Tyre options for 15" Wheel
Discussion
Well after 20 years the SO2's have finally bitten the dust. Plenty of tread left but the rubber is cracking and one has a nail near the side wall. So I need some new tyres. The tyre size is 205 55 R15 unfortunately none of the older go to tyres like the SO2 and Toyo Proxes are available in this size. So after doing some Googling....
I'm looking at the more expensive end of the market... I don't need some ditch finders with the power it's kicking out.
Sort of narrowed it down to 3 tyres:
Uniroyal Rain Sport 5
Continental Ultra Contact
Yokohama Advan Fleva V701
I'm favouring the Yokohama at the moment as these seem to have the best reviews for dry grip and 90% of the driving is in the dry and very little in the wet. They also seem more geared up to be a 'performance tyre'.
I'd appreciate any feedback on the above or any other tyre choice you think may be suitable.
Cheers Steve
I'm looking at the more expensive end of the market... I don't need some ditch finders with the power it's kicking out.
Sort of narrowed it down to 3 tyres:
Uniroyal Rain Sport 5
Continental Ultra Contact
Yokohama Advan Fleva V701
I'm favouring the Yokohama at the moment as these seem to have the best reviews for dry grip and 90% of the driving is in the dry and very little in the wet. They also seem more geared up to be a 'performance tyre'.
I'd appreciate any feedback on the above or any other tyre choice you think may be suitable.
Cheers Steve
Factory size was 205/60 on the 15s. Well, whatever factory means.
If memory serves correctly, the Uniroyal RainExpert 5 is available in 205/60/15. That said, I'm a fan of the Rainsport 5. Have had the 3 previously on Tamy and Suni without complaint. Tamy now has the 5 and they just work.
ETA: The Dunlop Blueresponse Sport is still available in the 205/60/15 size. Well regarded tyre overall but tyre tech has moved on since it was released.
No matter which tyre you choose, someone will comment how terrible they are and that you can't park on any form of slope as the carr will just slide away due to lack of grip.
Reality is that it is hard to get a bad tyre from any of the main / established brands current range. There will always be 'the best' and 'the worst' but the point they are all starting from / baseline performance is so much better / further on than anything designed five or more years ago.
If memory serves correctly, the Uniroyal RainExpert 5 is available in 205/60/15. That said, I'm a fan of the Rainsport 5. Have had the 3 previously on Tamy and Suni without complaint. Tamy now has the 5 and they just work.
ETA: The Dunlop Blueresponse Sport is still available in the 205/60/15 size. Well regarded tyre overall but tyre tech has moved on since it was released.
No matter which tyre you choose, someone will comment how terrible they are and that you can't park on any form of slope as the carr will just slide away due to lack of grip.
Reality is that it is hard to get a bad tyre from any of the main / established brands current range. There will always be 'the best' and 'the worst' but the point they are all starting from / baseline performance is so much better / further on than anything designed five or more years ago.
Edited by mk1fan on Thursday 23 July 10:39
I thought 205/60-15 as well, with 225s on the 390/400. Maybe the 200 differed?
Last time I needed tyres for the 390 (probably 8-10 years ago
) I caved in to popular opinion and bought Toyo TR-1s but I hate the bloody things with a passion. Previously I ran Eurotour 408s (some cheapo thing you can't even buy any more) which gripped better both wet and dry and didn't tramline like the Toyos.
The 408s weren't worn out, but I'd found a set of the rare wheels used on the 350SE and it made more sense to put new tyres on the new rims rather than paying to have the old ones swapped. In the event the 408s went to a mate as they were the right size for the front of the DeLoreans he has.
If there's a next time, it may be easier to fit 16" rims for a bigger tyre choice (although I rarely see modern rims that would look right on a wedge).
To hell with the tyres, gratuitous wheel porn
:
Last time I needed tyres for the 390 (probably 8-10 years ago
) I caved in to popular opinion and bought Toyo TR-1s but I hate the bloody things with a passion. Previously I ran Eurotour 408s (some cheapo thing you can't even buy any more) which gripped better both wet and dry and didn't tramline like the Toyos.The 408s weren't worn out, but I'd found a set of the rare wheels used on the 350SE and it made more sense to put new tyres on the new rims rather than paying to have the old ones swapped. In the event the 408s went to a mate as they were the right size for the front of the DeLoreans he has.
If there's a next time, it may be easier to fit 16" rims for a bigger tyre choice (although I rarely see modern rims that would look right on a wedge).
To hell with the tyres, gratuitous wheel porn
:Gents, thanks for the feedback.
Just to address the seemingly non-standard tyre size.... The car originally had 14" wheels but I changed to 15" for a better tyre choice and to allow the larger brake upgrade.
The standard 14" size is either 205 60 14 (602mm dia) or 195 60 14 (590mm dia)
In order to keep the rolling diameter as close as I could to original I opted for 205 55 15 (607mm dia)
If I had moved to 205 60 15 this would have increased the diameter to 627mm.... nearly an inch larger in diameter. The tyres are already tight and I have a feeling the extra diameter may have caused me some issues.
Ian...car looks great.
Cheers Steve
Just to address the seemingly non-standard tyre size.... The car originally had 14" wheels but I changed to 15" for a better tyre choice and to allow the larger brake upgrade.
The standard 14" size is either 205 60 14 (602mm dia) or 195 60 14 (590mm dia)
In order to keep the rolling diameter as close as I could to original I opted for 205 55 15 (607mm dia)
If I had moved to 205 60 15 this would have increased the diameter to 627mm.... nearly an inch larger in diameter. The tyres are already tight and I have a feeling the extra diameter may have caused me some issues.
Ian...car looks great.
Cheers Steve
SEvans said:
Gents, thanks for the feedback.
Just to address the seemingly non-standard tyre size.... The car originally had 14" wheels but I changed to 15" for a better tyre choice and to allow the larger brake upgrade.
The standard 14" size is either 205 60 14 (602mm dia) or 195 60 14 (590mm dia)
In order to keep the rolling diameter as close as I could to original I opted for 205 55 15 (607mm dia)
If I had moved to 205 60 15 this would have increased the diameter to 627mm.... nearly an inch larger in diameter. The tyres are already tight and I have a feeling the extra diameter may have caused me some issues.
Ian...car looks great.
Cheers Steve
Good grief, I'd forgotten the wedges were originally on 14" rims Just to address the seemingly non-standard tyre size.... The car originally had 14" wheels but I changed to 15" for a better tyre choice and to allow the larger brake upgrade.
The standard 14" size is either 205 60 14 (602mm dia) or 195 60 14 (590mm dia)
In order to keep the rolling diameter as close as I could to original I opted for 205 55 15 (607mm dia)
If I had moved to 205 60 15 this would have increased the diameter to 627mm.... nearly an inch larger in diameter. The tyres are already tight and I have a feeling the extra diameter may have caused me some issues.
Ian...car looks great.
Cheers Steve
I seem to recall I had tyres one profile high (e.g. 60 instead of 55) and they did clip the arches... but it also made the speedo agree a lot closer with the GPS indicarted speed. Now it's on the correct size it over-reads and the car will easily do 180mph
I haven't been down your way in a while Steve (assuming you're still there) - we had one customer in Alderley Edge but they upped sticks and moved to Cambridge so our services were no longer required. About the only time I head in that direction is to a tyre plant in Stoke.
Semi-retired these days, really should give the car more attention. Only another year or so and it'll qualify for historic status, if the rules don't change. I imagine your wedge already does?
Wedg1e said:
Good grief, I'd forgotten the wedges were originally on 14" rims
I seem to recall I had tyres one profile high (e.g. 60 instead of 55) and they did clip the arches... but it also made the speedo agree a lot closer with the GPS indicarted speed. Now it's on the correct size it over-reads and the car will easily do 180mph
I haven't been down your way in a while Steve (assuming you're still there) - we had one customer in Alderley Edge but they upped sticks and moved to Cambridge so our services were no longer required. About the only time I head in that direction is to a tyre plant in Stoke.
Semi-retired these days, really should give the car more attention. Only another year or so and it'll qualify for historic status, if the rules don't change. I imagine your wedge already does?
Think I'm in the same boat... probably forgotten more than I realise!! I seem to recall I had tyres one profile high (e.g. 60 instead of 55) and they did clip the arches... but it also made the speedo agree a lot closer with the GPS indicarted speed. Now it's on the correct size it over-reads and the car will easily do 180mph
I haven't been down your way in a while Steve (assuming you're still there) - we had one customer in Alderley Edge but they upped sticks and moved to Cambridge so our services were no longer required. About the only time I head in that direction is to a tyre plant in Stoke.
Semi-retired these days, really should give the car more attention. Only another year or so and it'll qualify for historic status, if the rules don't change. I imagine your wedge already does?
When I built the car (20 odd years ago!!!) it had different gearbox and diff so I had the speedo calibrated and it seems spot on.
Yes got historic status a couple of years ago....cheapest car to run that I own. I still do the MOT's... that's what kicked off this thread and they spotted the tyre issues.
I fully retired in March. They wanted all the engineers to do permanent shifts and I wasn't doing that at 63!!
Now I have more time I have plans for the Tasmin... a version 2 if you like. A pair of bigger drive shafts, better cooling for the turbo, get the exhaust tucked up in the car somehow as it's far to low, Coilover's for the front, etc etc.
I also bought a P38 a few years ago.... you think a TVR is unreliable, this thing makes my TVR look Honda reliable.
If you are ever down this way give me a shout it would be great to catch up.
Cheers Steve
On my 350i the 205/60-15 front tyres rub the front of the inner wheelarch on full lock and my MOT station failed it on that, although I assume it had been like it all it's life! I have a front set of 'MOT' wheels with 50 profiles on them!! I have Toyo's and they seem fine. I can push as hard as I am ever going to and they have never slipped. I don't drive in the wet or do track days though but for normal fast road they are fine in my opinion.
If you are talking tyre rub my take on this, is this is an MOT failure per section 5.2.3, part (f) A tyre fouling a part of the vehicle is a Major. I have had this failure in the past.
Source here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-...
Source here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-...
Meeee toooooo, providing they accept build date.
I just find it annoying that they fail then tell you. Last year a size 10 guy tried to drive the car into the MOT station, failed to even move the car, it was then failed as no stop lights, he had likely dislodged the cable? Just puts a blot on the MOT history.
I just find it annoying that they fail then tell you. Last year a size 10 guy tried to drive the car into the MOT station, failed to even move the car, it was then failed as no stop lights, he had likely dislodged the cable? Just puts a blot on the MOT history.
Edited by BlueWedgy on Wednesday 5th August 09:21
BlueWedgy said:
Meeee toooooo, providing they accept build date.
I just find it annoying that they fail then tell you. Last year a size 10 guy tried to drive the car into the MOT station, failed to even move the car, it was then failed as no stop lights, he had likely dislodged the cable? Just puts a blot on the MOT history.
When my Rover P6 became 40 years old and historic status, I didn't need to do anything except for when I taxed it. I did it online and it just had a new box asking if I wanted it to be considered historic or something similar. Every year I make sure I tick the relevant box and it stays that way as I recall. It became MOT exempt automatically. I never had to prove anything to anyone!I just find it annoying that they fail then tell you. Last year a size 10 guy tried to drive the car into the MOT station, failed to even move the car, it was then failed as no stop lights, he had likely dislodged the cable? Just puts a blot on the MOT history.
Edited by BlueWedgy on Wednesday 5th August 09:21
As for MOT's I don't care any more about advisories. All that really matters is a pass, especially with a 39 year old wedge!! There are so many that can be added it is almost impossible to avoid them. I had one on my Citroen saying 'general underbody rust but not structural". Show me a 15 year old car with no underbody surface rust, which is what they were referring to. Originally the idea of an advisory was something OK now but may need attention before the next MOT. I was told now though that if they don't issue a lot of advisories, they get inspected by the DVLA (or whichever organisation it is now!) as it looks like they aren't doing a proper job!!!!
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