What rubber next?
Discussion
So it looks as if my tyres are buggered after mounting the pavement Dukes of Hazzard stylee after being cut up this evening (side walls bulging 
) and the tracking looks fairly fecked too, but I think that is all that is wrong (getting it properly checked out tomorrow).
So the question is what rubber do I get next?
These tyres were Falkens and were great in the dry but I was not so convinced in the wet. Since I replaced the Greenstuffs on the front with Ferodo pads, it doesn't want to spin any more - which is good (ordinary drums on back) but I am still not sure about the wet grip. From what I can tell Yokohamas are fab in the dry but are they good wet tyres too? Anyone using them or anything else you could recommend? (10 * 6's BTW)
Cheers
Ace-T
) and the tracking looks fairly fecked too, but I think that is all that is wrong (getting it properly checked out tomorrow). So the question is what rubber do I get next?
These tyres were Falkens and were great in the dry but I was not so convinced in the wet. Since I replaced the Greenstuffs on the front with Ferodo pads, it doesn't want to spin any more - which is good (ordinary drums on back) but I am still not sure about the wet grip. From what I can tell Yokohamas are fab in the dry but are they good wet tyres too? Anyone using them or anything else you could recommend? (10 * 6's BTW)
Cheers
Ace-T
It's always a trade off. Are you willing to accept high wear rates in the dry in order to get better coefficient of friction in the wet?
The Yoko A008 and A032 are both excellent in wet and dry, but wear rates are high and the 008 in particular does lose wet performance long before the tread depth is down to legal minimum. I'm talking wet here, not just damp.
I have also rallied on the Falken and find them good in both wet and dry. That's in the 165/70 profile on 5" rims. In fact they are the best compromise I've used, although I have yet to try the Dunlops as recommended above. The old Dunlop SP Sport (still available) used to be great in the wet, but as they are textile braced rather than steel braced they're not so good in the dry
Tyre pressures can also be important in the wet. I use 35 psi in the dry and 32 in the wet on Falkens. It does make a slight difference, or so it seems. Might just be psychological, though.
You need to decide where you want your optimum performance, i.e. wet or dry, then choose the best tyre for that condition and drive within the tyre's limitations at other times.
The Yoko A008 and A032 are both excellent in wet and dry, but wear rates are high and the 008 in particular does lose wet performance long before the tread depth is down to legal minimum. I'm talking wet here, not just damp.
I have also rallied on the Falken and find them good in both wet and dry. That's in the 165/70 profile on 5" rims. In fact they are the best compromise I've used, although I have yet to try the Dunlops as recommended above. The old Dunlop SP Sport (still available) used to be great in the wet, but as they are textile braced rather than steel braced they're not so good in the dry
Tyre pressures can also be important in the wet. I use 35 psi in the dry and 32 in the wet on Falkens. It does make a slight difference, or so it seems. Might just be psychological, though.
You need to decide where you want your optimum performance, i.e. wet or dry, then choose the best tyre for that condition and drive within the tyre's limitations at other times.
Thanks for the excellent advice as usual guys 
Turns out anyway that only one tyre has been damaged and needs replacing, the rest of the car has checked out perfectly 
. This new tyre will go on the back to keep the wear on the front the same (although I have only done about 5k on them anyway.)
I will experiment with the pressures Cooperman as they are all at 28 at the moment. My mini garage man took me out in my car and we were doing 60 round a roundabout twice and although there was a bit of squealing they really stuck to the (dry) road. I will have to have a play in a carpark on a wet night to see what they really do under 'entertaining' conditions
Thanks again.
Ace-T
Turns out anyway that only one tyre has been damaged and needs replacing, the rest of the car has checked out perfectly . This new tyre will go on the back to keep the wear on the front the same (although I have only done about 5k on them anyway.) I will experiment with the pressures Cooperman as they are all at 28 at the moment. My mini garage man took me out in my car and we were doing 60 round a roundabout twice and although there was a bit of squealing they really stuck to the (dry) road. I will have to have a play in a carpark on a wet night to see what they really do under 'entertaining' conditions
Thanks again.
Ace-T
ccharlie6 said:
im running falken FK-07E's on my 5x10 mambas and i would definately recommend them to anyone, i've found them to give good performance on both wet and dry roads. they were very predictable on the limit on some lovely welsh twisty's and gave far higher grip than i was expecting
Agree entirely. One of the best compromises for wet/dry there is in the 165/70x10 range. In the dry the A008 is better, but for wet and dry together with mixed road surfaces they are fine. I haven't tried the Dunlops mentioned yet and I might just try them for tarmac events next time.
I've got 165/70 x10 falkens on mine just now. They're all i've driven a mini on in years, and in the dry i find them fine, and no better. But in the wet, they're terrible. Although i am now used to goodyear eagle gsd3's on my other car, which could well be a factor.
Cooperman, i was running my tyres at 34psi in the dry but wasn't happy with how it felt. On the advice of a friend with the same wheel/tyre combo i dropped the pressure to 28psi, which IMO feels much better, allowing the sidewalls to flex and not pulling the car into ruts as much.
Cooperman, i was running my tyres at 34psi in the dry but wasn't happy with how it felt. On the advice of a friend with the same wheel/tyre combo i dropped the pressure to 28psi, which IMO feels much better, allowing the sidewalls to flex and not pulling the car into ruts as much.
Call me old fashioned, but Ive tried several types of 165/70 x10 tyres over the years, but I prefer the origional Dunlop SP sport aquajet, they grip realy well and give a good ride, (they were desiged specifically for the mini)the down side is I get about 8000 miles from a front pair. You have to traul around the specialist to find them now but they are still available.
I ran a set of original Dunlops some years back,wet grip was superb but dry no match for A008s,but a good allround road tyre.Not tried the remanufactured Dunlops the compound is supposed to be the same so they should be good,one of the few tyres designed specifically for minis.They're not cheap though.
My personal favourite are Kelly Springfield KR-5's but they are impossible to get hold of these days. Get 'em hot and they stick right. I'm running A032R's at the moment and they grip like you can't imagine, I have them stretched onto 7" rims which give nice stiff sidewalls and no roll. I can see them wearing whilst they are sat in the garage though. Vintage tyre supplies are piss taking for the price of aquajets and they lack the nice sidewall rib which stops you 
your rims. I'm looking at trying some trailer tyres next as there are some good compounds and tread patterns, they are also bombproof. Very difficult to get hold of though.
I can't speak highly enough of those camacs, mine got absolutely thrashed everywhere and the tread was still like new when I took them off. My 1380 mini is running 5.20 crossplies at the moment as I'm into the whole drifting thing again, I reckon skinny tyres are well underrated.
By the way, can you measure the D98J's diameter? IIRC, the camac is the biggest 165/10 and the falken is the smallest, the difference is about 1.5". Yoko's come in small, I'm after something with a bit more diameter if I could split hairs.
>> Edited by love machine on Sunday 27th November 01:18
your rims. I'm looking at trying some trailer tyres next as there are some good compounds and tread patterns, they are also bombproof. Very difficult to get hold of though. I can't speak highly enough of those camacs, mine got absolutely thrashed everywhere and the tread was still like new when I took them off. My 1380 mini is running 5.20 crossplies at the moment as I'm into the whole drifting thing again, I reckon skinny tyres are well underrated.
By the way, can you measure the D98J's diameter? IIRC, the camac is the biggest 165/10 and the falken is the smallest, the difference is about 1.5". Yoko's come in small, I'm after something with a bit more diameter if I could split hairs.
>> Edited by love machine on Sunday 27th November 01:18
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