Best tyres on a Caterham are??

[SimonY]

I remember John Barnes prefered the CR500s in the Full Throttle article when testing back to back with A048.

Edited by SimonY on Monday 16th June 16:30

[OJ]

Personal preference, but if its for track work, Yoko's any day. Much more grip and they don't go off like the 500's. 500's are a bit more progressive, but can be frustrating.

However, the 48's are scary in the wet, so I'd have the Avons day to day.

[SpeedFreakDave]

hmmm a real mix of views!

[SpeedFreakDave]

rubystone said:

I'm no sure how that boat anchor of a Duratec you have in your car affects things

You can have a cigarette lighter fitted Dave, but yes,I manage with a humble footpump!

Haha cheeky bugger!

[h_____]

OJ said:

h said:

Or CR500s? I guess it depends how you define best. I find 0048s excellent value for money. But CR500s make a great road, trackday tyre, combining reasonable dry grip, with good wet grip. 48s, not so hot in the wet, for sure!

How would you know!... Having you been sneaking over to Roadsports with your instructor?

Edited by OJ on Monday 16th June 15:57

I bought a set of wheels with CR500s on them. Had to wear them out before swapping to 48s. Did some miles on the road, what struck me most was how much lower it was. I remember driving up a little lane with a scratching noise coming from under the car. When I stopped there were scratch marks in the crown of the lane for about 400m back! Oopps. I also remember on the road, how much better the car felt in the wet. To be fair never driven CR500s in wet on track, but they cant be worse than 48s surely!! :-)

[thinfourth2]

SpeedFreakDave said:

hmmm a real mix of views!

As to be expected to be honest as everyone has a preference there is no right tyre for a 7 but there is plenty of opinions


I still maintain one of the best upgrades you can get for any 7 is a second set of rims so you can try different tyres or have a second set for trackdays

I am slightly odd as i have three and half sets of wheels

1 set of 48s
1 set of 21s
and 6 wheels with autotesting tyres mounted which are basically rubbish to be destroyed

[SpeedFreakDave]

All makes sense! And slicks have been suggested too!

[Simon Mason]

The 048's give loads of grip but Caterhams become lazy on them. Corners that are exciting but controllable on CR500's become quite dull on 048's. You can drive really quite badly (in the dry) on 048's without ever realising you are actually driving badly because they hide so much.

Also a CR500 is much better in the wet. So in my book there is only one choice. CR500 if you want it to feel like a Caterham should.

[h_____]

.....And you have the budget (some of us are cost conscious)

[OJ]

Simon Mason said:

The 048's give loads of grip but Caterhams become lazy on them. Corners that are exciting but controllable on CR500's become quite dull on 048's. You can drive really quite badly (in the dry) on 048's without ever realising you are actually driving badly because they hide so much.

Also a CR500 is much better in the wet. So in my book there is only one choice. CR500 if you want it to feel like a Caterham should.

Thats actually a bloody good assessment, listen to that man!

My first time out on CR500's after 2 years on 48's and I was rubbish!

[James.S]

Never driven on 48's but they only appear to be better in the dry. Unfortunatly I have yet to learn how to control the weather and a significant part of my track time is on damp or wet circuits.

I haven't had any real issues with CR500's, they do have a tendancy to go off a little towards the end of a dry race especially if they are fairly new. In the wet they are an absolute hoot......

Good job too if the weather forcast for Cadwell is to be believed;)

[sfaulds]

In my experience you need to learn where the limits of a 48 are, because you get bugger all feedback from them. They're a mass-produced tyre for a wide range of (heavy) car, and the weight and lack of feel betrays that fact.

The construction of a CR500 is far lighter and more technically suited to a Caterham (which they were developed on and for, at the end of the day), and in my opinion there is no better all rounder. Talk of them disintegrating on track is bks, based on the 1st (and to a lesser extent 2nd) generation of them.

The only thing I'd have over the CR500 in the dry is an ACB10.

[atom-ick]

sfaulds said:

The construction of a CR500 is far lighter and more technically suited to a Caterham (which they were developed on and for, at the end of the day), and in my opinion there is no better all rounder. Talk of them disintegrating on track is bks, based on the 1st (and to a lesser extent 2nd) generation of them.

The only thing I'd have over the CR500 in the dry is an ACB10.

i love ACB10's. but lets face it - when you go to drive the car home after being on track and the heavens open you have to take some brave pills - they are rubbish in the wet, and not great on the road in the dry (cross ply's - they wander all over the place in ruts etc)

I agree with sfaulds - CR500's for me every time. At the end of the day, you might get more outright grip from mass produced slick-a-likes but feedback and driver enjoyment is why i love 7's and the 500's (for me) are the best at providing this.

[fergus]

atom-ick said:

sfaulds said:

The construction of a CR500 is far lighter and more technically suited to a Caterham (which they were developed on and for, at the end of the day), and in my opinion there is no better all rounder. Talk of them disintegrating on track is bks, based on the 1st (and to a lesser extent 2nd) generation of them.

The only thing I'd have over the CR500 in the dry is an ACB10.

i love ACB10's. but lets face it - when you go to drive the car home after being on track and the heavens open you have to take some brave pills - they are rubbish in the wet, and not great on the road in the dry (cross ply's - they wander all over the place in ruts etc)

I agree with sfaulds - CR500's for me every time. At the end of the day, you might get more outright grip from mass produced slick-a-likes but feedback and driver enjoyment is why i love 7's and the 500's (for me) are the best at providing this.

ACB10s are not 'rubbish in the wet', but clearly don't like standing water. On a track like the Ring, (which is often far more slippery than the average UK B road in the wet), they are fine, you just have to be careful with turn in. A lot can depend upon your setup and driving style my friend.

[atom-ick]

fergus said:

atom-ick said:

sfaulds said:

The construction of a CR500 is far lighter and more technically suited to a Caterham (which they were developed on and for, at the end of the day), and in my opinion there is no better all rounder. Talk of them disintegrating on track is bks, based on the 1st (and to a lesser extent 2nd) generation of them.

The only thing I'd have over the CR500 in the dry is an ACB10.

i love ACB10's. but lets face it - when you go to drive the car home after being on track and the heavens open you have to take some brave pills - they are rubbish in the wet, and not great on the road in the dry (cross ply's - they wander all over the place in ruts etc)

I agree with sfaulds - CR500's for me every time. At the end of the day, you might get more outright grip from mass produced slick-a-likes but feedback and driver enjoyment is why i love 7's and the 500's (for me) are the best at providing this.

ACB10s are not 'rubbish in the wet', but clearly don't like standing water. On a track like the Ring, (which is often far more slippery than the average UK B road in the wet), they are fine, you just have to be careful with turn in. A lot can depend upon your setup and driving style my friend.

Hmm, your response seems a bit patronising "my friend"

Don't get me wrong, i am not saying that ACB10's are no good - did you miss the part where i said "i love ACB10's"?!

[rubystone]

FWIW I agree with Stuart. CR500s were purpose built for a 7. 48s and 32s only work well in the dry and preferably when it's hot. I personally only use CR500s on-track when it's wet; even in the damp, slicks with heat in them are fine on a 7.

I hate ACB10s on the road - they tramline severely. I haven't used 48s on my cars but hear that they can tramline too, whereas I understand 888s don't exhibit this and who know - they may be better than CR500s. ACB10s on track - brilliant - not too far off slicks to be honest and very progressive too - is that your experience, Fergus?

It is all about the construction of the tyre. My first Caterham had Goodyear Eagles. Now these were stupendous tyres on the other road cars I owned, but I couldn't get enough heat into them in my 7 for them to work at all. The car understeered like a pig, regardless of tyre pressures and even on trackdays.

The best solution for me is CR500s for the road and a wet track and slicks otherwise. I can't tell you how good slicks are - after using them on track you won't want to change back!!!!!

[fergus]

rubystone said:

ACB10s on track - brilliant - not too far off slicks to be honest and very progressive too - is that your experience, Fergus?

I save the costs of slicks for my race car, but tend to use inters in the damp (handcut used slicks), full wets in the wet, and ACB10s at all other times (only use ACB10s round the Ring, unless it's hosing it down, when I *may* sneak out on the full wets....)

The ACB10 are very easy to slide around and have a very progressive break away, even when on the limit. You need to let the car move around on them though, and steer with the throttle to an extent. I drive a lot on the roads around the Ring, and whilst they are generally better than those in the UK, I've never experienced any form of tramlining at all. I suppose if you are clinging on for dear life, they will tramline, but that's a different topic....

Atom-ick - It wasn't supposed to be a patronising post in the slightest, but merely suggesting that one person's experience is different from anothers...

PS I only use my car either on track or at the ring (or roads around the ring) so am not concerned with 'track biased road tyres'. Personally, I think the CR500s offer no grip at all (yes, my car has been fully setup & corner weighted by a touring car team before someone pipes up with a setup comment!)

Edited by fergus on Thursday 19th June 16:23