The Tyre Discussion Thread - please read 1st post

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The rears are still on the car and have done 40k (!!) and still only just over half worn.

 

That is actually nothing to be proud of :lol: Get them off before winter mate! Tyres, like chassis bushes, degrade badly over time, despite how their outward appearance would suggest otherwise. Old tyres are nothing like as grippy as fresh ones!

[dannyboy 0]

Just got fresh pair of uniroyals 195/50/15s(i know,im boring!) rain sport 2 on the front axle.Its a massive marked improvement on grip in the rain and good in the dry but maybe its the tyres or size- theres a big difference in front stability going from 205 to 195.Its a little more comfortable but it makes for a nervous cornering due to softer walls and keeping 205s on the rear with 195s on the front is quite interesting if you like the rear end to kick out when going around corners.lets see how long theyll last!

 

Grip in dry- 8.5

Grip in wet- 9

Stability- 6

Wear-TBC

[northG60 0]

Today I had my rears swaped for a fresh pair of Continental sport contact 2's 195/45/15 and they inspire confidence with loads of grip (good because it was chucking it down)and better ride quality.

Fitted to BMW BBS Rz's 15"-7"

Must say im really pleased with them. got them from kwik-fit for £177 inc vat

probably gonna get the same on the fronts too. :)

[Critical_Mass 10]

After realising how expensive the contis are - £105 EACH and being unable to get some Kumho KH31s in time for MOT retest. I went for some Avon ZV5s and not being overly enthusiastic about it. But ive found them so far to be and alright tyre. Good grip in the dry and wet. Great feel of the road too. They're not fully scrubbed in either with them only been on the car a couple of hundred miles. So they should get better.

[tony_ack 0]

Where has my tread gone?!?

 

I got a full set of Premium Contact 2s about 7 weeks ago, and the fronts are already half worn! the front wear is even too, so it's not an alignment issue as far as I can tell.

 

I've only done about 2000 miles on them, and I don't exactly rag it everywhere.

 

Rears are still almost at full tread.

[StuartFZR400 0]

Just got fresh pair of uniroyals 195/50/15s(i know,im boring!) rain sport 2 on the front axle.Its a massive marked improvement on grip in the rain and good in the dry but maybe its the tyres or size- theres a big difference in front stability going from 205 to 195.Its a little more comfortable but it makes for a nervous cornering due to softer walls and keeping 205s on the rear with 195s on the front is quite interesting if you like the rear end to kick out when going around corners.lets see how long theyll last!

 

Think you'll find its all of the factors that are making the car feel nervous or twitchy or tail happy, whatever it is you're getting; the deep 8mm new treat doesn't help stability for the first 1k. I used to have 195's on my 15 rims and put some new 205's on the front. Felt odd, and the back kept stepping out; tried the 195's on the front and it was marginally better. Ithink having balanced tyres all round does help; be it make, size and even age.

 

Just popped on here for some feedback and consensus on good sporty tyres. I've had a real mixture over the past few years and must say it's hard to choose. The Uniroyals were great in dry & wet (after the initial 8mm tread worse down they felt more stale), but soft tyre wall, and also they didn't last long. Then my next car had some Michelin Sports on, very nice and stable; tempted. Then some Pilot Sport 2's, which I managed to trash very quickly; as new the shoulders only had 4mm to begin with; total tosh. Then Some Contact 2's; loved them. Then Contact 3's but didnt last as long as the 2's. And currently running some P Zero's, which seem to slide all over the shop, no confidence in rain, and have lasted less than 10k. So... what next... lol

Edited August 27, 2011 by StuartFZR400

[P3rks 11]

I'm after some winter-ish tyres for my G60.. I say winter-ish as they will be fitted in the next few weeks and plan to stay on until spring next year (or when the sun comes back out again).

 

205/40/17.

 

I'm stuck between:

 

Uniroyal Rainsport 2's - Purely because they are designed for wet use and are a fair price.

 

&

 

Continental Sport Contact 3 - Because they are an awesome tyre and I swear by sport contacts (I've tried SC1 and SC2 so want to try these).

 

Thoughts?

[MarkFoster 0]

I've got SC3s on mine and am very impressed. Any corner, (seemingly) any speed and they just rail round...... even when its wet it doesn't seem to affect corner speed. I don't do a lot of miles though so can't comment on longevity if you're a mile muncher....

 

Mark

[dannyboy 0]

Think you'll find its all of the factors that are making the car feel nervous or twitchy or tail happy, whatever it is you're getting; the deep 8mm new treat doesn't help stability for the first 1k. I used to have 195's on my 15 rims and put some new 205's on the front. Felt odd, and the back kept stepping out; tried the 195's on the front and it was marginally better. Ithink having balanced tyres all round does help; be it make, size and even age.

 

Just popped on here for some feedback and consensus on good sporty tyres. I've had a real mixture over the past few years and must say it's hard to choose. The Uniroyals were great in dry & wet (after the initial 8mm tread worse down they felt more stale), but soft tyre wall, and also they didn't last long. Then my next car had some Michelin Sports on, very nice and stable; tempted. Then some Pilot Sport 2's, which I managed to trash very quickly; as new the shoulders only had 4mm to begin with; total tosh. Then Some Contact 2's; loved them. Then Contact 3's but didnt last as long as the 2's. And currently running some P Zero's, which seem to slide all over the shop, no confidence in rain, and have lasted less than 10k. So... what next... lol

 

Think its mostly the sidewalls are softer so theres more give in the front when going into the corner,it grips but bounces more than a solid walled tyre hence a bit more nervous ride. this bounce is probably cause rear bushes to act bck and forward not giving solid rear steer.the thread has got abit harder but not much.Its been four months since i put them on,theyre lasting quite a bit even using them as daily so not all doom and gloom.Ive put uniroyals all-round now just to make sure the back stopped twiching but didnt help much

 

Bottom line,uniroyal rainsport 2 are brilliant as a everyday daily with the bonus have having brilliant grip in the rain and longlativity.quite comfortable too.

But not very good as a sports tyre if you use them on track or fast road cornering

[Supercharged 2]

I'm after some winter-ish tyres for my G60.. I say winter-ish as they will be fitted in the next few weeks and plan to stay on until spring next year (or when the sun comes back out again).

 

205/40/17.

 

I'm stuck between:

 

Uniroyal Rainsport 2's - Purely because they are designed for wet use and are a fair price.

 

&

 

Continental Sport Contact 3 - Because they are an awesome tyre and I swear by sport contacts (I've tried SC1 and SC2 so want to try these).

 

Thoughts?

 

Both excellent tyres and I've used both over the last couple of years along with P Zero Nero's and Eagle F1's - I found the P0's too hard and the Eagle's too soft so I'll also be going for one of the above next time I need a pair.

 

Only issue at the moment is the price of tyres - seems to have shot up by around 25% over the last 2-3 months!!

[scarlet_vr6 0]

just read through this whole thread and now stuggling even more to make a decision!! I need 205/40/17s and have usually bought Pirellis in the past. I had been using P7000s but bought P Zero Neros last time as the P7000s weren't available. I have also tried T1-Rs which I didn't get on with at all well. I seem to be going against what most people think on this thread, but I didn't feel confident with the Toyos - maybe I was too used to the Pirellis??

 

Anyway, I thought I'd do a bit more research this time as I have seen Uniroyal Rainsport 2s and also Conti SC2s and SC3s advertised, and I remember hearing good things about these in the past. Although I have a Jetta, the C is being used as my daily at the mo, although I'm still doing very few miles. I fancy a change as I'm aware I could be missing out here, and given most of the comments about Pirellis (yes, the Jetta had P6000s and now P6s), I think I might well be. As far as price is concerned, it looks like I'm just going to have to put up with it :( I'd prefer to keep to a premium brand though.

 

So my thoughts, based on what I've read, is to go for SC2s (although poss not available now and Kev's post said that a lot of info is hugely out of date/not relevant to this country) and if not, then SC3s. Wise? I'll only be buying 2 and despite John's post, I think I'll put them on the back.

 

Apologies for the ramblings, but I guess I'm just looking for a bit of reassurance that this is a sensible move. Thanks to all who have posted; it's made very interesting reading, although I'm pretty certain I didn't take it all in...

[Grim1 1]

I'll keep you all posted, but Bridgestone will be releasing a new tyre early next year in a selection of sizes, called the 'Adrenaline' RE001.

 

I'm going to see about getting a set fitted to my C, but so far, I'm hearing they're going to be VERY good!!!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Anyway, I thought I'd do a bit more research this time as I have seen Uniroyal Rainsport 2s and also Conti SC2s and SC3s advertised, So my thoughts, based on what I've read, is to go for SC2s (although poss not available now and Kev's post said that a lot of info is hugely out of date/not relevant to this country) and if not, then SC3s. Wise? I'll only be buying 2 and despite John's post, I think I'll put them on the back.

 

You can't go wrong with the Sport Contacts, a brilliant all round tyre and they keep getting better! The SC2 is a bit of an old design now but still a good tyre. The SC3s are very good indeed and they've since come up with the newer SC5 and SC5P, which have won "tyre of year" awards a few times. If available in your size, they might be worth a look but they won't be cheap!!

 

The Sport Conti is an all round great, but if you want to save a bit of money, not compromise too much in the grip department and get very similar steering feel to the Sport Conti, have a look at the Premium Contact 2. I'm currently using those on mine in 205/50/15 and they're excellent. My first choice would obviously be the SC2 or 3 but neither are available in 15". They take a surprising amount of provocation to let go for a midrange tyre and even then it's a soft little squeak to remind you you're on the ragged edge.

 

For me what sets the Contis out from the rest is the ride comfort. Even on 205/40, the ride is good. Conti strike a good balance with the side wall stiffness and rubber compound.

 

If you want more granular steering feel and more grip beyond 8 tenths, it has to be Bridgestone :D The RE050A is another brilliant tyre. It has much stiffer sidewalls and rubber, so the ride comfort suffers a little, but it rewards in other ways :D

[StuartFZR400 0]

just read through this whole thread and now stuggling even more to make a decision!! I need 205/40/17s and have usually bought Pirellis in the past. I had been using P7000s but bought P Zero Neros last time as the P7000s weren't available. I have also tried T1-Rs which I didn't get on with at all well. I seem to be going against what most people think on this thread, but I didn't feel confident with the Toyos - maybe I was too used to the Pirellis??

 

Anyway, I thought I'd do a bit more research this time as I have seen Uniroyal Rainsport 2s and also Conti SC2s and SC3s advertised, and I remember hearing good things about these in the past. Although I have a Jetta, the C is being used as my daily at the mo, although I'm still doing very few miles. I fancy a change as I'm aware I could be missing out here, and given most of the comments about Pirellis (yes, the Jetta had P6000s and now P6s), I think I might well be. As far as price is concerned, it looks like I'm just going to have to put up with it :( I'd prefer to keep to a premium brand though.

 

So my thoughts, based on what I've read, is to go for SC2s (although poss not available now and Kev's post said that a lot of info is hugely out of date/not relevant to this country) and if not, then SC3s. Wise? I'll only be buying 2 and despite John's post, I think I'll put them on the back.

 

Apologies for the ramblings, but I guess I'm just looking for a bit of reassurance that this is a sensible move. Thanks to all who have posted; it's made very interesting reading, although I'm pretty certain I didn't take it all in...

 

(having real problems with this site)

 

I'm ordering some SC2's, £131/each fitted, 225/40/18. I've ignored the SC3's as they dont live as long, and for you I would imagine they're too soft compared to the SC2, going by what you are saying. The P Zeros are hard, i know. Yes put new tyres on rear, you'll be fine. Im off before my text fails again.

[KIPVW 0]

Yeah can second Kev's oppinion on the Conti Premium Contact 2's have them on the VR and the Nugget and Jude also has them on her storm (copy cat) :)

excellent all round grip and they seem to be wearing well too but then I dont drive it much lol!

[coullstar 0]

Ive got Vredstien Sportrac's on the Speedlines at the moment and they are very good, even coped well at the trackday I was at. I had the Ultrac Centos on the turbo and they were also extremely good. I would pick them as my favourite tyre manuf at the moment plus they are reasonably priced.

[fendervg 32]

I've just paid a ridiculous amount of cash to put four new 205/50/15 tyres on the VR6 - i'm feeling like I was raped by the laws of supply and demand now!

 

A question for those that have run 195/50/15s on their VR's - how did they find them and were there any problems with grip and handling ? I could have got Michelin Pilot Exaltos in that size for just over half the price of the spec tyres! I'd really loke t be able to do this when the time comes around for the next change.

 

Incidentally, I'm running P6000s and have no issues at all - I've had P5000s and 6000s both on my Mark II GTI and Audi quattro coupe for years and have never had any issues with grip in the wet.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You clearly don't drive it hard then. A set of Speedlines I picked up last year had P6000s on them and they were rubbish in the wet.

 

195/50s on the VR6 fine but they feel and look too small.

[tony_ack 0]

You clearly don't drive it hard then. A set of Speedlines I picked up last year had P6000s on them and they were rubbish in the wet.

 

195/50s on the VR6 fine but they feel and look too small.

 

I'd definitely echo this about the 195/50s - they are okay on the speedlines but they just feel a little smaller (largely psychological I think!) and definitely look too small, especially on standard ride height

[fendervg 32]

@FishWick - lol: - no I'm what they call a "careful" driver on everything except motorways and B-roads on a sunny day! No track days for me. Might have something to do with the two baby seats that can sometimes be found in the back. The coupe quattro on the other hand was excellent in the rain - still aquaplaned though on all four wheels....

[scarlet_vr6 0]

Thanks for the replies. I've just had 2 Conti SC3s fitted and put on the rear and the remaining 2 P7000s moved to the front. When they've worn out, I'll buy some more SC3s and see how I get on with them all round :)

 

 

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[Grim1 1]

I'd definitely echo this about the 195/50s - they are okay on the speedlines but they just feel a little smaller (largely psychological I think!) and definitely look too small, especially on standard ride height

 

195/50 r15 on a VR would naturally look and feel smaller because they are smaller than the OE fit 205/50 r15, both in width and aspect ratio (profile). lol

[fendervg 32]

Having said that, all other Corrados except the VR ran 195/50 r15 and they didn't look too puny, and my MkII had 195/55 r15 on it - why would it look so bad on a VR rather than the others ?

[coullstar 0]

It doesnt, just make sure they have the load rating as well. Id agree with the P6000's being useless in the wet, didnt think you could still get them.

[scarlet_vr6 0]

Don't think you can... think P6000s have been replaced by P6s

 

 

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