13" Tyre Reccomendations...
13" Tyre Reccomendations...
Author
Discussion

alan-87

Original Poster:

394 posts

227 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
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Having recently purchased my fisher fury i took it out for its first proper drive today.

Now when i bought it i knew the tyres were poor (Woosung Dark Horses) eekeek but thought i could live with them for a few months because they were brand new. Erm....Or not!

To be frank they are hurrendous.

So i have come home and am now on the hunt for some replacements.

After some quick research i have probably decided that Yoko A539's are the way to go at circa £50 a corner they get good reviews and seem to do the job.

However in case i am missing something obvious i thought i would throw it open to the pistonheads knowledge bank and see what you guys reccomend!

Looking for 185/60r13 for fast road / track use (I'm planning on doing my first track day in the new year).

So then ladies and gents what you got!........

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
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The obvious choices are 48Rs R888s CR500, and with a geo change and the ultimate in dry weather grip ACB10s

alan-87

Original Poster:

394 posts

227 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
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Sorry, should have mentioned.

I am planning on getting another set of wheels in the new year to fit R888's or the like to.

I basically want this set of wheels just for road use.

.Adam.

1,861 posts

285 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
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I use Yoko A012r, basically the same compound as one of the A048r's, but with wet weather friendly tread. Look at George Polley motorsport for good prices on them.

Paul Drawmer

5,103 posts

289 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
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I had 539s on a GTM Libra.

A good tyre for a 1000Kg+ car, but way to hard on the Libra. They did nothing wrong and their loss of grip on the limit was progressive, but a softer rubber would have held on better and a lighter side wall would have worked better with the suspension.

I really think that a light car as yours would be best of with a tyre which is known to work on a 600Kg car, examples as other have already posted.

Sam_68

9,939 posts

267 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
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Paul Drawmer said:
...I really think that a light car as yours would be best of with a tyre which is known to work on a 600Kg car, examples as other have already posted.
Do bear in mind that the more track orientated tyres can be fairly useless for road use when you can't get them up to temperature (ie. at this time of year, on cold, damp, leaf-mould coated tarmac). I can confirm from personal experience that you'd be better off with a set of cheap Korean remoulds than a set of A048R's on a lightweight car in these conditions... they're bloody lethal when they're cold!

alan-87

Original Poster:

394 posts

227 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
quotequote all
Thanks for the recommendations and advice so far.

Paul you raise a valid point about the weight of the car (620kg) however as has been said above, I just don't think I could get a set of soft compound tyres up to temperature.


downsman

1,099 posts

178 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
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Surely a softer compound will get up to temperature faster and grip more than a harder tyre at a certain temperature.

Ignoring the tread patterns, I was always under the impression that winter tyres had a softer compound than summer tyres, and that was why they aren't good in the summer because they would over heat too easily.

The 048s won't be good in winter because the tread pattern isn't suited to wet road. 021s have much better water displacement, and a softer compound that suits Seven style cars. I know a lot of people who swear by them, and my car is much better on them than the original tyres.

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th November 2011
quotequote all
downsman said:
Surely a softer compound will get up to temperature faster and grip more than a harder tyre at a certain temperature.

Ignoring the tread patterns, I was always under the impression that winter tyres had a softer compound than summer tyres, and that was why they aren't good in the summer because they would over heat too easily.

The 048s won't be good in winter because the tread pattern isn't suited to wet road. 021s have much better water displacement, and a softer compound that suits Seven style cars. I know a lot of people who swear by them, and my car is much better on them than the original tyres.
Partly correct - much of the heat comes from deflection in the treadblocks when loaded. The problem with 48s et al, is that the tread blocks are massive so take a hell of a lot of moving around to get them warm.

I used to run 48s / 32s all year round and you could get them warm in winter but really only on a dry road. I had the scariest drive I've ever had coming back across the cat and fiddle, where every time I touched the throttle I was having to put on half a turn of lock to keep the car straight due to the LSD. They're dreadful in deep water, but surprisingly good on a damp road as long as the pressure is low enough.

pigeondave

216 posts

250 months

Monday 21st November 2011
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I went from widow makers on the front and ditch finders one the rear, to Yoko A021's.
I can't compare like for like as I went to 205 wide on the rears.

Furyblade_Lee

4,114 posts

246 months

Monday 21st November 2011
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Yoko 21s no question. They are awesome road tyres although they do wear down quickly, will give grip light years better than say a Toyo T1-R. But when worn down near the wear indicators and the treadblocks are shallow they are brilliant on track. Win win.

Paul Drawmer

5,103 posts

289 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
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Oh and...
Do watch the tyre pressures, if you are running on 35psi it will be far too exciting!

Huff

3,370 posts

213 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
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I'm about 18months into running an R1-engined Fury, and have to say I find with a very little care Yoko A048s can really work well even at this time of year - against my expectation.

As above, pressure setting is critical - but when is it not in a low-mass car. Yes, the total grip is more limited in the cool/damp right now. But my car was set-up around them and frankly grip remains still much, much better than expected - 'utterly progressive' for one thing, for which much can be forgiven. Summary: it all remains great fun, just at rather more appropriate-to-condition speeds wink


(And yes, the grip offered can be unbelievable in the dry , and I look forward to exploiting it again. But right now it's ...educational, and respected)

Huff

3,370 posts

213 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
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PS - while Paul is joking, he makes a very good & serious point on tyre pressure. The set point makes a big difference, and 2-3psi differential acros the 'axle' can utterly spoil handling behaviour in such light cars, when you'd just not notice such in 98% of production cars.

I'd expect you are / have had recommended quite low tyre pressures, something like 18-24psi would be normal - maybe 18psi in summer for a BEC, maybe 22-24 for a CEC. Something like that anyway. Personally I set for 18psi, max, cold in the warm & dry, and am favouring 16psi right now (on a 425kg car) Trying even 21psi in midsummer feels like skating on ice!


  • Do* experiment for what works for you & your car - and while it may appear a rather smaller number than you expect; don't let that put you off.

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

220 months

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
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Huff said:
PS - while Paul is joking, he makes a very good & serious point on tyre pressure. The set point makes a big difference, and 2-3psi differential acros the 'axle' can utterly spoil handling behaviour in such light cars, when you'd just not notice such in 98% of production cars.

I'd expect you are / have had recommended quite low tyre pressures, something like 18-24psi would be normal - maybe 18psi in summer for a BEC, maybe 22-24 for a CEC. Something like that anyway. Personally I set for 18psi, max, cold in the warm & dry, and am favouring 16psi right now (on a 425kg car) Trying even 21psi in midsummer feels like skating on ice!


  • Do* experiment for what works for you & your car - and while it may appear a rather smaller number than you expect; don't let that put you off.
I used to run 18 on my westy in winter - similar weight. I would use 20 hot on track - 1 warm up lap, 1 hot lap then back in for pressure setting.

A hard lesson learned after some terrible advice by an instructor who told me the tyres pressure was too low causing them to melt - they were about 22 and he said I should up it to 28 - tosser! Needless to say they were dead in 5 or 6 laps.

one eyed mick

1,189 posts

183 months

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
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Ok my car comes in at 800k wet after some time playing with pressures 14 to 22have settled on 18 psi year round on premium 205 x50 x15 road tyres haven't found it's limits yet [not for lack of trying ] wear is very good too . Its an all s/s RobinHood with about 120 bhp

Sam_68

9,939 posts

267 months

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
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one eyed mick]Ok my car comes in at 800k wet after some time playing with pressures 14 to 22have settled on 18 psi year round on premium 205 x50 x15 road tyres haven't found it's limits yet [not for lack of trying said:
wear is very good too . Its an all s/s RobinHood with about 120 bhp
That at least goes some way to explaining your satisfaction with R**** H***.

If you have never managed to lock the brakes or provoked a tail-slide (not even in the wet?) on an 800 kilo, 120bhp car and it's not for lack of trying you must be an exceptionally cautious and pedestrian driver.

one eyed mick

1,189 posts

183 months

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
quotequote all
Sam_68 said:
That at least goes some way to explaining your satisfaction with R**** H***.

If you have never managed to lock the brakes or provoked a tail-slide (not even in the wet?) on an 800 kilo, 120bhp car and it's not for lack of trying you must be an exceptionally cautious and pedestrian driver.
Hi Sam I probably am as you cautious but certainly not pedestrian I got most of the silliness out of my system a good few years ago ,rallying a Cooper S for 3/4 seasons followed by 50/60k in a 2 litre MARCOS and god knows how much milage in a raft of other things from mopeds to trucks ,I just like get to were I'm going with out going to hosp or the undertakers . Yes Ivedone both the things you mention but don't find it particularly enjoyable and would like to keep my licence to a good while longer as well as keeping my ROBIN HOOD in use . By the way it's not harmfull to type the 2 words in full. regards oem

Sam_68

9,939 posts

267 months

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
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one eyed mick said:
By the way it's not harmfull to type the 2 words in full. regards oem
No but I try to keep foul language on public forums to a reasonable minimum. smile

robcollingridge

633 posts

305 months

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
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I'd avoid A048's for all year round use if you are driving to get somewhere. I use them but I only drive it for fun. Grip is rubbish when they are cold and it is hard to get them up to temperature when it gets much below 10C. They are very progressive but I can spin them rears up in pretty much any gear in my Fisher Fury R1, whe cold and wet. Best I've seen from a set of 4 is 2800 miles, worst 1800 miles. I run 16psi front and 17psi rear.