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I bought some new tyres for the Falcon yesterday. I was running the Dunlop SP3000A (an excellent tyre, btw) but opted for the new Toyo Transas TEO. Two reasons: (1) the tyre shop had 4 in stock (but none of the Dunlops), and (2) they’re $50 cheaper per tyre. I could have waited for them to get some of the Dunlops but I really needed new tyres (one word: canvas).

All good and well. And boring. So why mention it?

Well, when I hit town this morning, I suddenly noticed a subtle vibration in the front of the car. It had to be tyre related because severity was relative to road speed, and it disappeared totally when I brushed the brake pedal. Only one possible explanation: loose wheel nuts.

I pulled over, and sure enough, three of the nuts on the front left wheel turned easily with my fingers. I got the tyre wrench out and found all five were pretty loose. I tightened them all up and checked the other wheels. The rears were fine, but the front right wasn’t really all that tight either, because I got a further 1/4 of a turn when I tightened each nut.

New tyres are good, because the car always feels better, but I actually kind of like it when the wheels are put back on the car properly. One of my personal quirks.

I’d already done 180km when the vibration started, but that was all 110km/hr freeway driving, and the front wheels of a rear wheel drive car do very little work on the freeway. It’s only when you start turning corners and braking that you actually put any load of any significance through the front wheels, and that’s probably why it took so long for the loose nuts to show themselves.

That aside, I’m actually pretty impressed with the tyres. They’re still very green (as you’d expect with only ~200km on them) but they’re already very responsive on turn in. They squirm around a little if you lean on them, but that’s to be expected when they’re so fresh.