Discussion
does any one know a good place to get tyres for my griff 500 possible part worn so1/so2 or has any one got any so i can make up a set of semi good ones has anyone tried other brand and what are they like bridgstones are just costing so much that i darnt put my foot down because they cost so much[particulary for track days}
What sizes are you using, and how much are you paying for them? It may be that you're paying over the odds. Otherwise, you're stuck with using inferior budget tyres or changing your driving style to preserve the tyres. I think Fulda do some cheaper tyres that look similar to the S02s but are harder wearing (and less grippy :-). If you do track days you'll probably appreciate the disadvantages of running harder tyres, on the tracl or on the road. I'd be really reluctant to go for this approach with a Griff, they seem to be twitchy enough as it is.
The other approach of looking after the tyres doesn't necessarily mean you go a lot slower. I went to the Mallory park track day with 1.7mm of tread and came back with 1.6mm. I was nursing the tyres but still not hanging around. (That's with similar power/weight to you going through 205 tyres - wheelspin is a way of life!)
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
quote:
does any one know a good place to get tyres for my griff 500 possible part worn so1/so2 or has any one got any so i can make up a set of semi good ones has anyone tried other brand and what are they like bridgstones are just costing so much that i darnt put my foot down because they cost so much[particulary for track days}
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Graham and Rosie
Edited by Graham and Rosie on Monday 26th February 17:19 
I would agree on not sacrificing grip on a Griff. You may spend less on tyres but if you run out of grip at the wrong point...false economy. I was advised to change both tyres on an axle at the same time, especially rear, as an imbalance is noticeable. On that basis, everyone here seems to sing the praises of Micheldever Tyres, even if you get them sent and fitted locally they work out cost effective.
quote:I bought my Chim with Avon ZZ1's. These are hard wearing and for every day driving they seem fine. I must confess that I haven't found the limit yet - not because they are so good but more because I have read a lot of bad press about them and daren't push it too far on the corners - I get a bit braver every week, so will let you know when I come off. Price wise, I understand that they're cheaper than Bridgstones. Have you tried TMS, they have a special on Bridgstones - all round about £400. There was also a posting in another thread for a company that sells by mailorder - the prices quoted seemed really competitive (£70-£85 a corner)but I can't remember which thread it was posted in the last week or so)
has anyone tried other brand and what are they like
quote:That's the problem isn't it? One minor 'prang' can cost you far more than you saved over a dozen sets of cheap tyres, and that's before you even start to factor in any loss of value and inconvenience. I've used various different brands over the years but now I've tried S02PPs I'm definitely sticking with them until something even better comes along. They're fairly grippy but more important they are very progressive when they break away, even in the wet. To be honest the RE71s and Yokis I ran in the past don't even come close, and mainstream tyres like Pirrellis behave so poorly in comparision that they seem downright dangerous. Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
I get a bit braver every week, so will let you know when I come off.
>>, and mainstream tyres like Pirrellis behave so poorly in comparision that they seem downright dangerous.
<<
I'll second that dont touch Pirrellis they are Sh1t.. Ive got p6000 on the back of my chim and they are awfull in the wet.
I went to mira on the wet handling course and drove an identical chim with so2pp back to back and the difference is incredible...
If you want a complete set of part word p6000 rear new ish so2 pp front on griff seven spoke i might be persudaded to help pay for some 17inch RL7's
I agree with what's said below, S02pp are the best tyre for this application by a mile. Given the other running costs of a Tiv they aren't that expensive really -- and certinly better than an accident. Top tyres, properly functioning shocks and brakes are by far the best real world performance upgrades on a car, more so than extra bhp. If you don't believe me look at the impact on lap times of F1 cars as tyres go off -- worth far more than the odd 100hp.
From personal experience I can recommend not only sticking with decent tyres (S02's) but not letting them wear down too far.
I lost the back end on my 500 Chim totally unexpectedly - going slower round a well known bend than I do regularly in my Audi A8 - and did about a grands worth of damage, and I am convinced it was due as much to the rears (S01's) being down to the wear bars.
Couldn't possibly be down to me!
I was a tyre fitter for 3 years whilst at college, I would warn anyone away from part worn tyres. In the time I worked there we never sold second hand tyres, We would often have people bring part worn tyres in for balancing, many looked worse than the one's in our scrap pile. At the end of the day, these tyres are often changed for a reason, sometimes they are from crash damaged cars, others have badly repaired punctures. Most people don’t just change perfectly good tyres for the hell of it.
I would always choose a budget branded tyre over a part worn, I would recommend spending a bit extra and getting a better brand tyre, If your doing 100 mph+ you only have 4 bits of rubber holding you to the surface!
If you do consider a budget brand go for one made by a big company, i.e. Kelly tyres are made by Goodyear from the same casings and compounds as their branded tyres, I would go for these rather than ones from a company I’d never heard of before.
quote:I was sprinting at Lydden on Sunday in rain that varied from steady drizzle to a downpour. Just to make things interesting there was also oil all round the track. The S02PPs were so progressive that I had the confidence to drift it even on the faster bits. I couldn't catch the 4wd Cosworth in our class but I got within 9 hundredths of the 4wd Cosworth powered Dax Rush, and beat the Scooby and Sunny GTiR by a couple of seconds. It's all down to the tyres. The S02PPs don't 'let go' when they start to slide in the wet, they break away more prgressively just like normal tyres do in the dry. Until I got the S02PPs I would never have had the confidence to push this hard. Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
I've used various different brands over the years but now I've tried S02PPs I'm definitely sticking with them until something even better comes along. They're fairly grippy but more important they are very progressive when they break away, even in the wet. Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
I must be confused about tyres. After all I'd read on PistonHeads and elsewhere I was expecting a set of SO2-PPs to break the bank. In fact they cost me less than a set for my Vauxhall.
In the middle of last year at a regular service the Vauxhall dealer stung me for 125 quid each for two new front Michelins, i.e. 500 quid a set. I was stuck and had to go with it. I phoned around after the fact and found they were more expensive everywhere else.
When it came to a set of SO2-PPs I got the set for about 430 quid from a local Bridgestone dealer (Alloy Wheel Centre, Enfield). That was cheaper than KwikFit, the TVR Centre and only a few quid more than I would have paid with a staff discount from Jaguar Racing. From them I would have had to wait several weeks for the tyres to be ordered in, the local dealer ordered them in for the next day and called me straight away to come down and get them fitted.
I understand Michelins are not the cheapest tyre around but I expected the Bridgestones to cost a lot more than the French rubber.
Edited by britzman on Friday 6th April 22:33
I usually post a note on the TVR list at e-groups a couple of days before each event.
This weekend we had a return match against the 4wd Cosworth at Lydden. With the new Nitron suspension there's even more grip and in the (wet) practice session I was a fraction of a second ahead instead of two seconds behind. As the track dried out I pulled out more of a lead and eventually beat him by several seconds (a huge margin in sprinting terms). Last time he beat me but ... revenge is sweet! I think next time he'll bring the 2wd 500 bhp version so I'll just have to pray for rain!
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
quote:
Can't wait to see you (Peter - Green V8S) drift around when you'll be competing nearby!
I look forward to seeing the Nitrons and talking about what they can do, Peter!
Have to agree about the SO2 PPs though. Had a moment today on a dry road that I know well. I booted it (in 4th) round a corner and the back end stepped out unexpectedly, I caught it, it fishtailed once or twice and things were OK again, no damage done. The tyres gave me loads of time to pick up the pieces without me feeling as if I were going to end up backwards in the scenery.
I only have to figure out why the back end got loose in the first place...
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