TOYO 888 users.

[F.C.]

Heads up!

http://marktg.toyotires.com/file/tirestorage.pdf

[bogie]

actually thats not uncommon on some semi slicks ...hence it not being ideal running them through winter with the "oh they will be ok" attitude

[TOENHEEL]

Pleased mines locked up in the garage when its really cold, will have to give them a good once over this weekend. Cheers

[nsm3]

Oh 5h1te, I am getting 4 fitted tomorrow and I have not experienced anything like this with the Yoko 48's !

This could be a short lived £100 saving, if it proves to affect my new boots !

[theturbs]

Thanks for this.

Is this also likely to afflict A048s?

[bogie]

check on the Yoko website - remember A048s are not just summer tyres - they are trackday tyres, I wouldnt have thought they would have even been tested in the wet, let alone the snow LOL

[lamb jiblets]

Oh Joy didn't see that in the info when i got them ! picking up the car from Sportmotive tomorrow lets hope theres not much snow. forcast is not below 0* so fingers rossed

[bogie]

I dont think using them for an hour in snow is the issue is it? ...its more like storing them in your shed at -5 for 2 months over winter !

[David Segal]

The Yokohama AO48 work fine on my Exige even in the wet (other than standing water when they quickly aquaplane) but I have to admit I have NOT (and have no intention!) tried them out in the current freezing climate!

[bogie]

as do R888s - ive ran both R888 and A048 over winter most years just fine until 2006, when i acquired a 2nd set of wheels and then had A039s for winter and kept the R888 or A48s in storage ...I never noticed any cracking when I got them out in February, but they had gone rock hard, and needed a good soaking in tyre softener to liven them up again for the trackday season

/i think Toyo are just arse covering here, especially in the US market

[TOENHEEL]

I've used mine over the winter and like others have said other than standing water i havent found them a problem, in fact drifting the Exige in the wet was quite enjoyable and controllable.

[zebra]

AO48's can affected in exactly the same way although I've yet to see exstensive crackinh _ when you drive on them when it's too cold there is a tendancy for the car to feel as if the tracking is out, with a wheel wobble between 40 and 60mph.

Zebra

[cyberface]

Also remember that the US is a big place, and central / northern America gets *properly* cold. Not the 0 to -4 celsius seen here in 'freezing weather' but full-on, right-proper-job -10 to -40 degrees.

Storing summer trackday stickies in an unheated shed over winter in the UK may result in hardening (as per Tim's tyres) but I reckon the 'cracking' is probably only likely in 'proper' winters i.e. -10 degrees or less.

Still, the A048R and 888 tyres perform so badly under 7 degrees that they may as well be hardened off

Mine are sitting in the dining room at the moment, the girlfriend hasn't complained yet

Tim - I'm interested in this 'tyre softener' - does it resuscitate hardened tyres safely? Can it give even more grip to trackday stickies if they're already in 'normal' condition? Does it increase wear once applied? I'm guessing it's some type of solvent that breaks down cross-chains in the polymer compound?