluid is “dark”, your pads are almost gone and of course the rotors are done too just to make your day.
They wanted $1218 for all that and my pro-rated tired were like $226 of that.
I said, um no, put the spare on and get me out of here.
Never buying Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Position tires again. They supposedly have a 40k limited warranty but I barely broke 20k with regular rotations.
So... can anyone recommend new brake pads for a 2013 Golf R and some new tires? I’m thinking of doing Summer tires and then buying some Winter tires on a second set of wheels this go around (we live in Colorado Springs, CO).
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
02/25/2017 at 19:32, STARS: 1
Since you live in Colorado, I suggest you try Nokian WRG3 4-season tires. They’re a little pricy, but then you only need one set.
I find them to be better than cheap winter tires in the winter, but not as good as the best dedicated winter tires.
Not sure about what brake pads are ideal for your car.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
02/25/2017 at 19:32, STARS: 1
Akebono Euro pads have been excellent in my experience. Measure the thickness of your rotors before determining they’re “done”.
As for tires, yeah, those Bridgestones are junk. I recommend Continental Extreme Contact DWS or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3.
If you’ve never done your brake fluid you probably should. Most manufacturers recommend every 2-3 years. It should be clear to light gold in color.
"smobgirl" (smobgirl)
02/25/2017 at 19:55, STARS: 1
Can’t actually recommend either, but I’ve had good luck with tires with Costco’s warranty.
Last indie shop I went to tried that crap about the brakes with me, too. Second opinion, rotors were fine and I replaced the front pads just so I knew the starting point for their use. Take it to a dealer for oil changes now because it’s cheaper and they’ve never said a word about the brakes. Firestone pulled the same crap with my old car though, and I wasn’t smart enough to speak up. Glad you walked away.
"Matsayz" (matsayz)
02/25/2017 at 20:06, STARS: 0
Yeah I’m going to call this independent shop down the road again. They always have Euros out front. I called them once before for an oil change, $80. The VW dealer charges $69...
I’m pissed at this Firestone location, I’ve had 4 vehicles with them over the years with Lifetime Alignments/Rotations and I’ve bought at least 4 sets of tires through them as well. Bummer.
"Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
02/25/2017 at 20:08, STARS: 0
As time has gone on, I trust firestone less and less. I’m glad in a way I’ve been clearing the garage of vehicles that don’t require an indie specialist?
"MyJeepGetsStuckInTheSnow" (myjeepgetsstuckinthesnow)
02/25/2017 at 23:46, STARS: 1
I have had really good luck with Michelin Premier A/S tires on two vehicles. They have a lot of grip for an all season and wear really well.
"PWRandSPD" (Pwrandspd)
02/26/2017 at 00:16, STARS: 0
I would actually recommend against the Continental tire, they sucked on my GTI and lasted at best 20k. I ran summer tires, forget what I had but they lasted around 50k which I thought was very reasonable for a low profile tire, and I ran Hankook I-Pike W409(?) winter tires on steelies, not sure of the model on those and I got 4 seasons out of them. They made the GTI like a tank in the snow.
As for the brake pads, I Hawk Performance pads on both a Mk V GTI and a Subaru STI. They lasted forever, and got rid of the squeak, especially on the STI that squealed from day 1. I had over 60k on them and they were barely worn when I sold the car. I had originally bought 2 sets as the stock lasted less than 10k. Subaru wanted $660/front, $440/rear just for pads over the counter, in a box, not even installed. I was able to find the Hawks for $180 for front and rear together, so I bought 2 sets. When I sold the car, I gave the guy the second set, and the car was no where near needing them. That is why when my GTI needed brakes, I went with the Hawks.
"PWRandSPD" (Pwrandspd)
02/26/2017 at 00:37, STARS: 0
Adding on to an earlier reply, the Hawk Performance Ceramics for your Golf R would be about $160 from Amazon for all 4 corners with Prime free shipping. $95/fronts, $60/rears. Granted, you still have to have them installed.