Tyres for Dolly Sprints

[mikeyb]

Recomissioning of my Sprint is due to commence tomorrow, I'll need to but 4 new tyres before I put it back on the road.

I'm thinking of something like the Yokhama A539, but recall an old discussion that implied that Sprints handled better on "old style" tread patterns.

I'm also thinking of going for 185/60/13 instead of the standard 175/70/13.  Any plusses or minus's regarding this?

Cheers

Mike!

[oli_88]

How a car handles is pretty subjective at the best of times.
Unless you're going up against the clock it shouldn't matter all that much.

Just experiment, if you don't like the tyres, buy different ones next time around.

[trackerjack]

Life is too short to experiment with tyres and maybe too short because you did!
I have used cheap Acera tyres (made in India)that were used in this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCsaH6LI9a0

I have had Pirelli tyres on my Vectra that split between tread and sidewall (not rare apparently ??))

I like Yokohama tyres/ Firestone etc.
On a recent test Avon tyres came out well.

[oli_88]

trackerjack wrote:

Life is too short to experiment with tyres and maybe too short because you did!
I have used cheap Acera tyres (made in India)that were used in this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCsaH6LI9a0

I have had Pirelli tyres on my Vectra that split between tread and sidewall (not rare apparently ??))

I like Yokohama tyres/ Firestone etc.
On a recent test Avon tyres came out well.

Ok, I'll rephrase that to, cheap tyres are 99.9% of the time.
Experiment with decent tyres.

Better?

[Deleted User]

2252 wrote:

Ok, I'll rephrase that to, cheap tyres are 99.9% of the time.
Experiment with decent tyres.

Better?

The difference between cheap tyres and good ones is often peanuts, the difference in performance is anything but.

My Vitesse had some budget east european tyres on when I first got it, it was like driving on ice even in the best of conditions and nothing short of heart stopping in the wet.

Difference in price between those budget horrors and something decent like the current Falkens was four quid a corner.

And on a Dolly Sprint which is rather undertyred for the amount of power it has, (been there done, that, had a rather 'enhanced' Sprint in my younger days, ended up rolling the arches and fitting 205/60x13's), you don't want to dick about with crap tyres.

[32valves]

185/60's are a good upgrade on a road car. Go for decent grippy tyres. I'm using Toyo Proxes CF1's at the moment, excellent grip and ~£180 for 4 fitted.

[paulsprint]

I have been very pleased with falken ze912 on my sprint, very good in the wet  nice and soft (go very sticky when pushed hard. Always run on 185/60/13. Am currently running yoho. A539,s. Which are also very good but I believe they have stopped making them.  I don't think the sprint needs any more grip than a good set of 185's will give, as to get the best out of the handling a bit of over steer is needed.

[Mark Hammond]

My Sprint ran with the original Dunlop SP Sports but I replaced with Continentals 185/60/13's on 5.5J Dunlop Oval hole steels (better offset to widen the track), this transformed the car.  It's now 30 years since I sold it, tyre technology has improved a millionfold, but one thing hasn't, you cannot afford to mess with cheap or inferior tyres.  Both Toyo and Yokohamas are renowned for working best on these cars.  One of the characteristics the wheel change helped on my car was the tendency to understeer in standard form.  

Mark

[trackerjack]

You guys have championed Falkens.
However about 8 years ago I had a set on my sprint and as you all know I track day everything and these tyres were fine until the last 3 mm and then they were terrible and I will not entertain them as I think they are a low performance tyre.
I also had them on a Pug GTI 1.9 (also tracked) yuk get em off.
Each to his own.

[Deleted User]

Compounds and tread patterns have changed a lot in 8 years.

[Darren Sharp]

I had a set of Michelin Energys fitted in 2009 which transformed my Dolly's Grip and ride although it also got a set of MWS minilights at the same time,which helped (what a boon to have a set of straight, round wheels!). The Michelins were very reasonable at about £48 per corner fitted and balenced. I dont think that they improved the economy as they claim to do but braking was definately better. I had to replace all my tyres after the last RBRR and I bought a cheap set from ATS and they were awful very noisy and no grip in the wet. Apparently Longstones will do copies of the originals now.

Darren

[trackerjack]

380 wrote:

Compounds and tread patterns have changed a lot in 8 years.

Yeh and I am one of the few who actually test em to the limit instead of driving at a snails pace and never finding the edge.
However you may well be right as a business that makes crap gear HAVE to change or go out of business.
Yokahama tyres were nicknamed "Yokahama put me downs" by my fellow motorcyclists in the early seventies and now they are one of THE tyres you can trust.

[Tim Bancroft]

Are'nt Yokos a bit soft?

As the car will be used for long distance driving, I'd think about 175/70 rubber. I like my cars to be a bit narrow tyred, rather get the oversteer at a slower speed, not good with any sort of unpredictability!

Back in the day I always remember seeing Sprints with Pirelli P6s, jeez, this would have been the start of the low profile era, what late 70s into the 80s. Were'nt P7s the first of the low profile rubber, fitted to to Porsche 928 cars?

[thescrapman]

timbancroft61 wrote:

Are'nt Yokos a bit soft?

Maybe a little soft. But the price is right at the moment.

They are not the all out semi - slick trackday type tyres.

People are reporting 10k miles on them, though not in tiny little Triumph sizes.

Cheers

Colin

[mikeyb]

Had to drive to the MOT with the original Dunlop SP Sport spare on one corner, as one of the other tyres on the cracked badly when blown up, made for some interesting cornering!