Tyres Tyres Tyres
Discussion
Blatmeister said:
I'm not sure I'm qualified to give an all round assessment of the Michelins at this stage as I've yet to push them in the wet. I do expect them to perform well though as they boast good results from previous expert and user reviews. In the dry however my experience is that they offer very good traction and turn in without any harshness in the ride. In terms of tramlining they are pretty good so that's another plus factor too.
My major concern, as a TVR Tuscan newbie, but with a background of owning well set up cars ( Ultima Sports and Spyder ) is that the steering and suspension set up is just dreadful.
My Tuscan was purchased with gas pro shocks and spacers which clearly must help a little and I've yet to check the geometry . From all accounts ( and I have good knowledge of a car with similar spec that has had a full geometry check ) I do not expect any major improvement.
My plan is to deal with the variation in steering arm set up so that there is no steering angle change as the suspension moves. This should hopefully reduce the utterly dreadful nervous nature of the car and bump steer at high speed in particular. This will be done combining steering rack height changes and/or redesigned steering brackets. There is some great advice on both of these subjects and I'm grateful to Matt and Craig ( forum contributors ) for all their help. They have been brilliant and extremely generous with their advice.
I know that this response does little to help in tyre analysis but I believe the Michelin has more than enough capability given a chassis, steering and suspension set up that keeps all four tyres squarely on the road.
You should be able to get the BS sorted with c. 8-10mm spacers under the rack. It makes a huge difference. My major concern, as a TVR Tuscan newbie, but with a background of owning well set up cars ( Ultima Sports and Spyder ) is that the steering and suspension set up is just dreadful.
My Tuscan was purchased with gas pro shocks and spacers which clearly must help a little and I've yet to check the geometry . From all accounts ( and I have good knowledge of a car with similar spec that has had a full geometry check ) I do not expect any major improvement.
My plan is to deal with the variation in steering arm set up so that there is no steering angle change as the suspension moves. This should hopefully reduce the utterly dreadful nervous nature of the car and bump steer at high speed in particular. This will be done combining steering rack height changes and/or redesigned steering brackets. There is some great advice on both of these subjects and I'm grateful to Matt and Craig ( forum contributors ) for all their help. They have been brilliant and extremely generous with their advice.
I know that this response does little to help in tyre analysis but I believe the Michelin has more than enough capability given a chassis, steering and suspension set up that keeps all four tyres squarely on the road.
Many thanks for confirming BB that a steering rack height adjustment is a positive way forward. I would rather do that than pump a load more money into changing shocks which, in my view, doesn't really answer the steering arm angle issues.
I'll see if I can find time to get it done next week and give you some feed back
I'll see if I can find time to get it done next week and give you some feed back
I have nitrons and the suspension has been properly aligned. The best thing I ever did for handling? Ditching the 18' spiders and fitting some 19" jade R wheels. Instantly the car handles properly. Couldn't believe how heavy those spiders were as I bundled them up to sell either.
I need new tyres all round also. That's the bad thing about 19s - considerably more expensive. I recently fitted ps4s to my megane 275 and they are tremendous but I think the Tuscan needs softer sidewalls. Still uncertain what to do even after reading every post here...
I need new tyres all round also. That's the bad thing about 19s - considerably more expensive. I recently fitted ps4s to my megane 275 and they are tremendous but I think the Tuscan needs softer sidewalls. Still uncertain what to do even after reading every post here...
TUS 2 CON said:
I took the plunge and had a set of Michelin PS4's (255/35) fitted to the rear at the weekend. I decided I didn't want to go with Toyos again - partly because of their poor results in the latest Evo test and partly because they never felt quite 'right' to me.
Initial impressions of the PS4's are good - I was worried that they would make the rear of the car feel stiffer/less compliant, but they don't.
I have only done a few miles so far, so I will report back properly in a few months.
I've done about a thousand miles on the new tyres now (including a 500 mile round trip to north Wales on a mixture of motorway and fast B-roads) - I promised I'd report back with my thoughts.Initial impressions of the PS4's are good - I was worried that they would make the rear of the car feel stiffer/less compliant, but they don't.
I have only done a few miles so far, so I will report back properly in a few months.
In short I like them. The car feels a lot more planted and less skittish than it did with the Toyos on the back. It's subjective of course, but I always felt that the car rolled/tilted slightly when cornering with the Toyos. The softer sidewalls perhaps? This always made the rear of the car feel slightly vague to me. Having a bit of fun on the Welsh B-roads, I felt I could lean on the PS4s and know what they were doing/going to do.
Like I say, the PS4s make the car feel a lot more planted at the back. I was worried that the ride comfort would suffer, but I can't say that it has noticeably. Maybe a little stiffer over those nasty rubber speed humps you get in carparks, but that's about it.
I'm no expert but the rubber compound also looks slightly different to me. Like its a bit grippier? Or maybe it's my imagination and the old ones were just past their best.
The car now feels a lot more confident around the straight ahead and, in the little bit of wet weather driving I've done, the car felt much less unsettled by standing water - just safer.
So in conclusion, I think these new Michelin's are great tyres and work well with the Tuscan (for the road - no opinion on suitability for track work). My only slight concern is that I wonder if they would cause tramlining if fitted to the front as well.
I've been running PS4 for about 800 miles on a 4.3 T350 and so far I am very happy although I haven't used them in heavy rain/standing water yet. They seem to have more grip then the old F1 asymmetric 2s (much harder to break traction in first) and coped well with some light track driving.
The ride quality doesn't seem to have been affected although the F1's were also XL so your milage may vary.
The ride quality doesn't seem to have been affected although the F1's were also XL so your milage may vary.
TUS 2 CON said:
I'm no expert but the rubber compound also looks slightly different to me. Like its a bit grippier? Or maybe it's my imagination and the old ones were just past their best.
The sidewalls do look different from my old F1's. Michelin state they have a "Premium touch finish providing a velvet effect on the external sidewall" which I assume accounts for the difference in looks and feel. Tonymg said:
don't want 16's I think the 17's look ok well its more rubber between the road and the wheel rim I think?
any input or feed back be good Matt
I see your theory... there's more sidewall potentially for a given rolling radius but the choice of tyre is going to be the ultimate factor, as to which tyre has the most compliant side wall. any input or feed back be good Matt
As to the level of improvement this is going to get you versus cost that's a completely different matter.
Have you explored changing the bushes to a poly type with a central bearing, rather than metallastic. These allow the suspension arms to have a more free range of motion at the pivot point, with the travel controlled by the damper than the bush.
The Racing green demonstrator uses their orange polybush kit and it is probably the best handling and riding TVR I've ever driven.
Tonymg said:
sorry to but in but what size rubbers would I put on these all 4 wheel rims are the same size? so ?
please if any one can help out its for my Tuscan 2002 I have 18s at the mo but the roads around oxford are so shot to bitts
the wheel is 17,s in the pic
The width of tyre you put on the wheel is governed by the width or 'J' of the wheel itself. If they are 8J you wpuld typically put 225 or 235 width tyres on them. If they are 8.5J you would put 245, 255 or 265 tyres on them. Going below 225/40 profile and below 255/35 profile gives you very little side wall, hardens the ride, and leads to easier wheel rim damage from potholes and kerbs !!please if any one can help out its for my Tuscan 2002 I have 18s at the mo but the roads around oxford are so shot to bitts
the wheel is 17,s in the picHope that helps
Morning all, apologies for the thread revival but it seems better than starting a new one.
As OP said, tyre tech moves on and this 2016 thread is the most recent I can find! What's now considered the best tyre available for the Tuscan Mk1? My 2002 is due new rubber all round (I won't tell you how old the tyres are because you'll shout at me, but they've lived indoors at a constant temp so they're not cracked or faded at all).
Price and wear rate aren't important to me: just predictable wet & dry grip, weight, and comfort.
I'm on brand new poly bushes all round, standard ARBs and shocks/springs.
I'm assuming the advice is still to go for 235/40/18 Front and 245/40/18 rear?
Many thanks for your help!
As OP said, tyre tech moves on and this 2016 thread is the most recent I can find! What's now considered the best tyre available for the Tuscan Mk1? My 2002 is due new rubber all round (I won't tell you how old the tyres are because you'll shout at me, but they've lived indoors at a constant temp so they're not cracked or faded at all).
Price and wear rate aren't important to me: just predictable wet & dry grip, weight, and comfort.
I'm on brand new poly bushes all round, standard ARBs and shocks/springs.
I'm assuming the advice is still to go for 235/40/18 Front and 245/40/18 rear?
Many thanks for your help!
I've just put a pair of Michelin PS4's on the front of mine to go with the PSS's I put on the rear last year (SuperSports not available in the front size). Very happy with them (have been running PS4's on my Mini Cooper S for a year and they do live up to the hype). Unfortunately tyre indexes have crept up since the Tuscan was born with heavier and heavier cars so 80-odds are no longer produced and 95/97 is pretty standard. I run them at 22/23 psi and that seems the best compromise. Mine are 235/40R18 front and 245/40R18 rear.
If you do go for PS4's and are a member, Costco have got an unbeatable deal on them at the mo' - cost me £199 fitted for the pair
If you do go for PS4's and are a member, Costco have got an unbeatable deal on them at the mo' - cost me £199 fitted for the pair
Edited by Speed 3 on Saturday 19th September 10:29
Speed 3 said:
I've just put a pair of Michelin PS4's on the front of mine to go with the PSS's I put on the rear last year (SuperSports not available in the front size). Very happy with them (have been running PS4's on my Mini Cooper S for a year and they do live up to the hype). Unfortunately tyre indexes have crept up since the Tuscan was born with heavier and heavier cars so 80-odds are no longer produced and 95/97 is pretty standard. I run them at 22/23 psi and that seems the best compromise. Mine are 235/40R18 front and 245/40R18 rear.
If you do go for PS4's and are a member, Costco have got an unbeatable deal on them at the mo' - cost me £199 fitted for the pair
Thanks Speed, that confirms a bias I've always had towards PS4s! I just put PS4s on my little MX5 Nb and at Costco all 4 cost about £240 fitted If you do go for PS4's and are a member, Costco have got an unbeatable deal on them at the mo' - cost me £199 fitted for the pair
Edited by Speed 3 on Saturday 19th September 10:29
I use that for track days and was quite impressed with their predictability and refusal to overheat.
breezer_42 said:
Thanks Speed, that confirms a bias I've always had towards PS4s! I just put PS4s on my little MX5 Nb and at Costco all 4 cost about £240 fitted
I use that for track days and was quite impressed with their predictability and refusal to overheat.
Wow, what size wheels do you have on your MX5. I thought the PS4s only come in from 17 or 18 inch.I use that for track days and was quite impressed with their predictability and refusal to overheat.
I would love to have them on my Suzuki Ignis but they are only 15 inch wheels.
My local Costco, Sunbury, only have offers for Michelin Cross Climate. I better give them a call to see what Michelin options they have for summer tyres 15 inch.
breezer_42 said:
Morning all, apologies for the thread revival but it seems better than starting a new one.
As OP said, tyre tech moves on and this 2016 thread is the most recent I can find! What's now considered the best tyre available for the Tuscan Mk1? My 2002 is due new rubber all round (I won't tell you how old the tyres are because you'll shout at me, but they've lived indoors at a constant temp so they're not cracked or faded at all).
Price and wear rate aren't important to me: just predictable wet & dry grip, weight, and comfort.
I'm on brand new poly bushes all round, standard ARBs and shocks/springs.
I'm assuming the advice is still to go for 235/40/18 Front and 245/40/18 rear?
Many thanks for your help!
I have just recently fitted pilot super sports all round 225/40/18 and 255/35/18 rear As OP said, tyre tech moves on and this 2016 thread is the most recent I can find! What's now considered the best tyre available for the Tuscan Mk1? My 2002 is due new rubber all round (I won't tell you how old the tyres are because you'll shout at me, but they've lived indoors at a constant temp so they're not cracked or faded at all).
Price and wear rate aren't important to me: just predictable wet & dry grip, weight, and comfort.
I'm on brand new poly bushes all round, standard ARBs and shocks/springs.
I'm assuming the advice is still to go for 235/40/18 Front and 245/40/18 rear?
Many thanks for your help!
They are incredible, much better than the federal 595rs and ad08 i have used before. Basically warm up much quicker on the road. Grip is now significantly more than i have ever had.
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