More Wheels And Tyres....

[Matt Prior]

Sorry, this may have been covered in one of the strands below, but:

 

I'm looking to get a Vauxhall HPC, but don't want the 5-spoke 16" wheels - I think they look too big and don't want anything wider than 185 tyres.

 

13" seems popular round here [more feel - sounds good to me]. Anyone run an HPC with 185 wide [or less?!] tyres; if so, on what size wheels? And how was it?

 

Or, for more feel and nimbleness, would I be better off taking a power cut [boo!] and buying a Roadsport 1.4 K?

 

Ta for any replies, all advice appreciated,

Matt Prior

 

[Alex Wong1697456877]

My rational for choosing the HPC over the K-series....

1. More power

2. More power

3. More power

4. OK it doesn't handle quite as well, but the limits are still astoundingly high, and being on the limit is as fun in an HPC as a K-series. It's a less fidgety beast than the K and rewards smoothness more than the K cars. The K is more nimble but the HPC still out-handles just about everything else on the road.

5. More power

 

As for wheels - I ran 185 60 13's on my car (see my homepage at www.alexwong.net) and it was brilliant. Ride height was a problem but in terms of a car being balanced for handling and power, I couldn't fault it. I only went for ACB's because some idiot (me) re-wrote the classes for the club sprints!

I use 185 60 14's on road tyres for road use - not great as the tyres are crap (A520 yoko's) but they are cheap and are enough for the road. 14" doesn't feel as nimble as 13". There's more feeling of tyres leaning into corners and scrabbling for grip, but it saves me money on replacement sump pans!

 

 

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 28 Apr 2000 22:19:34

[Geoff Dixon]

Following on from all the recent "blat Chat" discussions about tyres I have today taken the plunge and swopped the Michelin Pilots on my 1600 K series for Yokohama A032R's 185/60*14's.

They are absolutely ****** marvellous.

The car goes round roundabouts as if it was on rails.

No idea what they are like in the wet but frankly they are so good in the dry I can live with whatever when it rains.

I bought them from George Polley in Heathfield 01435 863679 at price of £52.11 each fitted and balanced etc.

If anyone is thinking about getting some go ahead NOW, they are fabulous.

 

 

[Geoff Dixon]

Slight mistake in previous note

The price should have read £52.11 plus VAT

 

 

[Rob Morris]

I run 15" 195/55 on my Vauxhall and the handling is good, however, my friend Jez is running 13" 165/70 on his Vaux. and his handling is far better, plus his tyres are very cheap

[Matt Prior]

Thanks all, much appreciated.

 

An HPC it is then, with 13" wheels, max 185 profile [though 165 sounds damned exciting!].

 

Right, time to go shopping!

[Pierre Gillet]

I agree, 185 60 14 is great but do not fill the rear wheel archs. What are the dimensions used at the rear on the beautiful R500, and can it be fitted with road tyres ( not racing)?

 

 

[V7 SLR]

The R500 is fitted with the new AVON R500 tyres, specially developed for the SLR500. Oddly enough I wouldn't class these as racing tyres whereas the "normal" SLR tyres (ACB10s) I would.

 

So, dimensions... The front wheels on my "normal" SLR are 13"x6.5" and the rears are 13"x8". The rear tyres are 245s in width. Quite "wheelarch filling" if you ask me. The SLR500 has the same size wheels but the R500 tyres are marginally narrower apparently. I believe they are also slightly higher in profile too.

[Jules Martin]

Pierre, the R500 is fitted with Avon 215/50 R13 85V on the rear and 175/55 R13 75V on the front. I've never had a Caterham before but I can tell you that they appear to be fantastic. Also and equally important, after a thrashing at the Nurburgring they don't seem to have worn at all.

Jules