SO3 vs Toyo T1-S's Experience from Chim/Griffs?
Discussion
Just about to get some new tyres fitted to my Chimaera. It's a 1998 with PAS running on the on the 7 spoke 500 wheels, so will be fitting 225/50/15 on front and 245/45/16. (have SO2's at the moment)
Heard a lot about both brands but the search is down on here at the moment and lots of the threads in the past don't always answer this specific question.
So basically I need some advice from you guys on whether to buy SO3's or Toyo T1-S's (don't believe that the new T1-R's are out in these sizes yet). Know that the Toyos will be cheaper but prefer to go for what is best even if it is little more expensive.
Any hints, advice, experience of these. Good bad or indiffernet would all be useful as I want to get them fitted in the next week or so.
Cheers!
Heard a lot about both brands but the search is down on here at the moment and lots of the threads in the past don't always answer this specific question.
So basically I need some advice from you guys on whether to buy SO3's or Toyo T1-S's (don't believe that the new T1-R's are out in these sizes yet). Know that the Toyos will be cheaper but prefer to go for what is best even if it is little more expensive.
Any hints, advice, experience of these. Good bad or indiffernet would all be useful as I want to get them fitted in the next week or so.
Cheers!
Can't comment on the fitment on TVR's but I went from Bridgestones on my Civic Type-R to Toyo Proxes T1-S and the difference is marked. After going to Toyos :
- Wet weather grip is an order of magnitude better
- Dry weather grip is as good although slightly less direct feel on steering
- Road noise has increased markedly. At 75mph on the motorway it sounds like you're in a Beech Baron...!
There's also no 2-stage tyre with the Toyos. I found the Bridgies gripped like leeches for about 2500 miles then simply went off and were crap for the remaining 12,000 miles of life. It's as if there's 2 types of compound - a nice sticky veneer covering up rock hard crap stuff underneath. The Toyos are as good today as the day I fitted them. They don't light up in third in the wet either.
I went with the Toyos because of the 2-stage issue with Bridgies and wet weather problems. Wouldn't go back to them now. Also got a more cool tread pattern...!!!
>> Edited by roop on Tuesday 15th March 13:18
- Wet weather grip is an order of magnitude better
- Dry weather grip is as good although slightly less direct feel on steering
- Road noise has increased markedly. At 75mph on the motorway it sounds like you're in a Beech Baron...!
There's also no 2-stage tyre with the Toyos. I found the Bridgies gripped like leeches for about 2500 miles then simply went off and were crap for the remaining 12,000 miles of life. It's as if there's 2 types of compound - a nice sticky veneer covering up rock hard crap stuff underneath. The Toyos are as good today as the day I fitted them. They don't light up in third in the wet either.
I went with the Toyos because of the 2-stage issue with Bridgies and wet weather problems. Wouldn't go back to them now. Also got a more cool tread pattern...!!!
>> Edited by roop on Tuesday 15th March 13:18
Know that the Toyos will be cheaper but prefer to go for what is best even if it is little more expensive.
Just orderes Toyo's for my Chimaera at the weekend after much soul searching! Know what you about the different choice's - i am getting all four tyres, standard sizes, for £360 all in if it helps with the decision. Hope they are good!
Just orderes Toyo's for my Chimaera at the weekend after much soul searching! Know what you about the different choice's - i am getting all four tyres, standard sizes, for £360 all in if it helps with the decision. Hope they are good!
Went for Toyos on the Griff - had SO3's before.
The car handles much better especially in the wet; a must as the car is used daily.
Do need about 500+ miles to bed in though. Take it easy at first.
No regrets and would definately use agin. Wanted to try the GSD's but can't get them front and rear so will probably stick with the Toyos.
FFG
The car handles much better especially in the wet; a must as the car is used daily.
Do need about 500+ miles to bed in though. Take it easy at first.
No regrets and would definately use agin. Wanted to try the GSD's but can't get them front and rear so will probably stick with the Toyos.
FFG
Getting Toyo's stuck onto Trevor as we speak... we'll let you know if they're not all they're cracked up to be.
Quite honestly, I heard far too many horror stories of S03's coming unstuck after a couple of thou, and I reckon it's always safer to stick with the manufacturer's adopted tyre, so Toyo's it is.
>> Edited by wedgie on Tuesday 15th March 16:59
Quite honestly, I heard far too many horror stories of S03's coming unstuck after a couple of thou, and I reckon it's always safer to stick with the manufacturer's adopted tyre, so Toyo's it is.
>> Edited by wedgie on Tuesday 15th March 16:59
Had SO2 on the Cerbera - great tyres, SO3s were C**P tramlining and loss of directional stability. New Toyos all round and all is restored 
They are half worn now and still feel as good as new.
My Griff was terrible after about the treads were about half worn and lacked directional stability especially in the wet with the straight cut Bridgestones - can't remember the tyre model (senility setting in !)
I just guess the SO2/Toyo tread pattern suits the TVR setup.
They are half worn now and still feel as good as new. My Griff was terrible after about the treads were about half worn and lacked directional stability especially in the wet with the straight cut Bridgestones - can't remember the tyre model (senility setting in !)
I just guess the SO2/Toyo tread pattern suits the TVR setup.
aaandy said:
Just about to get some new tyres fitted to my Chimaera. It's a 1998 with PAS running on the on the 7 spoke 500 wheels, so will be fitting 225/50/15 on front and 245/45/16. (have SO2's at the moment)
I need 2 new rears before the MOT, and mine appear to be 225/50/16's are the TOYO's available in this size and how much are they likely to be? Currently getting prices for S0-3's and they seem to be £220 fitted for the pair
just remembered I'm logged in as racegirl
I have run over 80K miles in three Chimaera, my current car is a final spec 450(01) with 16" wheels all round. It was supplied with SO2's they were fine, but when the rears needed replacing only SO3's were available, so these were fitted and and were very good in all respects but not when you only get 4000 miles before replacement is required! So I fitted Toyos on the back and found you had to be quite careful at first, and therefore adjusted the pressures for best performance adding 2psi to 25psi this helps remove some of the side wall flex no so evident with the stiffer walled Bridgestones. I have used all types on track days and for normal motoring and think the Toyos are excellent tyres and somewhat cheaper too! Just be warned take it easy for the first few miles as they do have more lateral movement than the SO3's, but you will soon learn the feel. Enjoy.
Li'l pugs said:
I went from S02 to Toyos and now I find the grip levels very very similar however, they took AGES to bed in............They were absolutely sh1te for the first 1000 miles or so !
ditto, I thought they were shocking to start with now I love them much better than the Bridgey in my opinion. If useing the original wheels I would run and extra 1-2psi per tyre to make up for the less rigid sidewall.
I am amazed at the one-sidedness of this thread in terms of responses, considering the amount of debate about the relative merits of the Toyos vs BS etc in other posts. I wonder who's going to be the first dissenter??? 
..... anyone got a contrary view....? Not me.
My experience of this was from going from the standard 15-16" wheel with S02s to 17-18" set up with T1-Ss.
IMHO; the Toyos have been very impressive both in grip (wet and dry) and durability.
By way of a slightly objective comparison, I said this in a recent post (apologies for quoting myself
) :
"In terms of handling, well, put it like this (no self-glorification intended)- at my first sprint (Pembrey sept 2004) my unmodified chim (other than Tower View front disc upgrade and Kevlar pads)was fastest of the 4 TVRs in my class on both days (all the others were comp' modified). Certainly convinced me that a lot of what is said and written about the subject of wheels and tyres needs to be taken in context at least..."
I should add that this was in mixed, dry to soaking conditions. The only spin was in the dry, when curing a fuel surge problem resulted in an unexpected surplus of entry speed into the Esses. IIRC The competition were running a mixture of BSs and Dunlops .
Durability:
Rears: first pair lasted about 6000 miles (which I regard as very good for me)
Fronts: just had delivery of new pair after about 10000 miles.
Incidentally, price mail order from DT: 215/40/17 £73.36 ea inc. (Rears: 235/40/18 around £100)
Certainly doesnt seem to be any drop off in grip towards the end (in fact improves in dry on low tread as one would expect)
"Bedding in":
This was a lot less dramatic with all 4 new (just a bit less adhesion generally) but when I fitted the new rears last year it was quite disconcerting and felt like it wanted to swap ends at the least opportunity
. Of course that phase passed once scrubbed in after a couple of hundred buttock-clenching miles and all has been well since!
Ithink they're pretty good.
>> Edited by tahiti450 on Tuesday 15th March 20:42
..... anyone got a contrary view....? Not me.
My experience of this was from going from the standard 15-16" wheel with S02s to 17-18" set up with T1-Ss.
IMHO; the Toyos have been very impressive both in grip (wet and dry) and durability.
By way of a slightly objective comparison, I said this in a recent post (apologies for quoting myself
) : "In terms of handling, well, put it like this (no self-glorification intended)- at my first sprint (Pembrey sept 2004) my unmodified chim (other than Tower View front disc upgrade and Kevlar pads)was fastest of the 4 TVRs in my class on both days (all the others were comp' modified). Certainly convinced me that a lot of what is said and written about the subject of wheels and tyres needs to be taken in context at least..."
I should add that this was in mixed, dry to soaking conditions. The only spin was in the dry, when curing a fuel surge problem resulted in an unexpected surplus of entry speed into the Esses. IIRC The competition were running a mixture of BSs and Dunlops .
Durability:
Rears: first pair lasted about 6000 miles (which I regard as very good for me)
Fronts: just had delivery of new pair after about 10000 miles.
Incidentally, price mail order from DT: 215/40/17 £73.36 ea inc. (Rears: 235/40/18 around £100)
Certainly doesnt seem to be any drop off in grip towards the end (in fact improves in dry on low tread as one would expect)
"Bedding in":
This was a lot less dramatic with all 4 new (just a bit less adhesion generally) but when I fitted the new rears last year it was quite disconcerting and felt like it wanted to swap ends at the least opportunity
. Of course that phase passed once scrubbed in after a couple of hundred buttock-clenching miles and all has been well since! Ithink they're pretty good.
>> Edited by tahiti450 on Tuesday 15th March 20:42
chimburt said:
another vote for toyos.
reduced tramline, more consistent grip,
I recall reading that during the development phase of the Griff chassis tyre selection was crucial in eliminating tramlining.
This was a very interesting thread and I enjoyed the useful comments.
BTW, I understand that if you have harder "poly-bushes" fitted to a Griff, the harder ride is smoothed out by the softer side wall of the TOYOs...starts to all make sense?
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