Car tyres..

The Northern Monkey

So my front tyres are getting a bit low... nowhere near the legal limit, but I'm starting to feel a difference in grip so its time for me to start considering changing.... especially as the weather is getting worse.

I currently have Toyo Proxes T1-R's up front and Yokohama Parada SPEC-2's on the rear.

I'd never had the Yoko's before, and although they're super super grippy and predictable, they're foooooking noisy so I don't want another set.

So obviously thinking about another set of Toyo Proxes T1-R's (around £110 pair) - I've had this tyre (or similar version of this tyre) for the last 4 years.

Is there anything else I should consider?

The Uniroyal Rainsport keeps popping up, but they get mixed reviews.

Car is a Pug 206, tyre size 195x50x15.... looking for predictable and grippy tyres. The current Proxes have covered around 20k.

bails87

My mate, a taxi driver who does a fair few miles (100k+ per yr!), swears by Michelin Primacy HPs. Expensive, but good and they last for ages.

.blitz

Proxes for me every time although have tried some Yokohama s.drive they were very similar and not particularly noisy. More expensive than the Toyos though.

snotty badger

I've just put four Falken 452s on my Civic, so far they seem great. Maybe even a bit better than the Toyos T1Rs that came off... and a bit cheaper too.

Pudseyp

Think the 452's start in 16"

I use ears motorsport...they are really cheap and have the rainsports for £38 each...and £6.99 post for the pair..I have the falkens on the Ibiza FR and rainsports on the beemer and they are great tyres...and at that price a bargain

kenan

How the feck did you get 20k out of a T1-R on the front of a pug ?!?. On my cars they were dead in 5-7k tops witout trackdays. I always found the Eagle F1 to be the best tyre for that size but the Toyo was always better value for money.

The Northern Monkey

kenan wrote:

How the feck did you get 20k out of a T1-R on the front of a pug ?!?. On my cars they were dead in 5-7k tops witout trackdays. I always found the Eagle F1 to be the best tyre for that size but the Toyo was always better value for money.

Lol, it was on the rear for about 15k
and the majority was motorway to be honest, I'd spent most of the time driving back and forth to Cardiff... bare in mind that 20K was done in about 7-8 months haha!

Eagle F1's were THE best tyres going! Don't think they do them anymore do they? Stopped last year as far as I know!

kenan

They still make them but they are asymmetric now so don't look the part.

Other option is to put the Parada's on the front to wear them out and get rid of the noise

The Northern Monkey

ahhh, I had the older ones on my 306 DT about 4 years ago.. like having glue on the wheels!

Yeah true, might consider that tbh!

Thewaylander

Yes eagles are still in production,

There now Eagle F1 asymetric 2 and there still rocking, toyo TR-1 are being discontiuened :O

Andy

bails87 wrote:

My mate, a taxi driver who does a fair few miles (100k+ per yr!), swears by Michelin Primacy HPs. Expensive, but good and they last for ages.

I use Pilot Sport 3's and they seem good.

Andy

kenan wrote:

They still make them but they are asymmetric now so don't look the part.

Which of course is the most important thing about tyres when youre driving at 70mph down the motorway.

kenan

Andy wrote:

kenan wrote:

They still make them but they are asymmetric now so don't look the part.

Which of course is the most important thing about tyres when youre driving at 70mph down the motorway.

Isn't it just

grenw

Thewaylander wrote:

Yes eagles are still in production,

There now Eagle F1 asymetric 2 and there still rocking, toyo TR-1 are being discontiuened :O

Set of these will see you right. Been using them in various guises for the last 8 or so years. The newer ones are quieter and just as grippy.

butcher of bakersfield

The Northern Monkey wrote:

Is there anything else I should consider?

It''s the beginning of winter. Do you really want to be wearing out a perfectly good (and fooking expensive) set of summer tyres, needlessly sliding around corners for the next six months?

The Northern Monkey

welll yes.

I need tyres, simplz.

butcher of bakersfield

personally, I got a set of Falkens on mine. But not the usual 452s. I got the all weather versions instead (912), as the previous tyres I had were nothing short of dangerous in the wet. Check out the reviews for them. So far, so good. They're never going to outperform some of the big branded tyres on those glorious summer days, but how many of those glorious summer days do we have?? And let's face it, it's not really those glorious summer days when you really need the grip...

*AL*

After much trial and error I keep coming back to Bridgestone RE050.

Granted they're not the cheapest available but they stick to the road like sh!te to a blanket.

Briggo

Have to say the RE050's on my motor are pretty damn good, tons of grip, but not sure the price tag is justified (although have had them twice now as I liked them the first time) and they're a bit dated, having some Falken ZE912s fitted next week and will see how they roll, pretty good reviews vs price.

You could argue that budget tyres are perfectly fine, considering they have to pass pretty stringent tests to make it into the UK market in the first place, secondly you shouldn't be driving in such a way to require 'sporty tyres' speed kills remember...

sanchez89

iv got uniroyal rainsports all round on my EP3 and they are damn good. very grippy in all conditions, not bad in snow either, compound feels a bit soft (which is why they work, obviously) but not as soft as say a Parada spec 2.

so if you give them death for 6 months they will be gone, but sensible power usage and all will be gravy.

*AL*

Briggo wrote:

secondly you shouldn't be driving in such a way to require 'sporty tyres' speed kills remember...

Perfectly true, although my car is fwd with a heavy old engine and plenty powerful brakes that can show up cr@p tyres whilst keeping well within the speed limit.

butcher of bakersfield

Briggo wrote:

You could argue that budget tyres are perfectly fine, considering they have to pass pretty stringent tests to make it into the UK market in the first place, secondly you shouldn't be driving in such a way to require 'sporty tyres' speed kills remember...

Having had a brand new set of Wanlis on my car when I bought it, I have to disagree. They would let go in the wet under the most sedate of driving. How they passed any tests I have no idea, but they leave very little margin for error. The Falkens on the other hand (something many people write off as a budget tyre) are in a completely different league.

Under dry conditions I would agree. Any tyre performs adequately - as in safely. And they will generally warn you when they're about to let go. But in real world weather conditions levels of grip change drastically.

Briggo

You don't have to preach to me, as I said I got RE050s, I aint putting no budget tyres on my motor I like to know I can get round a corner faster than 30mph and not end up in a burning wreck.

But budgets can do the job if you drive accordingly

The Northern Monkey

Re: Sporty tyres.. these are fairly budget in the grand scheme of things.

Why not spend an extra £10 a corner to have a bit more grip?

The assumption that I'm buying "sporty" tyres to go faster is wrong! I just prefer to be safe.

*AL*

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

Having had a brand new set of Wanlis on my car when I bought it, I have to disagree. They would let go in the wet under the most sedate of driving. How they passed any tests I have no idea, but they leave very little margin for error.
Under dry conditions I would agree. Any tyre performs adequately - as in safely. And they will generally warn you when they're about to let go. But in real world weather conditions levels of grip change drastically.

Cost is the last thing on my mind when it comes to car tyres, but (imho) not all expensive tyres are good in the same way as not all budget tyres are poor performers, I also firmly believe that not all tyres suit all cars.

I had a set of Dunlop SP9000 which are far from a budget tyre (price wise anyway)
In the dry they would howl if you were anything approaching a little enthusiastic going round a roundabout and in the wet it was a toss up which end of the car would emerge from a bend 1st.

I ebayed them after a few hundred miles and went back to the Bridgestones.

Briggo

The Northern Monkey wrote:

The assumption that I'm buying "sporty" tyres to go faster is wrong!

No assumption made, fast and Pug 206 simply doesn't go. Hence why I mentioned budget tyres :P

tlw1

If you can stretch to it I would recommend a set of winter tyres. Had them for the last four years and as soon as it hits below 7 degrees they work much better.

I alway fit Michelin, though tbh my dad has got a tyre business so cost isn't an issue

paultownsend

i have mk2 golf gti running 160hp of ABF goodness.

i always used to run the toyo's. i must have had 7 sets on numerous small cars. but they wear far too easily. i plumped for the uniroyal rainsports and im more than happy with them.

i had a sketchy moment with them the first weekend. i could feel the tread squirming. but once scrubbed in, then swopped over front to rear, they grip well in the dry. no, not as good as the toyo's, but a good trade off for cost/life.

now i do not drive fast in the rain, il leave that for others driving big bavarian barges. but in these conditions, and in the snow, they also perform.

Anonymous

matthew h wrote:

If you can stretch to it I would recommend a set of winter tyres. Had them for the last four years and as soon as it hits below 7 degrees they work much better.

They works a little better in terms of performance. Most of the UK rarely is consistently below 7 degrees all winter. In some areas it may be worth it, but for most people it really is a huge expense to get two sets of tyres, and winter tyres are really poor in spring/summer conditions so you do need two sets, whereas summer tyres can cope with the occasional cold snap in Britain just fine. Not as great performing but unless you're in for high performance there's not much benefit. Tread though may be more suited to ice and snow.

For me I'd have no where to keep 4 tyres and then swapping them over twice a year means visiting a garage and paying fitting fees.

Though there are all season tyres. Not the best summer tyres and not the best winter tyres. A compromise.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/sa ... he-uk.html

BigLee1

I`ve just been quoted £104 per tyre for my V70 D5 Then again I`m like some on here and will not buy cheapo nasty tyres!

Anonymous

Tried www.blackcircles.com ? Can get nice tyres at cheap prices.

Also Tesco Tyres are run by them, though don't always offer the same options.

Costco supposedly can have good deals too and apparently have fitting centres. Not used them.