55 profile 'v' 60 profile tyres

[johno]

Time is here to change the rubber around the S1.5 and I was wondering what peoples opinions on tyres were. My preferred option at the moment is to go for Bridgestone SO3''s, which will mean a small reduction in ride height due to them not being available in 60''s. Anyone any experience on running an ''S'' on SO2''s or SO3''s, Or what other tyres are people using. Cheers Mark

[GreenV8S]

I used to run my old S2 on Yoki A520s because they were great in the dry, dead cheap, and stood up to a great deal of abuse. I ran the V8S on them for a while, too. But once I tried S02PPs I realized why they are so widely used on TVRs. In the dry they are at least as good as the Yokis, in the wet they are dramatically better. I know not everybody competes in their TVR, but this also makes the car safer and more enjoyable on the road. You could think of the extra ten quid (or whatever it is) per corner as a sort of insurance policy. All the money you would save on cheap tyres for the life of the car wouldn't make up for the cost of a minor prang. The only question in my mind is S02 or S03. I haven't tried S03s (they are approved for competition use) but the reports I've heard suggest they're even better than the S02s. Cheers, Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

quote:Time is here to change the rubber around the S1.5 and I was wondering what peoples opinions on tyres were. My preferred option at the moment is to go for Bridgestone SO3''s, which will mean a small reduction in ride height due to them not being available in 60''s. Anyone any experience on running an ''S'' on SO2''s or SO3''s, Or what other tyres are people using. Cheers Mark

[johno]

Wet weather use is a serious consideration for me as I use my car like you Peter for everyday use. I was speaking to the guys at Bracknell tyres and they were not fans of the Yoko's in the wet at all, good in dry but reports were poor for wet weather use. I did consider the Goodyear F1's, but they've given up production in this size due to lack of demand. Bracknell tyres suggested the Bridgestone RE720's as an alternative. They were big fans for both wet and dry use. They maybe not SO2's or 3's but I've not got the power of the later cars either. I've heard of no reports on this tyre. Tyres Online hasn't got a review either. Anyone used them ???? Cheers Mark

[chin up]

Just a quick reply gents; my first post in fact. Have had my S3C for 3 months now, and it came with newish SO2 Pole Posn's on it..... Fantastic tyre in my opinion, superb grip in wet & dry; but when it does let go, (which it hasn't yet) I feel that it will let go quite quickly, and possibly without warning. As I say, it hasn't happened yet, so I'm no authority. Maybe someone whose being out to play on a track can shed some light???

[s3 bob]

S02pps seem very progressive to me - a definite improvement over the p6000's that I used to have on the front. The best way to find out is to have an airfield day yourself and find out - no point in saving that nice shiny rubber for the road Edited by s3 bob on Monday 23 July 22:36

[GreenV8S]

How it lets go depends on a lot of factors like how much tread you have, what pressure you're running, what the road surface is like, what profile tyre you have and what suspension settings you have. Also how brutal you are with the steering and throttle and how quick you are to recognise the warning signs as you approach the limit. But I find S02PPs are relatively gentle when they let go in the dry and it is quite easy to 'drift' the car close to the limit. In the wet it's a little more sudden but still nothing like as binary as the Yokis used to be. Only way to drive Yokis in the wet was sideways, because if you waited for them to let go it could happen without warning and be extremely difficult to catch. At least once they were sliding they were predictable - not much grip, but predictable! Cheers, Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

quote:Just a quick reply gents; my first post in fact. Have had my S3C for 3 months now, and it came with newish SO2 Pole Posn's on it..... Fantastic tyre in my opinion, superb grip in wet & dry; but when it does let go, (which it hasn't yet) I feel that it will let go quite quickly, and possibly without warning. As I say, it hasn't happened yet, so I'm no authority. Maybe someone whose being out to play on a track can shed some light???