Time for another tyre thread

[Rick-sta]

thinking of changing the make of tyres I use. For the last few years I've been using Uniroyal Rain Sport 3's. Fantastic tyre with awesome wet grip and a great price (I get them for £89 each including postage from camskill), but I'm just getting fed up of how quickly they wear down and how often I have to change the tyres. My front pair were changed in March last year so only lasted 10 months and I've done about 7-8k miles in that time. So even though the tyres are a good price, with how regularly I have to change them it isn't really saving me money.

So what tyres are others running on 18 inch wheels which is within the below £100 a tyre price range? 225 45 r18 tyre size. Preferably A wet grip rated, this is the reason why I've stuck with uniroyal for so long as they are A wet grip rated and have fantastic grip in the rain, the car feels like as if you're driving in dry conditions it grips so well.

Thinking of going for Avon ZZ5's which are A wet grip rated and slightly cheaper than Uniroyals.

Not sure whether to go back to Jinyu YU61 tyres, when I first bought my ZT it came with Jinyu YU61 tyres fitted and to be fair they were really good. But they're C wet grip rated.

Trying to go for the best wet performance tyre I can within my budget as I spun my ZT out once on a roundabout in wet greasy conditions (wasn't even going quick) whilst running rubbish budget tyres (they came with my apexs), so since then I've tried to stick with good tyres.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

[FLYING BANANA]

i have gone back to Continental M3's on Banana. The Rainspots were great on grip but bad on mileage, and I was doing a lot of miles. Granted the M3's are not cheap but I get a good deal with my local tyre shops.

The Rainspots on the V8 lasted just 4,000 miles on the rears. Now have Bridgestones on.

[wullie480]

That’s interesting about the uniroyals as I was looking at getting those next.
Ive had Avon’s before but I ended up changing them as they developed a sort of flat spot on them was as if 1 part of the tyre hadn’t inflated properly which was really bad when braking causing vibration. May have been down to poor storage before fitting but I’ve never tried them again.
I also had Pirelli’ pzero which were great but only lasted about the same as your uniroyals.
The best tyres I’ve had were the continentals but there not cheap I’m currently running yokahama winter tyres but not sure what I’ll be fitting next but it won’t be budget tyres.

[Ian G]

I've been using GT radials for the last 5 or 6 years and they have never given me a moments concern.
Having these fitted to the Sprout on Monday at £88 each inclusive of all cost's.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...e-Launched.htm

Cheers Ian

[keithst24]

Nexens are good value tyres, Bumbles been on them for years now

[mininuts]

Just replaced my front Rainsport 3s with a pair of Michelin Pilot Sport 3s. Really impressed so far in all weathers, rain snow and dry. They feel very sure footed in the wet and, to be perfectly honest, I haven't noticed any difference from the RS3s.
We'll have to see if they wear better

[flying_pig]

Ill go for three a tyres better specs than falkens not to noisy good wet grip and last pair lasted me just over a year and 27k got them on my ztt astra and mini
Think they around 90 quid a pair

[first-things-first]

I've got Uniroyal RS3's all round. They were changed 9K ago. The tracking (by Hunter equipment) was done at the same time, all this around 2 years 3 months ago.

I've just checked and estimate I've got 4mm at worst. At some points around 5mm. Front and rear very similar. Wear looks quite even to me.

I do around 70% urban so might be worse on tyres?

I've got a ZT with 225/45 x 18.

[alanaslan]

Originally Posted by Rick-sta

thinking of changing the make of tyres I use. For the last few years I've been using Uniroyal Rain Sport 3's. Fantastic tyre with awesome wet grip and a great price (I get them for £89 each including postage from camskill), but I'm just getting fed up of how quickly they wear down and how often I have to change the tyres. My front pair were changed in March last year so only lasted 10 months and I've done about 7-8k miles in that time. So even though the tyres are a good price, with how regularly I have to change them it isn't really saving me money.



So what tyres are others running on 18 inch wheels which is within the below £100 a tyre price range? 225 45 r18 tyre size. Preferably A wet grip rated, this is the reason why I've stuck with uniroyal for so long as they are A wet grip rated and have fantastic grip in the rain, the car feels like as if you're driving in dry conditions it grips so well.



Thinking of going for Avon ZZ5's which are A wet grip rated and slightly cheaper than Uniroyals.



Not sure whether to go back to Jinyu YU61 tyres, when I first bought my ZT it came with Jinyu YU61 tyres fitted and to be fair they were really good. But they're C wet grip rated.



Trying to go for the best wet performance tyre I can within my budget as I spun my ZT out once on a roundabout in wet greasy conditions (wasn't even going quick) whilst running rubbish budget tyres (they came with my apexs), so since then I've tried to stick with good tyres.



Any suggestions would be much appreciated

I have been running Rover 75s since the evening of the launch 21 years ago. Living up in darkest Scotland I automatically change my tyres every November to April when I run winter tyres preferably older style block tread M+S type as against the more modern high volume water shifters that's so many company's now sell as winter tyres. Modern winter tyres are soft to generate more heat and so more grip, their tread pattern is designed to shift high volumes of water. Avon or Firestone currently are making the best winter tyres at under 300 pounds for a full set they are good for around 16 to 20k running them at 38 to 40 psi. 70% of my mileage is about town and both cars are Automatic Diesels.
In the summer P9000s or their current replacement for these I expect to pay 400 pounds plus for a full set. They used to be good for 35k on the rear 27k on the front again run 38 to 40 psi these are nice and grippy.
On the other hand you can buy a full set of B or C wet grip tyres on offer on eBay for 120 pounds then pay 20 pounds to have them fitted, you need to slow down 5MPH on the corners and they will last for around 8 to 12 k if inflated to 36 to 38 psi. Dare I say you pays your money and takes your chance. I have tried Michlen Green tyres several times and never found them to be that great at griping the road wet or dry and they did not last long enough to justify there higher price.
The best tyres I have ever had were a set of Gaslavid back in 2001 the fronts lasted 35k and the rears 43k. Please note I bin my tyres at 2mm lowest level of tread which can be 3.2mm at the best part of the tyre. In 2001 I was still working and 90% of my miles were motorway 60 to 80 speed wise depending on Urban or open road.
Sorry this is not a lot of help. I Have found that with low profile tyres you are better off running them slightly over inflated as this makes up for the lack of sidewall to keep the foot print more square to the road surface. This will not hurt the tyre unless you are driving it at three figure speeds. If you are able to drive at three figure speeds more than 65% of the time then under inflate by 2psi when standing cold.
A interesting note is if you inflate your tyres in the summer at say an air temp around low 20s in the winter when the outside air is 8 degrees or below your tyre pressures will be down by 4 to 6 psi.
Don't fall for the we will fill your tyre with Nitrogen that a certain tyre fitting company try to get you to do and pay anything from 2 to 3 pounds a tyre. Compressed Air is 70% Nitrogen and is free.

For the average motorist you pays your money and you hope for the best. With the current rules on tyre manufacture a B B 70Db tyre with a 91 rated sidewall is just that no matter makes it as to conform to the spec tyre companies are very limited in compound type.

My winter tyres are 195 65 15 A or B wet grip with the best economy and as quiet as I can get with a 94 rated sidewall, the Reason for 195s is that is what my snow chains fit and they set me back 200 pounds twenty years ago. Hence the 195mm wide tyres

The estate runs 225 45 17 94 sidewall load in the summer whilst the Saloon runs 225 45 18 91 sidewall load in the summer, always try to get A rated wet grip noise as low as possible and whatever economy rating that comes with the wet grip.

Hope this is of some help
Alan

[alanaslan]

Originally Posted by FLYING BANANA

i have gone back to Continental M3's on Banana. The Rainspots were great on grip but bad on mileage, and I was doing a lot of miles. Granted the M3's are not cheap but I get a good deal with my local tyre shops.



The Rainspots on the V8 lasted just 4,000 miles on the rears. Now have Bridgestones on.

When I had the V8 when I was working in Germany I had Goodrige on the car running 2psi under inflated Ihad a 135km commute each way most of which was Autobahn I was in my fifties then and had a lead right foot and got 7k from the rears when I changed I could only get Bridgestone that day they were treated to the same style of driving and I managed to squeeze 9k out of the rears even with the Germans much stiffer Tread laws. I did notice when over there that summer tyres came with a minimum of 10mm of tread and winters came with anything up to 16mm tread. Sort of made up for the bin before 4mm usually 5mm.
It makes me laugh when adverts say a new tyre has 8mm of tread when new. It depends on what type of tyre and what market they are being made for.
Alan