More 'Tyre' recommendations please.

[rf065]

He is a long established independent tyre fitter who I have used for many years and he recommended the MOs. Good enough for me.

Did you ask him what the difference was between the MO & the regular tyre?
I bet he would have waffled on for a bit, playing hide & seek with words, but telling you nothing useful. :lol:

Russ

 

[Turbo Merc]

Did you ask him what the difference was between the MO & the regular tyre?
I bet he would have waffled on for a bit, playing hide & seek with words, but telling you nothing useful. :lol:

Russ

I did and he just said they were made/optimised specifically for Mercs. Given that they were no more expensive I could not see why Conti would go to the trouble/expense of making a separate mould just for tyres for Mercs if it was just a marketing bluff. Oh and of course tyre stockists would have to stock both MO tyres for Mercs and non MO for other makes so they would not be too happy if it was just bluff. But who knows, you may right; they do work very very well though!

 

[rf065]

Given that they were no more expensive I could not see why Conti would go to the trouble/expense of making a separate mould just for tyres for Mercs if it was just a marketing bluff.

They don't.

Russ

 

[Turbo Merc]

They don't.

Russ

The MO tyres actually have 'MO' moulded into the tyre wall. They would need to have a separate mould to do this. If not it would be on all tyres.

 

[rf065]

The MO tyres actually have 'MO' moulded into the tyre wall. They would need to have a separate mould to do this. If not it would be on all tyres.

Tyres go through a long process, the part where the sidewall writing is completed is the least likely part to have any effect on the tyre. The rest of the process is no different to any other tyres.

Russ

 

[rf065]

According to the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, and I quote,

1) MO marking for Mercedes. It is possible to fit non-MO marked (and could use MO marked for another vehicle)

2) N-marked tyres for Porsche. Due to the particular characteristics of their vehicles, Porsches must take the correct N-marked fitments. It is also recommended that N-marked tyres are not used on any other vehicles.

In summary, it would appear that N markings on Porsche tyres mean a hell of a lot more than MO on Mercedes tyres.

Russ

 

[Turbo Merc]

Tyres go through a long process, the part where the sidewall writing is completed is the least likely part to have any effect on the tyre. The rest of the process is no different to any other tyres.

Russ

You are of course absolutely correct; the sidewall writing has no effect on the tyres. What I was saying is that all MO tyres must be made in a separate, dedicated, mould (or more acurately moulds, as there are different sizes of course) because the MO is moulded into the tyre wall.

Moulds are extremely expensive. I personally do not think that Conti would go to all the expense and effort of making and maintaining separate moulds just for Merc tyres if it was just a marketing gimmick. Equally, tyre stockists and fitters, who know their trade, would not order them if it was a gimmick as that would directly impact their business/bottom line owing to the extra stock they have to hold and the cost of holding unsold stock etc etc.

Then again I am happy to accept that I am wrong. It may all be part of some huge scam that costs us nothing, achieves nothing, makes no difference to performance etc, but does cost Conti and tyre fitters. Hmm, that does sound a bit unlikely on reflection..

 

[Turbo Merc]

According to the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, and I quote,

1) MO marking for Mercedes. It is possible to fit non-MO marked (and could use MO marked for another vehicle)

2) N-marked tyres for Porsche. Due to the particular characteristics of their vehicles, Porsches must take the correct N-marked fitments. It is also recommended that N-marked tyres are not used on any other vehicles.

In summary, it would appear that N markings on Porsche tyres mean a hell of a lot more than MO on Mercedes tyres.

Russ

It is also possible to fit cheap brake pads but I prefer quality ones. As I said at the beginning it is a matter of choice; 'you pays your money and takes your chances'. I don't have a Porche but thanks for the info.

 

[rf065]

I don't have a Porche but thanks for the info.

That's kinda missing the point.

Russ

 

[Turbo Merc]

That's kinda missing the point.

Russ

Quite the opposite; I discussed my views on the subject in this thread and you and I clearly disagree over the validity of the MO issue. I will not change your mind and visa versa so I am happy to leave it at that.

 

[whitenemesis]

The MO tyres actually have 'MO' moulded into the tyre wall. They would need to have a separate mould to do this. If not it would be on all tyres.

Tyres go through a long process, the part where the sidewall writing is completed is the least likely part to have any effect on the tyre. The rest of the process is no different to any other tyres.

Russ

As I posted above, one opinion is that the MO status is applied after testing the tyres from a production batch. Those that meet MB's strict metrics are marked MO. No difference in compound etc but in performance (run-out, concentricity etc..)

 

[rf065]

As I posted above, one opinion is that the MO status is applied after testing the tyres from a production batch. Those that meet MB's strict metrics are marked MO. No difference in compound etc but in performance (run-out, concentricity etc..)

I agree that is the process, no one is running a seperate production line for MO tyres. No tyre is made in one mould from start to finish either.

My own point of view comes from buying Bridgestone Potenza RE50's with MO markings at £130 each and not being impressed with them. I replaced them with Falken 912's, not a hope in hell of getting an MO marking on them, but a better tyre at only £85 each.

So to me, having MO on a tyre means absolutely zilch. It may mean you have the best tyres out of a particular batch, but does not mean it is the best tyre for your Mercedes, or indeed is only made for a Mercedes as it can be used on any make of car.

Russ

 

[whitenemesis]

Agree with your points rf065

 

[fozzymandeus]

Maybe this is me being obtuse but basically arent there two things at work with tyres:

Tread pattern

Compound

and that's it?

So basically a well designed tread will stop aquaplaning, a soft compound will stick and a hard compound will wear more slowly. And the noise is from the two features meeting in the middle.

Other than that it could possibly be it's all about branding? Or maybe my Nike sweater really does make me run faster?

I've always liked Michelins, because they have that nice man.

I'm prepared to be dubbed heretical and cast out into the wilderness for this foolish viewpoint by the way.

 

[Turbo Merc]

Hi folks,

First of all, no one has ever said that one mould is used throughout the tyre making process; I have no idea how many are used. Having had a close look at the MO on the Conti tyres these are the facts: The MO is formed from raised letters so it has to be applied to the tyre in a moulding process. As such there is absolutely no way anyone tests the completed tyre and, if it then passes some performance test, applies the MO to the tyre. If the MO had been burnt into the tyre it would have been a not too unreasonable theory; but it is not. Given that the MO is moulded onto the tyre wall exterior, Conti have to have specific moulds for MB tyres. Whether there is one mould used or five hundred, it makes no difference; they have specific moulds for MB tyres that are MO rated. Unless of course you believe they stick the letters on later!! There is an extremely slight, but highly unlikely possibility, that a partially completed tyre is tested before the final exterior wall is moulded on but I don't buy that I am afraid.

So, going back to my earlier posting, IMHO, Conti have specific moulds for MB tyres that get the MO rating. As such this involves additional cost and time to produce and all the subsequent logistics required to stock both MO and non MO tyres throughout the tyre network. Why would Conti, and all the tyre dealers, go to all that additional time and cost if it is just marketing coblers? If they charged a lot extra for the tyres then fair enough but mine cost the same as the non MO tyres.

In answer to the last posting above; I am not a tyre expert but there is actually a lot more to a tyre than just the tread pattern and compound. Other critical factors include whether it is steel belted, cord belted, kevlar belted, the number of plies, the angle and direction of the belts, thickness of tyre walls etc etc. It is an incredible black art - excuse the pun lol

That's it, I have said my piece lol. Have fun. I have no more to say on the subject. Nothing, nilch, nowt. No matter what

 

[markg14]

My two pen'orth - go for Falken 912's. Had two sets on my W204 C220 CDI and they are excellent for wear and grip. And at £80-£90 a corner (depending on which corner ) are excellent value.

 

[markg14]

My two pen'orth - go for Falken 912's. Had two sets on my W204 C220 CDI and they are excellent for wear and grip. And at £80-£90 a corner (depending on which corner ) are excellent value.

I should add that I have done nearly 140,000 miles - having two sets fitted does not imply a poor wear rate!

 

[rf065]

My two pen'orth - go for Falken 912's. Had two sets on my W204 C220 CDI and they are excellent for wear and grip. And at £80-£90 a corner (depending on which corner ) are excellent value.

I agree, after trying the Falken 912's, I still find it hard to believe they are so cheap compared to the big names, even those with MO stamped on the side. :lol::lol::lol:

Russ

 

[jberks]

I think it's fair to say that they produce tyres in batches, so to bang out a batch of MO ones wouldn't be too hard.
I did read a post from someone who worked in the tyre trade that they did use a different compound for MO tyres. Slightly softer I believe for nicer test drives etc. They don't change the tread pattern as that's down to the tyre model but a small tweak to the compound when making up a batch is simple enough to do. Then of course there are the 'quality standards' so as people have said, run outs etc may be more stringently enforced with 'brand' versions.
That said, if you think that there are different models, with different suspension setups
all able to have the same tyre make and model (albeit different sizes), the connection between the MB testing and the MO badging is tenuous at best. I still believe the majority of the MO badging and approval is done in an office rather than on a track.

 

[mersum1es]

Didn't find 'tyre test result' thread...

new test from big Finnish magazine "Tekniikan Maailma"

205/55/R16 V :
1. Goodyear Eff.Grip Perf. 9,1
2. Continental Prem.Contact5 9,0
3. Nokian HakkaBlue 9,0
4. Dunlop BluResp. 8,9
5. Pirelli Cintur. P7 8,6
6. Vredestein Sportrac5 8,6
7. Apollo Alnac 4G 8,2
8. Hankook Ventus Prime2 8,2
9. Michelin Primacy3 8,2
10. Barum Bravuris2 8,1
11. Bridgestone Turanz T001 7,9
12. Toyo Proxes CF2 7,3
13. Nankang Green/Sport 6,7