Tyres in the Wet

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Simon Dean - 28 May 2007 12:34 GMT

Any recommendations around the £60 mark? I had a couple of Barum tyres
on before, that weren't bad. But I had to get some new tyres, and the
only 195/60/14's I could find - in stock - that weren't budget - were
some Good Year. Oh, not too shabby I thought.

Sure enough. Quite nice handly in the dry.

In the wet though, completely different story.

The car feels like it's gliding over the water when at speed. Handling
is really tentative, sliding on a corner at really slow speeds...

Any thoughts or recommendations for a better tyre, or realistically,
should I be upping the budget?

Reply to this Message

SteveH - 28 May 2007 13:47 GMT

> Any recommendations around the £60 mark? I had a couple of Barum tyres
> on before, that weren't bad. But I had to get some new tyres, and the
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Any thoughts or recommendations for a better tyre, or realistically,
> should I be upping the budget?

I've used, recently, Goodyear NCT5s, Pirelli P6000s and Marangoni Vantos
in that size.

Of them all, I'm most impressed by the Vanto - even after a quite severe
hammering on a track day, they're still looking good. Work well in the
wet, too - nice deep treads.

Cheap as chips, too - you're looking for exactly the same size as I
bought, which cost me £40 each, incl. fitting.

Signature

SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

Reply to this Message

DervMan - 28 May 2007 13:51 GMT

> Any recommendations around the £60 mark? I had a couple of Barum tyres on
> before, that weren't bad. But I had to get some new tyres, and the only
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Any thoughts or recommendations for a better tyre, or realistically,
> should I be upping the budget?

What Goodyear, specifically? Have you checked the tyre pressures?

If they're still new (inside 500 miles) then the new tyre coating _may_
still be on.

Signature

The DervMan
www.dervman.com

Reply to this Message

Simon Dean - 29 May 2007 19:00 GMT

>> Any recommendations around the £60 mark? I had a couple of Barum tyres on
>> before, that weren't bad. But I had to get some new tyres, and the only
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> If they're still new (inside 500 miles) then the new tyre coating _may_
> still be on.

I tell a lie. They were actually Dunlop Sport SP 490's.

Whoops.

Defo over 500 miles though

Reply to this Message

DervMan - 30 May 2007 10:00 GMT

>>> Any recommendations around the £60 mark? I had a couple of Barum tyres
>>> on before, that weren't bad. But I had to get some new tyres, and the
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> I tell a lie. They were actually Dunlop Sport SP 490's.

Right.

> Whoops.

Heh.

> Defo over 500 miles though

Right. In the wet the new tyre coating takes seemingly forever to come off.

My Ka's standard tyre size was just like yours (I'm guessing, either a Ka,
or a PSA model of some sort, like the Citroen AX?). He came with Contis,
these were okay. I swapped them for Firestone Firehawk F700 "Fuel Savers,"
winner of the longest tyre model name. They were comparable (better in the
wet, inferior in the dry) except in very cold conditions, when they were
"messy." But - when brand new, they were *nasty*. Naturally enough I
discussed the Firestones on my website, www.dervman.com/tyres.htm is the
link to the tyre article, but they're also mentioned in the Ka Diary.

Hmm. Here is where I brush over a nasty oversteery moment with the new tyre
coating on those Firestones: http://www.dervman.com/kd11.htm

Damn, I miss that Ka. :-/

Signature

The DervMan
www.dervman.com

Reply to this Message

Steve B - 29 May 2007 18:27 GMT

It's hard to get good tyres in 14" now. I gave up and got bigger alloys
mainly to get more choice of tyres. Continentals are great in the wet (and
dry). Another top wet tyre is Vredestein. Both may be hard to get in 14"
going by my experiences last year over a 6 week period of ringing tyre
fitters who were full of promises but couldn't deliver. The best cheap tyre
I've seen tested in the annual Auto Express tyre test (mainly wet tests) was
for a Barum Bravura if I remember correctly.

Reply to this Message

SteveH - 29 May 2007 18:32 GMT

> > Any thoughts or recommendations for a better tyre, or realistically,
> > should I be upping the budget?
>
> It's hard to get good tyres in 14" now.

No it's not.

Signature

Reply to this Message

Steve B - 30 May 2007 18:09 GMT

>> > Any thoughts or recommendations for a better tyre, or realistically,
>> > should I be upping the budget?
>>
>> It's hard to get good tyres in 14" now.
>
> No it's not.

It is round here. Promises, promises and no delivery time and again. They
can all get one tyre but fat chance of 4 unless it's some Firestone crap.
What is it about Firestone? Every blasted tyre fitter seems to want to sell
you these.

Reply to this Message

Pete M - 30 May 2007 18:16 GMT

In news:f3kb43$22k4$1@energise.enta.net,
Steve B <sbradsPUTTWENTYFOURHERE@ukfsn.org> wittered on forthwith;

>>>> Any thoughts or recommendations for a better tyre, or
>>>> realistically, should I be upping the budget?
>>>
>>> It's hard to get good tyres in 14" now.
>>
>> No it's not.

> It is round here. Promises, promises and no delivery time and again.
> They can all get one tyre but fat chance of 4 unless it's some
> Firestone crap. What is it about Firestone? Every blasted tyre
> fitter seems to want to sell you these.

Firestone tyres are without doubt some of the worst I've ever known. If they
grip well they wear out in hours, but normally they don't grip well and
still don't last long. Although having said that, the Focus Zetec Mk1's were
fitted with Firestone something or others from the factory and they worked
well and seemed to last forever....

My personal favourite tyres tend to be Avon, then Continental, then Pirelli,
then Goodyear. The Goodyear NCT F1 summat or others were good but didn't
last long. Yokohama tyres are brilliant in the dry, lose tread while you
look at them and don't grip in the wet. Falkens are crap.

Reply to this Message

Paul Cummins - 31 May 2007 16:14 GMT

> Falkens are crap.

In what respect?

I've just stopped using Falkens on my Escort, cos they are no longer
competitive againt Pirelli P6000, which was the original fitment for the
car.

But I've never had a problem with the falkens at all. Much better than
Pirelli 5000 Drago shite.

Signature

Paul Cummins - Always a Nethead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981

Reply to this Message

DervMan - 31 May 2007 21:22 GMT

> In news:f3kb43$22k4$1@energise.enta.net,
> Steve B <sbradsPUTTWENTYFOURHERE@ukfsn.org> wittered on forthwith;
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> didn't last long. Yokohama tyres are brilliant in the dry, lose tread
> while you look at them and don't grip in the wet. Falkens are crap.

On the other hand my experience of Avon is that they're crap, whereas
Falkens last for ages and grip as well as the next tyre in the wet.

SteveH likes Goodyears so I'm bound to dislike these... :)

Signature

The DervMan
www.dervman.com

Reply to this Message

SteveH - 30 May 2007 18:22 GMT

> >> > Any thoughts or recommendations for a better tyre, or realistically,
> >> > should I be upping the budget?
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> can all get one tyre but fat chance of 4 unless it's some Firestone crap.
> What is it about Firestone? Every blasted tyre fitter seems to want to sell

I've had 5 cars in the last 4 years which used 185/60/14 or 195/60/14
tyres, never had an issue getting them.

Just had a set of 195/60/14s fitted to my Alfa 75.

Try eTyres:

http://www.etyres.co.uk/car-tyres-uk/searchresults?tyreWidthId=5&tyrePro
fileId=5&tyreWheelId=3&tyreSpeedId=2&tyreReinforced=F&tyre6Ply=F&tyre8Pl
y=F&tyre4X4=F

I'll definitely recommend the Marangoni tyres I've just had fitted to my
75, too.

Signature

Reply to this Message