Which tyres...?

[peteA]

Replacing tyres on the Chim soon, its a 94 M reg 400. TVR manual says 15" 205/60 front and 16" 225/55 rear but the car is currently wearing 15" 205/55 front and 16" 225/50 rear - which is correct? Does it matter?

Also, general pistonhead consensus is for a set of the following...Bridgstone S03's, Goodyear Eagle F1's or Toyo Proxies. Goodyears seem to be the best value and recently won tyre test in Autocar magazine...any comments / recommendations?

[chris_chim]

I don't think you will be able to find the preferred tyres in a 205/60 size and Z speed rating for the front unless you go for Bridgestone RE71s.
I understand Goodyear F1s are currently slightly different tread patterns for the different sizes but lots of good things have been said about them.
SO3s seem good as do Toyos although both seem to require careful treatment for the first few hundred miles or you end up in a ditch...
I currently have 225/50 SO3s on the back and 205/60 RE71s on the front but intend to change these to 205/55 SO3s when they wear out.

[M@H]

I was running 245/45/16's on the back of my 93 400 and 205/55/15's on the front (all SO2 PP's) - no problems, lots of grip

Cheers,
Matt

>> Edited by M@H on Thursday 11th November 13:51

[The Surveyor]

Handbook says (for 4 litre)

Front - 205 / 60 ZR RE71's
Rear - 225 / 50 ZR RE71's

and for 5 litre

Front - 205 / 55 (215 / 50 with ps) ZR Expedia's
Rear - 235 / 50 ZR Expedia's

And i always throught SO-3's were the original factory choice!

[M@H]

The Surveyor said:

Handbook says (for 4 litre) Front - 205 / 60 ZR RE71's Rear - 225 / 50 ZR RE71's And i always throught SO-3's were the original factory choice!

SO3's werent even being made 5 years ago, let alone when the Chimaera was launched. RE71's were the only decent Z rated tyre in the right profiles deemed correct for the car by TVR at the time. As it is the RE71 is now seen as a bit "old hat" since Bridgestone developed the excellent SO2 range and then replaced that quite recently with the SO3 range. IMO the SO2 PP was the best tyre of the lot and I wish you could still get hold of them. I think TVR is reccomending Toyo's at the moment but I may be wrong.

Cheers,
Matt

[timbobalob]

What kind of cost are you looking at to replace the rear set of S02's (I've got to replace mine within the next few thousand miles)?

[peteA]

timbobalob said:

What kind of cost are you looking at to replace the rear set of S02's (I've got to replace mine within the next few thousand miles)?

depending on the tyre - rears are between £120 and £150 fitted and balanced but its best to hunt around locally.

[chris_chim]

SO3 225/50 16Z/W were about £90 from www.mytyres.co.uk a few months ago.
Fitting is about £10 at most places.
Be careful with SO2s, as I understand it they are not the Pole Position version and are only still available as they were oem for certain Porsche models.

>> Edited by chris_chim on Thursday 11th November 16:08

[baronvonhorne]

I recently bought the Toyo's after having SO3's.

I have to say, I am extremely please with them and they were around £90 fitted (each).

[DustyC]

peteA said:

Also, general pistonhead consensus is for a set of the following...Bridgstone S03's, Goodyear Eagle F1's or Toyo Proxies. Goodyears seem to be the best value and recently won tyre test in Autocar magazine...any comments / recommendations?

Toyo/Bridgestone arguement will continue forever but from my research the Bridgestone wins. It may be dearer but its worth it.

As for the Goodyears, you cant get both front and rear in the sizes you want. You can get the GSD3 for the rear but only the older not as good GSD2 for the front (or perhaps it was the other way round).

I have looked into different options but it seems the Bridgestone Potenza S03 Pole Position is the best one for my sizes.
f = 205/55/15, r = 245/45/16
Griff 500.

>> Edited by DustyC on Monday 15th November 08:19

[edward1]

My 450 is running on Goodeyear Eagle F1's. I'm generally very happy with them. Although the difference in grip for wet/damp conditions between a well worn set and the new ones was astonishing.

[rbryant]

Pete

The size you have on the car at the moment is the same as mine, and as I have just bought a new set, I know you can buy Bridgestone SO3s in this size. I suspect the 60 profile listed in your handbook for the front is obsolete now.

Mine is a 1999 450 and had SO2s when I got it in

205/55 15 front
225/50 16 rear

I bought a set of SO3s. www.mytyres.co.uk do them for £80 front, £91 rear and you nominate a local fitting shop to put them on for about £12 a corner. In my case I rang the local tyre shop and asked if they would price match, they got within a tenner so I bought them there. Just over £400 all in.

[TheHobbit]

Was so pleased with the set of Toyo T1-S I've had for ~10k miles, I just replaced the rears with a pair of Toyo T1-R. Seem fine so far, but still bedding them in.

For the record, 205/55ZR15 fronts and (nice new) 225/50ZR16 rears.

[_dan_]

Got 245/45ZR16's on the back of mine. Front ones are standard size. Using T1-S's with no problems at all. Good wear and good grip.

[M@H]

DustyC said:

Toyo/Bridgestone arguement will continue forever but from my research the Bridgestone wins. It may be dearer but its worth it. As for the Goodyears, you cant get both front and rear in the sizes you want. You can get the GSD3 for the rear but only the older not as good GSD2 for the front (or perhaps it was the other way round). I have looked into different options but it seems the Bridgestone Potenza S03 Pole Position is the best one for my sizes. f = 205/55/15, r = 245/55/16 Griff 500.

Do you get much of a nose down stance from that then..? that's going to make the front of the car over an inch lower than the back..

Cheers
Matt

[_dan_]

M@H said:

DustyC said: Toyo/Bridgestone arguement will continue forever but from my research the Bridgestone wins. It may be dearer but its worth it. As for the Goodyears, you cant get both front and rear in the sizes you want. You can get the GSD3 for the rear but only the older not as good GSD2 for the front (or perhaps it was the other way round). I have looked into different options but it seems the Bridgestone Potenza S03 Pole Position is the best one for my sizes. f = 205/55/15, r = 245/55/16 Griff 500. Do you get much of a nose down stance from that then..? that's going to make the front of the car over an inch lower than the back.. Cheers Matt

45 profile on the back would balance things out a bit tho. May be a slightly bumpier ride tho.

[DustyC]

opps, typo, its 45 profile on the back.

>> Edited by DustyC on Monday 15th November 08:46

[DustyC]

TheHobbit said:

Was so pleased with the set of Toyo T1-S I've had for ~10k miles, I just replaced the rears with a pair of Toyo T1-R. Seem fine so far, but still bedding them in.

How long does it take you to bed in the Toyos?

[M@H]

DustyC said:

opps, typo, its 45 profile on the back on the back.

aah.. makes sense now..

[deeen]

Anyone know the relative weights of the "usual suspect" tyres?

To answer the post, I am very happy with my SO3 PP