Tyres

[theduck 852]

I'll be interested in your thoughts on the rain expert, I do wonder if its just a different name for the same tyre for a different market sector.

[brumster 705]

Wondering whether to keep my R888's or get some AD08Rs :-)

 

Guess it depends on how much we plan for a wet summer this year, and whether I want to spend it looking out of the front window or over the side :-S

[Jez Morton 128]

I just ordered 4 Rain Expert 3's from Camskill, they seemed about the cheapest.

 

Slight correction, I've got Rain Sport 3's for the front and Rain Expert 3's for the rears due to differing sizes. I can't see much difference between the two looking at the specs but I'll know more when the actually turn up.

Differing sizes? Have you changed the Arrays, I assume bigger rears to gear down the V8?

[richyb66 1,160]

Yes new wheels and tyres. Going wider on the rears for a bit more grip rather than taller gearing.The gearing issue is going to be addressed by the R380 gearbox that I'm fitting soon - once I've put the taller fifth gear set in it.

[theduck 852]

out of interest what have you gone for on the back? I've decided I am gong to see how my PE2 cope, and if they dont, finish them off in a cloud of smoke before i upgrade.

[richyb66 1,160]

225/60 15 RE3's on 7" rims

[richyb66 1,160]

The rainsports are available up to 55 profile and the rainexperts are 60 profile and bigger. As Stu says, they're obviously named according to market sector.

[theduck 852]

225/60 15 RE3's on 7" rims

 

Cheers. I think I will want to go wider on the back but until i sort a diff I cant really make a decision on what profile.

[agent_zed 274]

Probably a wise choice to have a rain tyre when going wide on a light car so you don't end up aquaplaning. I drove my 2b in the wet with cheapo V tread tyres on the front, lots of standing water etc, and it was really skittish and they are only 195's

[Tim Norman 272]

I had 225s on the rear of the V8 but could never get any heat into them. Swapped back to 205s and then handling improved too

[richyb66 1,160]

I'm assuming that a wet grip tyre isn't going to need a lot of warming

[kevin the chicken 249]

I think a wet grip tyre is supposed to be a softer compound so that it warms better despite the cooling effect of the water. I would have thought a wider tyre would warm more easily due to its scrubbing effect on the road but if Tim has tried them and says not then I don't know why. Presumably they were the same sort of tyre. I suppose it has more surface area to be cooled.

I run federal rsr tyres and their performance can be summed up as follows. Dry, get really hot and grippy fairly quickly. Stick like used weetabix to the inside of a nappy. Wet like a greased pig on roller skates. Stay indoors or prepare to travel backwards.

[Tim Norman 272]

Its all to do with the footprint and compound.

For a given weight of car exerting pressure on the ground, the wider the tyre the less pressure the tyre puts to the ground. As a result the tyre doesn't work hard enough to generate heat.

Obviously a softer compound will help.

Look at what the racing Catering vans use as a maximum tyre width!

I went from 225/50/15 to 205?50/15 and could actually feel the tyre temp where as with the wider tyre after a 200mile spirited drive the tyres were no warmer than the air!

[kevin the chicken 249]

Yep that makes sense. Every days a school day except this time I am paying attention.

[brumster 705]

Yep, don't get tied up in the old "wider is better" thought. A lot of time it's more to do with longevity and ride than outright grip. As with all these things it's a compromise of a variety of factors.

 

I've got some full wet Pirelli competition tyres; you won't believe what they feel like you know those putty rubbers you used to use in art class ? I bet they'd be amazing tyres on a L7-style car as it would work them so little in terms of weight!