what tyres for a 700kg 300bhp car?
Discussion
I'm building a '7' style car, i've got some t1r's fitted to the wheels at the minute however if I were to change them for something a little bit more sticky what would you recommend?
I don't want r888's as my driving will be 70% road.... Only other options I can see would be bridgestone re050a and someone recommended uniroyal rainsport 11's.
Any other ideas?
I don't want r888's as my driving will be 70% road.... Only other options I can see would be bridgestone re050a and someone recommended uniroyal rainsport 11's.
Any other ideas?
I used 48R (same as 888s) on my seven. They're fine for occasional wet use.
Other option are the slightly more treaded AD08s - more of an inter tyre.
ETA - My 7 was used mainly on road.
ETA just remembered the toyo R1R
Other option are the slightly more treaded AD08s - more of an inter tyre.
ETA - My 7 was used mainly on road.
ETA just remembered the toyo R1R
Edited by rhinochopig on Saturday 4th September 11:08
Edited by rhinochopig on Saturday 4th September 11:10
I had Kuhmo KU31s on my 900kg 300bhp car, combined with an LSD they did a remarkable job of coping with the power and were usable all year round, but they're not a *massive* step up from T1Rs.
I'd certainly agree about the R888s, I tried them and while they were great in the dry they were pretty scary in any significant amount of water, although following a granny in a Corsa around a roundabout in the VX which was totally sideways must have looked quite amusing to other road users
If you're looking for a similar tyre to the R888s that can cope with rain then the best option is probably something like the new Toyo R1R, the same (or very similar) compound to the R888s but with a tread pattern that will disperse water. I've not tried them myself but they seem very highly rated.
I would say that for a road car I didn't actually like the R888s in the dry either -- they simply had so much grip that there was no fun to be had, it felt like I'd turned my superb-handling car into an Evo or Skyline, i.e. something that would just demolish any corner without any effort at all (police drivers excluded
).
I'd certainly agree about the R888s, I tried them and while they were great in the dry they were pretty scary in any significant amount of water, although following a granny in a Corsa around a roundabout in the VX which was totally sideways must have looked quite amusing to other road users
If you're looking for a similar tyre to the R888s that can cope with rain then the best option is probably something like the new Toyo R1R, the same (or very similar) compound to the R888s but with a tread pattern that will disperse water. I've not tried them myself but they seem very highly rated.
I would say that for a road car I didn't actually like the R888s in the dry either -- they simply had so much grip that there was no fun to be had, it felt like I'd turned my superb-handling car into an Evo or Skyline, i.e. something that would just demolish any corner without any effort at all (police drivers excluded
).Edited by snoopstah on Saturday 4th September 11:16
you have probably already seen this, but if not....
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Toyo R1R or Yoko AD08.
Semislick compound with a more road(read wet) friendly tread.
If you'll never be using it in the wet then a semi slick might suit you better, such as the R888, or Yoko A048R.
If you go down the semi slick route, I'd recommend getting the softest compound you can given the lightness of the car.
Semislick compound with a more road(read wet) friendly tread.
If you'll never be using it in the wet then a semi slick might suit you better, such as the R888, or Yoko A048R.
If you go down the semi slick route, I'd recommend getting the softest compound you can given the lightness of the car.
ewenm said:
Why are you going for 17s? Most 7s live on 13s-15s, with a few on 16s. I've got 15s for road and 13s for track on mine. 13s allow nice cheap tyres
Most go for 13's for lack of wheel weight, however I've got a set of oz ultraleggera's which weigh as much as most 13/14" wheels and less than 90% of 15". Also 14/14" wont go over the brakes. Cheap tyres on 13" would be nice though! 
Check out Caterham/Westfield sites, a lot of info on them.
I had a pair of Yokohamas (don't ask me to remember which ones
) which, once up to temp, were brilliant in the dry and track, wore well but in the wet I spent most the time sideways That may not be due to the tyres though
As 7s are so light, tyres can last a long time so worth spending a little extra and getting the best tyres for the job rather than compromising on price.
I had a pair of Yokohamas (don't ask me to remember which ones
) which, once up to temp, were brilliant in the dry and track, wore well but in the wet I spent most the time sideways That may not be due to the tyres though As 7s are so light, tyres can last a long time so worth spending a little extra and getting the best tyres for the job rather than compromising on price.
Edited by Dracoro on Saturday 4th September 13:46
ewenm said:
Why are you going for 17s? Most 7s live on 13s-15s, with a few on 16s. I've got 15s for road and 13s for track on mine. 13s allow nice cheap tyres
17's are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too big on a 7 style car!!!!!!!!!!Sell them and get something smaller, it will benefit the cars performance greatly imo
snoopstah said:
If you're looking for a similar tyre to the R888s that can cope with rain then the best option is probably something like the new Toyo R1R, the same (or very similar) compound to the R888s but with a tread pattern that will disperse water. I've not tried them myself but they seem very highly rated.
I've got the R1Rs and they are still pretty grippy compared to something like a GY F1 or AVS Sport - but they will handle standing water better than 888s in my experience ( I also have a set of 888s and puddly roads could be scary although damp ones are fine )gareth.e said:
ewenm said:
Why are you going for 17s? Most 7s live on 13s-15s, with a few on 16s. I've got 15s for road and 13s for track on mine. 13s allow nice cheap tyres
17's are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too big on a 7 style car!!!!!!!!!!Sell them and get something smaller, it will benefit the cars performance greatly imo
I guess time will tell though but i'm going to concentrate my efforts on my own driving before I start blaming the car for not being up to scratch!
It seems that the R1R's are a good choice!
jason61c said:
they weigh about the same as a set of decent 13/14" wheels...
:cough: rotational inertia :cough:But in any case:
a) a good 13" wheel will be significnatly lighter than a good 17" wheel
b) wheels aren't much good without tyres, and a 17" tyre will usually be substantially heavier than a 13 " tyre
c) The stiff sidewalled, low profile rubber that you can get for 17" wheels is designed for 2-tonne chavtat BMW's and the like. Light cars tend to give more compliant and progressive handling on less stiff, taller profile tyres.
The only reason to fit big wheels (apart from bling value) is to enclose big brakes, and you don't need big brakes on a Seven.
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