How do you shop for tyres?

[ChasR]

Jun 27, 2018 19:09:28 GMT scimjim said:

Jun 27, 2018 16:42:13 GMT Ryannn said:

List 1A, the T1R. Ran them at 32 psi for the first couple of runs and they were a bit skittish, dropped the rears to 26 and the fronts to 28 and it improved a touch but they’ve not worn as expected. What would you suggest trying?

My cars are lighter and RWD so don’t really compare - but I run 32 all round on the road cars with T1-R. The RS3 (again 800kg with only 110 BHP and RWD) are 28 all round but I’ve removed the rear ARB and have played around with the dampers and springs a lot.

This will explain why the RS3s weren't so bad on yours. On 15" guise in the Clio they were a little soft and dull on turn-in. Grippy but you ended up eventually turning the wheel a bit before you hit the corner. I never had that on the Contis.

[scimjim]

Yep, sidewall flex can be dialled in - much like a Morgan where chassis movement is part of the experience

I loved the R888R on test day but our championship penalises list 1b tyres with a percentage handicap, so it’s not worth me running them (maybe next year if I add some power

[ChasR]

We've lost the point here. He wants tyres for his daily, not his Clio! It also sounds like he wants the moon on a stick, but don't we all .

Here would be my choices in order of preference:

-Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymettric 3 : IMHO it's the best VFM tyre and in many ways the best all rounder. Almost everyone I know who has tried these has loved them from tyres they were previously on. They include an E46 328i on Bridgestone RFTs and Tech Kings on the rear and a Z4 previously on Bridgestone RFT S001s; the latter was stunned by the change of the drive. I can confirm that the 328i was MUCH nicer to drive on the F1s; you can guess which fool drove the car back on a damp day after my mate bought it...
-Michelin Pilot Sport 4: These have the edge, but not by much at all.

Hankook K120 would be the leftfield choice, albeit the risky one. They are also Goodyear money so why not get the Goodyears which are a renowned and established choice? After trying Kumho 712s, KU31s and KH31s I wouldn't give my money to them again in all honesty!

I hate to say this but in those sizes you really are wanting something for nothing wanting a tyre for £70 a corner. It's not a common size and as such it will always be in the favour of the tyre peeps; it's simple economics.

I only say that after buying the 'wrong' tyres for years and then being disappointed with the cars, all because of my own actions. Over the years the cost is immaterial anyway. That and driving the M3 back and putting it through its paces really put a smile on my face .

[Ryannn]

I much prefer the Clio chat! I’ll run the T1Rs until the end of the year, it’s only my first season.

CLK wise I’ll keep looking, might try some different size combinations?

[slipngripross]

Jun 27, 2018 19:05:53 GMT scimjim said:

Jun 27, 2018 17:46:50 GMT slipngripross said:

If you want bang for buck track tyre that you can use on road in all seasons my personal favourite is the Federal RSR in 15" about £50 a corner and 17" about £70. Also Nankang NS2R and Yoko AD08R have similar grip reviews on road and track. I have used federals on anything from 160BHP Civics to E36 6pots, imprezas and skylines with no issues.

All list 1b so he cant use them!

He says he currently run 1A tyres not that he cant run any other listed tyres. Frankly if I had to run T1R's in motorsport I simply wouldn't bother or id enter a different class that allows different tyres. They are a massive waste of space.

[slipngripross]

Also 17's on a Clio 172 is pretty crazy. Should be running 15's especially for hill climbing.

[ChasR]

Jun 28, 2018 2:10:14 GMT Ryannn said:

I much prefer the Clio chat! I’ll run the T1Rs until the end of the year, it’s only my first season.

CLK wise I’ll keep looking, might try some different size combinations?

If they are like some cars with ESP changing the tyres at the front only for differing sizes could make things awkward for the ABS and any passive TPMS systems you have.

What year is your CLK and what model? Your signature isn't displaying for me . That will help to see if the sizes can be cheaper. FWIW on the Saab 9-3 of my sister's the 17s oddly offer the cheapest tyres out of 16-18" tyres; the 16s are even more expensive to buy tyres for than the 18s! Mondeos on 17s are exactly the same in Mk3 guise; £130 a corner vs. £90

[Ryannn]

Jun 28, 2018 5:43:32 GMT slipngripross said:

Jun 27, 2018 19:05:53 GMT scimjim said:

All list 1b so he cant use them!

He says he currently run 1A tyres not that he cant run any other listed tyres. Frankly if I had to run T1R's in motorsport I simply wouldn't bother or id enter a different class that allows different tyres. They are a massive waste of space.

I can use tyres off list a and b. It’s only my first season though so was watching the pennies after I’d already splurged out on all the safety gear!

There’s two cars in this thread lol, my CLK runs on 17s but the Clio is on 15 inch megane steels.

[Ryannn]

Jun 28, 2018 6:58:27 GMT ChasR said:

Jun 28, 2018 2:10:14 GMT Ryannn said:

I much prefer the Clio chat! I’ll run the T1Rs until the end of the year, it’s only my first season.

CLK wise I’ll keep looking, might try some different size combinations?

If they are like some cars with ESP changing the tyres at the front only for differing sizes could make things awkward for the ABS and any passive TPMS systems you have.

What year is your CLK and what model? Your signature isn't displaying for me . That will help to see if the sizes can be cheaper. FWIW on the Saab 9-3 of my sister's the 17s oddly offer the cheapest tyres out of 16-18" tyres; the 16s are even more expensive to buy tyres for than the 18s! Mondeos on 17s are exactly the same in Mk3 guise; £130 a corner vs. £90

Yeah I had a look at other sizes, almost double the price!

I also checked the fronts, premium brands are mega cheap in comparison so I’m just going to bite the bullet on the rears.

[tristanh]

I ring my mates in the tyre trade, tell them what car I want them for, what mileage I would accept, and what type of driving I'm going to do. They offer me 2 or 3 options usually, I Google them, check prices online, and usually go with their suggestions. Hence Michelin PS3s in 15s on my mk2 gti before going to the Ring, Bridgestones on my Mk6 tdi in 18s, and Lassa/Cooper/Fulda etc on my work van.

I found the better, premium tyres generally wear better than the cheap options.

And my tyre mates could match the online prices nearly every time, and they'd fit and balance the new ones, and discard the old

[slipngripross]

With federals RSR's and Nankangs at about £50 a corner for grippy semi slicks there really is no other choice on a budget. Moving away from T1R's to semi slicks will change your life

[keithyboy]

Jun 28, 2018 6:58:27 GMT ChasR said:

What year is your CLK and what model? Your signature isn't displaying for me . That will help to see if the sizes can be cheaper. FWIW on the Saab 9-3 of my sister's the 17s oddly offer the cheapest tyres out of 16-18" tyres; the 16s are even more expensive to buy tyres for than the 18s! Mondeos on 17s are exactly the same in Mk3 guise; £130 a corner vs. £90

My 225/45x17 Saab tyres are much cheaper than the 205/70x15 tyres on my wife's CRV. Tyres for that are a nightmare; mostly off road tyres with **** poor wet grip or plastic van tyres from China. As it doesn't go off road I go for the road car tyres with the best wet grip from one of two local independents. They both have websites and online booking driven by much the same software and one is usually a fiver cheaper than the other.

[legend]

I normally buy from lovetyres i've run uniroval rainsports for 10 years mostly on BMWs. can't fault them at all. all of the grip, amazing rain and snow performance and pretty cheap. I get around 15-20k out of them on an e39 depending on how bolloxed the alignment is