View Full Version : Tyres (what do people use)
Hi,
Just wondering what sort of tyres people are using on their cars (and what sizes)
and what they think of their dry handling, wet handling and wear rates?,
I am running Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Positions in 225/50 r16 z rated on my standard 16" alloys and they are really good in the dry, far better than the standard pirelli's but the wet handling doesnt seem as sure footed, and the wear rate seems slightly worse than my standard pirelli's too, although they are quiter and dont ever squeal in car parks
The standard Pirelli P6000's here. Find them great in all weathers.
chungster
14-10-2001, 18:43
I use Toyo Proxes T1-S on mine.
They are excellent in the dry and wet in normal driving conditions.
BUT, after yesterday's 5 sessions at CC, the out side 2 tyres are not looking good at all.
At one point, rubber was peeling off them big time.
They still have about 2-3mm tread on them, but this is the first time i've really pushed them to the limit in one day.
And like a 400bhp Scooby doo driver told me, they're great for everyday driving, but on track, they will melt when pushed.
And how right he was.
2 new Toyos will be ordered soon.
I've heard good things about the toyo t1-s's, might get myself a pair on the front and see what they are like in comparison to the so3-pp's, cos they are nearly worn out now,
what about sizes and tyre pressures, I run 39psi front and 38psi rear,
Anyone else tried 225 width yet?
cordobabrendy
14-10-2001, 18:54
im using yoko a539's, got them for 55 quid each in belfast, on my 195/45/16 standard alloys, wear rate is a bit quick have done 8k with them and they are right doen bordering legal, in the dry they are amazing , never bounces across surfaces, and were good in the wet, now that they are down they are brilliant in dry but very suspect in wet!! well worth 55 quid each but the wear rate is the one real downside!:devil:
I thought the P6000s were really good on an unaccompanied test drive of a Leon Cupra. However, I put them on my 1st Impreza Turbo back in late 1994 and they were awful... I know the design will have changed etc etc, but my Wife's got them on her 2000 Focus 1.8 Zetec and they're not much cop there either - not much grip, feel etc. I reckon it's the age old situation of some tyres work on some cars but not on others...
I've got S02PPs on my current Impreza Trubo and they're fabulous. I've heard mixed reports of S03s on Scoobies but good ones about the Toyos and wear not a huge problem... Mind, track days can be a problem whatever the tyre.
ibizacupra
14-10-2001, 18:56
Originally posted by Mosser
Hi,
Just wondering what sort of tyres people are using on their cars (and what sizes)
and what they think of their dry handling, wet handling and wear rates?,
I am running Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Positions in 225/50 r16 z rated on my standard 16" alloys and they are really good in the dry, far better than the standard pirelli's but the wet handling doesnt seem as sure footed, and the wear rate seems slightly worse than my standard pirelli's too, although they are quiter and dont ever squeal in car parks
Goodyear Eagle F1's.
Superb all round tyre. Takes a good thrashing around track days all year and they're still going. They are the benchmark tyre for me.
Yesterday at Combe I ran on some Dunlop moulded slicks and they melted and blistered. Lap times were 1 second slower than I get on my Eagle F1's. Pissed off about the Dunlops being so crap as they cost a fortune.
regards
bill
I hve tried the P6000's on my last 3 cars and havent liked them on any of them, (citroen bx, renault espace and leon), the only car i found they worked well on was a friends fiat!
Goodyear Eagle F1's again, although not on my Leon (yet), I have them on my other car, and they are excelent whether its rain or shine.
Neil
PipSqueak111
15-10-2001, 09:09
I use Bridgestone Potenza S-02 Pole Positions in 215/45/17 Z rated form on mine. Have to say that they are the best tyres I have ever had in the wet - better even than Continentals which were my previous favourite for wet driving. Excellent tyres in the dry - stick like glue. Does anyone else with S-02s find that they have to warm them up a bit though??? Must be something to do with the rating and compound I suppose.
Worried to hear that the new S-03s aren't so good in the wet!?! Have to hope that I can still get hold of S-02s when the current ones wear out. Speaking of which, they haven't worn out half as quickly as I was told they would; 6,000 miles down the line they still look like they have another 4-5,000 miles left on them. Since I spend most of my time in country roads with great big handfuls of drift going on, I'm quite impressed!
Still rate the OE Pirelli P6000s. They offered plenty of grip in the dry. Found them great at Alconbury and I'm putting them back on for Three Sisters unless it's really wet. Not a patch on the S-02s in the wet, and they're quite heavily warn (as can be seen from the pictures from Alconbury in Redline!), so I don't fancy a big understeer off into the tyre barrriers.
I wonder if the S02 might just be the tyre that breaks the rule, as it seems to suit most cars? I've heard great things about it on everything from Evos to 911s, to TVRs to the Impreza and now the Leon.
My Impreza's on it's 3rd set and they're just brilliant! And yes, they do benefit from a few miles to warm up. I get around 18-20K front and 22K rear (without rotation).
So, It comes down to the most popular choice being bridgestone potenza s-02 pp's, toyo proxy t1-s's or goodyear eagle f1's really,
I have never heard anything bad about the so2 pp's or the t1-s's so i think it is going to be a choice between them now!!, I think i will see which ones i can get the best deal on on the day!!,
How much does everyone pay for their tyres btw?,
My s-03 pp's cost £130 each and i was quoted £115 for the t1-s's,
On tyre life i seem to be the exception to the rule!!, getting 28,000 on the fronts and the rears are almost worn out now(1-2mm before tread wear warning) and have done 47,000 miles!!,
Nearly all of my driving is fairly high speed motorway driving which probably accounts for the good tyre life!
Mosser~ try www.webtyres.
Quick look (225/50/16) shows:-
S02 £105
Goodyr F1 £103
Pilot £103
P6000 £98
P7000 £102
PZeroA £115
Yoko A520 £96
Need to add approx £10 carriage, and £5 per tyre for valve/fit/balance @ your local "budget".
Alternatively (less choice but slightly keener pricing)
www.tyres-sold-online.co.uk
P6000 £96 ~ free delivery.
Used them myself for some tyres for the wifes Ka (oddball 165/60/14s ~ not even on their site but they offered me a choice of 5 makes.....)
Cheers Mik,
I will certainly have a look at them tomorrow!!, busy laying wooden flooring at the moment and get told off by the wife if i web surf for too long!!!:mad:
Mosser:
have you tried Bracknell Tyre & Battery (place just after tip)
I've always found them very cheap, even beat Micheldever Tyre prices that everone seem to rave on about...
Never even thought to give them a try!!,
Iwill pop in and see what they can do me for!,
Cheers tadger, when's your leon arriving?, cant be long now can it?
:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:
Just got the delivery date for my Cupra !!!
Roll on 2nd November :p :p :p :p
Not long to go now then!, are you going to do any mods to it?, I am thinking of trying some 235 tyres on mine as i have had great success with 225's, My car oversteer's sometimes now rather than understeering all the time!,
So i think the overall balance of the car has improved
I'm certainly gonna change tyres, after the P6000's have gone.. (should be able to scrub them off quite quickly ;)
Looking to move to the 225/50/16's as you'e done... I think the 235 will through the speedo out to much at the nearest match in wheel size..
At the mo, my current choice of tyre would be Goodyear F1's, 'cos the brigestone s-02's are hard to find, and I've heard the s-03's aren't as good, hopefully upcoming s-04's will be better..
Not sure yet what i will be able to get away with in terms of mods... maybe a stealth dump valve and possibly a chip...
A strut brace might be OK, but I haven't got a clue what the insurance company will be like...
Nice fat rear wing wouldn't go a miss - although I'm tempted to de-badge the car and keep it fairly stealthy anyway ...
Ian Sale
21-10-2001, 23:53
Anyone looking for cheap tyres should check this site out - http://www.mytyres.net. They seem to be cheaper than anywhere I've found, good choice too.
Regards
Ian
Blimey, Continental SPort Contacts for £76 all in! Anybody had these before?