More Tyre Advice - 185/60/14's

[Mellow7]

Hi,

Looking for advice on options for replacing my "original" decade old Avon ZV1's which are now so hard I might as well be driving on Fred Flinstone wheels! Obvious choice is a new set of ZV3's but any other options? Thought about R888's/A048's but not into track days and other threads suggest these offer too much grip. Plus there is the cost to consider. So looking for something fairly soft but useable/value for money.

Cheers,

Greg

Roadsport 1800 SS with DVA K16 upgrade, wide track & LSD

[ghibbett]

Hi Greg,

I can't offer any advice regarding tyres however, and I know this is OT, how much of a difference did the DVA K016 (DTH TB & Emerald ECU) make to your 1800SS? I bet it certainly sounds fantastic?!

[Mellow7]

ghibbett said:

Hi Greg,

I can't offer any advice regarding tyres however, and I know this is OT, how much of a difference did the DVA K016 (DTH TB & Emerald ECU) make to your 1800SS? I bet it certainly sounds fantastic?!

Lots!

Forget all the other threads on here about the K series being weak - yes there are problems - just listening to Dave Andrews moan about them all when he was installing the kit said it all, but he's a top bloke and the installation is superb - bags of torque and a flat curve, plus none of the engine wobble a tickover there was with the standard set up - which was way out of tune (8 years old but only 2500 miles when he fitted the kit). I've been running the kit for 3 years now (just under 10k miles in total) and there have been no problems at all - no track days, but I don't hang about either.

To be honest, the car was quieter with the kit as the air filter is fitted around the other way, so there is little induction roar inside the car but I don't know how it sounds to everyone else. Last year I fitted an R500 exhaust system as you could tell the standard system was holding things back - lost a bit of torque but the throttle response much improved and the overrun burble is to die for. Sales through MOT's without any reprogramming - so I must be down on power somewhere lol!

Bought the car from Millwood in standard SS trim in 2007 with just 1600 miles on it and Jon has been there for advice all along the way, and says it's one of the smoothest he's driven. Yet to be setup on a rolling road which I know I should get around to.

If you're thinking about letting a bloke who works on his drive fettle with the car, then do it. It took a leap of faith from me but it was well worth it. Still looking to get the head done with him some time to get up to around the 175bhp mark but then this is probably the limit for the standard pistons, and "the wife" is keeping a close eye on spends these days! I would dearly love to get up to 200bhp but this is lots of money...

Hope this helps.

Now can someone tell me about tyres!

[ghibbett]

It does help. A lot.

Many thanks and I hope someone comes back to you regarding tyres, and keeping this thread on topic

[downsman]

Back to the tyres

go for a021r Yokohamas, I changed from zv3s and they are much better and there's plenty of tread so they're fine in the rain too.

George Polly motorsport do them at a good price I believe.

[Mellow7]

downsman said:

Back to the tyres

go for a021r Yokohamas, I changed from zv3s and they are much better and there's plenty of tread so they're fine in the rain too.

George Polly motorsport do them at a good price I believe.

Cheers, but those are only available in 13" and my wheels are 14" - looking to keep things simple/save money.

Greg

[Risky]

"Cheers, but those are only available in 13" and my wheels are 14" - looking to keep things simple/save money."
NO
They are available in 185.60x14. Ring Polleys

[CanAm]

Risky said:

They are available in 185.60x14. Ring Polleys

Ditto. Mine runs on 14" AO21Rs - from Polleys.

[Mellow7]

Risky said:

"Cheers, but those are only available in 13" and my wheels are 14" - looking to keep things simple/save money."
NO
They are available in 185.60x14. Ring Polleys

Chees guys - but I looked on the Yoko website and they are not listed, hence my reply???

[Mellow7]

Mellow7 said:

Risky said:

"Cheers, but those are only available in 13" and my wheels are 14" - looking to keep things simple/save money."
NO
They are available in 185.60x14. Ring Polleys

Chees guys - but I looked on the Yoko website and they are not listed, hence my reply???

Hmmm...Just looked on the GP website - seems you are correct! But not on Yoko website???

[Risky]

They are on the Yokohama website see:- http://www2.yokohama-online.com/gb/tyre-products-d...

[jingars]

I have had 888s on my 14" wheels since I had my 1.8K in 2007. I have done a couple of track days and like the tyres on the road as well.

I acquired a set of 13" wheels with the intention of using them for track days (as 13" tyres seem to be cheaper than 14" - and with more options) but I decided that my time as a track day god was over - let's be honest, it never arrived - so had the 13" wheels powder coated and decided to use them as a second set of road wheels.

I had them shod with 70 profile A021s in order to give me comparable sump clearance to the 14" 888s. I have only done a short distance on them, but have been very impressed with the A021s. I appreciate that mine have a higher sidewall than if they were 60s on 14" wheels, but they offer a greater level of compliance on the road than my 888s. In a real world (i.e. non-track) environment I think that their usable grip isn't far off the 888s either.

I have had a couple of moments in the wet with 888s, but I am not sure that any tyre would guarantee to deal with standing water when attached to a car the weight of a 7.

Be warned - if you do venture on track the A021s will heat up very quickly on a dry track day. The 888s will be markedly better on track; after all, that's really what they were designed for.

I think that with your requirements I would go for A021s over 888s.

[Mellow7]

Thanks for the help guys but the A021r's were out of reach this time and I admit to ordering something else when I thought I couldn't get the size I needed so sorry for being impatient. Hope I haven't sold out but I got 5 Falken ZE912's fitted for £260 all in this morning - the car is transformed in every way - quiet, smooth, plenty of grip but not too much not to have fun and progressive when it goes.

The suspension is doing half the work it was with the old Avons, and just shows how awful they were, but probably down to age more than anything.

Not a very sexy looking tyre, but happy with what I've got for the money.

I didn't think anyone here would want the old set so I left them there - believe me, they were shocking, compared to what I have now.

Cheers anyway.

Greg

[chris_speed]

I found normal tyres a better bet with lower power, unsticking my 1600S/S with A021's on was a real task! Now run Yoko 539s, which I've ran for ten years on all sorts of cars, and is a great tyre. With more power (and a dry sump - got to watch for oil surge and starvation on a wet sump car and grippy tyres) A048s were amazing on my Superlight R, and nowhere near as bad they looked like they should be in the wet!