What tyres for my new 13 inch wheels?

[S33VEN]

Firstly, I am sure that a lot of us would like to thank Robert for his hard work to save us money!

 

Now I have the wheels, 13x6 and 13x7 and would appreciate some advice on what to put on them??

 

Car is a standard 1.8 Supersport. Used on the roads only at present. But I will do a track day as soon as I have the experience with the car.

 

I intend to have Arrowstar do a springs/adjustable platforms/front+rear anti roll bar upgrade and to go for a mappable ECU and throttle bodies soon. Cams will come later.

 

I do only a low mileage, so tyre life is not an issue.

 

I might like to consider the possibility of keeping the option to use my current 14 inch Avons for longer journeys, for a bit more comfort! So it might be Radials, rather than x-ply for the new wheels!

 

Any comments, rude or otherwise much appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Tony Stattersfield

[Andrew Russell]

IMHO you should go with Yoko A021R's which I feel offer the best balance of grip, both dry and wet, progressive feel, acceptable wear and value for money.

 

My last set of rears lasted 3500 miles and that included a good few sprints, hillclimbs and track days. Oh yes and 200+bhp!!

 

As you have 7" rears you could probably go up to 205 at the rear and keep 185 at front, altho' I have always used 185 all around.

 

Profile, again my opinion would be to go for 60's as you do not need to find a compromise for ride height if you have your 14" wheels for road use. 70's may be available at a slightly lower price but only marginally.

 

Read through previous topics for suppliers and profile arguments.

 

Andrew

[Nick]

It's probably between Avon and Yokohama.

 

Avon CR500 (as per R500) - supposed to be excellent in the wet, and pretty damned fine in the dry too.

Avon ACB10 (at least two compounds I think) - not as good in the wet as the CR500 but better in the dry? Crossply. Tramline unless geometry is changed, and maybe still do even then?

Yoko A032R good for track and road.

Yoko A021R good wet and dry grippy, though not as good as CR500.

 

I've not used the CR500 and my short comments are based on what I've heard - and on seeing a few 7s running them at circuits.

 

I run A032Rs which are pretty grippy and much cheaper than the Avons. Some criticise their wet weather performance but I just ponce about on the roads in the wet and haven't had any problems. All my track days have been dry! smile.gif

 

When I get my spare set I shall have A032Rs or possibly A021Rs for the road, and slicks for trackdays! teeth.gif

[Red SLR]

I am impressed by the ACB 10's but the Yoko's are grippy too, my personal choice are the Avon's but you it is down to personal preferance. The saving which you make in the yoko could be quite large over the Avons.

 

Simon.

 

X777CAT

[Peter Carmichael]

ACB10s are certainly cheap in the 6 inch width and are brilliant in the dry. You need to keep your wits about you in the wet and they don't like standing water at all, although if a track session turns wet half way through and they are up to temperature they seem to grip well enough. The 7 inch will be more expensive.

 

They are available in three tread compounds: A33 (hard, standard on 6 inch tyres for Roadsport cars, difficult to get up to temperature, 3000 road miles, cheap), A30 (medium, standard on original Superlight and about right for typical loading, ~2500 road miles, £68 each last time I looked) and A27(I think) (soft, for hillclimbs/sprints).

 

I think I got through four sets of tyres in my first year.

 

Yoko A021Rs will be very disappointing on a dry track, suffering from overheating. They are a good wet tyre however.

 

Edited by - Peter Carmichael on 6 Sep 2000 12:41:28

[Nick]

You need to have a sense of humour in the wet

Nice turn of phrase Peter smile.gif I would echo your comments about 21s overheating on track - my 32s seem to last longer on track than the 21s I used to run.

 

Just how much of a sense of humour do you need in the wet with ACB10s? If you're on the road and travelling at 'normal car' speeds, is it a problem?

 

Edited by - Nick on 6 Sep 2000 12:49:34

[StewartG]

At a recent track day Jack and Pippa from Arrowstar pronounced the CR500 tyres running on a customers R500 to be too soft for hot track day abuse as they were overheating and chewing up quickly they said the CR500s were exellent in the wet and have asked Avon for a harder compound for dry use

[Peter Carmichael]

>>>Just how much of a sense of humour do you need in the wet with ACB10s? If you're on the road and travelling at 'normal car' speeds, is it a problem?

 

Darn! I went back and edited out the phrase you liked so much because I thought it sounded a bit too intimidating.

 

You have to realise that I habitually have ACB10s on my car in the 'honest officer, I am just on my way to pick up the new tyres and change them' state. They don't like standing water. I have had scary instances of aquaplaning at modest speeds ~60mph on the M25, but that was a very wet day. I have also had brilliant fun on the track with loads and loads of standing water (Val de Vienne, Le Sept '98, aquaplaning and rampant wheelspin in all the gears at ~4000rpm and having to line it up with the driest braking area at the start of the straight - yes, I ended up in the gravel, but perhaps only because I was forced off). On damp roads with an LSD, it is dead easy to hang the tail out in a lazy slide which stays out as long as you keep the power in - great fun.

[Geoff Johnson]

I have not tried them yet, but I rang George Polleys from a number found in these pages & they had a set of AO21R's (185x70)on my door step next day for £40 each including vat & carridge. If it's value for money I don't think you can beat that. In fact with Rob's help, I have changed the wheels & tyres from the 16" 205x45's to the 13" wheels & yokohama's for less money than it would have cost me to replace the old tyres.

 

Geoff

[Anna Rexia]

Obvious - 13"

[S33VEN]

I am not going to touch that with a bargepole!!!

Just wait for the replies.

Well done Anna, I was waiting for your pealrs of wisdom!!

 

Tony Stattersfield

[Geoff Johnson]

Covered in nice knobbly rubber too!

 

Geoff

[Slipper man]

I'm with the 021R guys. I tried a freinds 18oo roadsport at Spa and Snetterton (both in the dry) and was very impressed. If they are even better in the wet, they must be very good. The thing I am not sure about is profiles. If the rears are 7", do you need to have a higher profile on the front than the rear to preserve the attitude of the car?

 

As a road tyre I wouldn't touch ACB10's. They're brilliant on the track, but almost dangerous on the road (aquaplaning and really bad trmlining).

[Pierre Gillet]

Geoff,

do you know if Polley take overseas ( France) orders?

Has he an e mail?

Pierre

[Peter Carmichael]

I only have experience of 6 inch ACB10s on the road and they are fine for tramlining; they grab a bit, but nothing unmanageable. They are extreme as a road tyre, but I like not having to change wheels for track outings or indeed when it is wet. I may not be going fast in the wet sessions, but I am having fun and I am, after all, a recreational track driver.

 

YMMV

[Alex Wong1697456877]

I've asked for 7" rears and 6" fronts from Rob. I'm planning to put my CR500's on them. I used the CR500's on Le Sept for 3.5 days of track driving. I thought they were too hard and scrabble around too much causing them to overheat during prolonged track use. Arrowstar probably know better. They are medium saloon compound according to BMTR. They are OK in the dry, probably a bit better than 021's. However, in the wet, they are stunning. Main problem is cost and small rolling diameter (175/55 front if I recall correctly), which leads to low ride height at the front. The rears are considerably taller. Tyre wear is also similar to 021's. I use them for track days and as wets in sprints but they would be a perfectly good road tyre although cost and ride height would be an issue. I have a set of ACB's for dry sprints and a set of 14"Yoko A520's for road use (these are pretty cr*p but are cheap, last forever and give a sensible ride height). I don't drive that quickly on the road. wink.gif This rather extravagant collection does mean that I seem to be swapping de-dion ears with some regularity. I think I'm going to leave the 0.25 -ve ones on as I'm getting bored of this job (and I've damaged one diff seal changing the ear - changing that was nearly as irritating as topping up the gearbox oil!)

 

IMHO,

If you plan to use the tyres as dry track day tyres only, go for 032R's

If you plan to sprint the car, go for the softest ACB10 you dare to (and adjust cambers all round). 7" rears don't really make it tramline anymore than 6" rears. I wouldn't go for 7" fronts a la SLR as these really do follow the road camber.

If you plan to use the tyres in all weather, go for CR500's because they really are that good in the wet.

If cost is an issue with CR500's, then 021's are still probably the best all rounder taking cost into account.

If you really want a laugh, put a set of soft Avon slicks on them! I've not gone this far yet but would be tempted!

 

Just my opinion and all that!

 

 

Alex Wong

alex.wong@lotus7club.co.uk

www.alexwong.net

Home : 44-(0)121-440 6972

Fax : 44-(0)121-440 4601

 

 

Edited by - Alex Wong on 6 Sep 2000 18:18:08

[elie boone]

What about the old CR28 sport in A26 (verry soft)compound? looks like an old tyre but must have a verry good grip in wet and dry conditions.

 

 

[Anna Rexia]

So - Knobbly rubber eh Geoff ?

wink.gif wink.gif

[S33VEN]

Sounds like my knobbly rubber will be 032R's

I can't find anyone who stocks CR500's....

Thanks to all.

Just hope it doesn't rain!!

I hate to think what the Avons cost! The Yoko's are bad enough.

[Red SLR]

Instead of saving all your rubber bands to make a big bouncy ball how about you start wrapping them around wheels, you will have 4 new sets of rubber in no time, and pot holes won't be a problem, nor nails, glass, sheep - or anything else that takes your fancy.

 

 

 

X777CAT

[Nick]

You should be able to get Yoko A032Rs for less than UKP70 each. Try Easytrack

 

I meant to say - 32s look nicer too!

 

Mr Sad

 

Oops, typo on the URL.

 

 

Edited by - Nick on 6 Sep 2000 23:16:43

[Alex Wong1697456877]

I got my CR500's from BMTR in Perry barr, Birmingham

 

approx 110 GBP each after VAT. Just as well that they're not too soft!

 

Alex

[Alex Wong1697456877]

As far as I know, CR28 Sports are still available from BMTR. I wonder how they compare to the Yoko 021s/032s? I suppose it depends on what compound you go for.

 

Peter, where do you get your ACB10's from? That's much cheaper than BMTR's price.

 

Alex

 

 

Edited by - Alex Wong on 6 Sep 2000 23:29:15

[Geoff Johnson]

Sorry Pierre, no email address, but here is the phone no. & address:- STEVE POLLEY, George Polley Motors, Station Road Ind Est,Heathfield, East Sussex. 01435 863679

 

Geoff

[Pierre Gillet]

Thanks Geoff. I shall call this number and see how it compares with what I can find here if he does export.

cheers,

Pierre