In praise of Richards Tyrepower, Perth

JohnW

JohnW

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It is a huge pleasure to heap praise on Richards Tyrepower. Today I needed the rear Michelins swapped around on the rims on the R8, and fitted my two new ones at the front. Usually, I have done this myself with levers and a rubber mallet, but today I wasn't in the mood.

The car had scrubbed the RH front a bit on the inside between Perth, Canberra and Perth earlier in the year, so I had a full wheel alignment check on their you-beaut machine. Everything is close enough to spec. for no adjustment to be warranted. Rear camber is maybe half a degree to a degree more negative than spec. and who would want to fiddle with that minor matter (and it is in the right direction anyway).

It was very good service and we had a sensible discussion at the machine in the workshop.

They cleaned mating surfaces on wheel rims and hubs too. Balance weights are mostly tiny, with the biggest one at 30 g. AND they put a wee big of anti-gall stuff on the studs.

But the "pièce de résistance" was their request "What wheel nut torque would you like please"? And they work in Newton-metres! And they don't do things up with rattle guns.

I am so impressed. Full praise. They are one of our supporters for the French Car Day on Saturday 21st too.

Their professionalism says everything. And they can balance our wheels!!
 
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Good to see your are pleased with their service John

Just on your scrubbed tyre John, seeing as at rest they did not find any issues with the alignment, I was thinking maybe there is a wear issue in one of the bushes causing the tyre to scrub a little.

I have had tyres scrub out like you describe on one of my R12s many years ago. All was good on the wheel alignment machine with everything in spec, even the technician could not find any movement in the suspension. Anyway the tyre was still scrubbing so I decided it was time to find out what the problem was. So I dismantled the suspension buy removing lower ball joint and got hold of the lower wishbone and straight away found movement in the suspension bushes. I put it down to not being able to apply enough force to the suspension when everything was together.

I replaced these bushes and never had anymore problems.

I'm just saying that you may have some wear in the suspension somewhere causing the tyre scrub.
 
Thanks Col,

I was thinking much the same - starting, perhaps embarrassingly, with the wheel bearing adjustment!! I suddenly realised I hadn't checked that as Richard's guys were checking alignment!

I replaced the front suspension bushes for the first time about ten years ago, so they are brand new so to speak.... It does need jacking up and shaking thoroughly. Just looseness at the outer ball joint on the tie rod would do it. I was worried that the horrendous road from Menindee to Ivanhoe had bent things a bit! That's OK though.

Cheers
 
Thanks Col. It drives just perfectly, but then it always has..... :)

There's a gently magic about a good R8. Gordini not necessary (although one of each might be nice)....
 
I will second John's thread, supporting good service. They do Graeme's Gordini wheels, and they are always nice on the car, and very helpful with advice.

Well Done,

Ray
 
I should give you a drive of mine sometime John.
I still marvel at the tightness and directness of the gearshift.

Bruce Collier rebuilt the box back in about 96 and I put new silentblocs on the back. I must have fluked unworn plastic washers on the gearstick end of the selector rod.

KB
 
renault8&10 said:
I should give you a drive of mine sometime John. I still marvel at the tightness and directness of the gearshift. Bruce Collier rebuilt the box back in about 96 and I put new silentblocs on the back. I must have fluked unworn plastic washers on the gearstick end of the selector rod. KB
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Inverell, Easter, 2019!! I plan to be there, anyway.

Mine has a 10S box with the appropriate linkage, not the early R8 multi-joint device. It was rebuilt by Jim Bush in Adelaide, perhaps 1985 but I can't remember - it might have been 1978. Someone out there will remember Jim Bush with affection I'm sure.

Someone in Adelaide could balance the 3-stud wheels then but I don't remember who it was. Never asked for wheel nut torque settings though......
 
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We had Richard down at the PCCWA meeting a couple of months ago. There was presentation of the history of Michelin tyres, and some interesting trivia, to a rather full room of the Peugeot infected!
 
JohnW said:
Inverell, Easter, 2019!! I plan to be there, anyway.
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Speaking of Inverell, there's a little place called Tinga nearby (Google it), my father was born there. Here's a family portrait from the 1930s, note the wall cladding, it's wool bale material. Good thing it was a big family because it gets plenty cold there. :eek:

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renault8&10 said:
Which one are you :trouslap:?
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Oh you are a very funny man Kevin. :trouslap:

The family was much larger than what's in the photo. The baby is my Father we think, there were three other children born after this pic, one didn't make it past the first year. Tough times in the 1930s apparently.
 
Yes, infant mortality rate was quite high. If you survived to 10 you were probably tough enough to last.
The first few years especially so.
 
The standard test for the top control arm bushes on r8/10 s was to have an assistant apply the brakes and then attempt to rotate the front wheel. Hard test to pass for many of the mine over the years...
 
Exfrogger said:
The standard test for the top control arm bushes on r8/10 s was to have an assistant apply the brakes and then attempt to rotate the front wheel. Hard test to pass for many of the mine over the years...
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I started, with embarrassment, by discovering the RH front wheel bearings were a bit loose. Now for the bushes...
 
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