ISmall Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I've got Michelin Pilot SX 185 / 60 R14 tyres on my standard Minilite wheels (all inherited from last owner 18 months ago), but I've found them to be pretty erratic in even slightly damp roads, or in the dry when giving the car some stick on bends. Can anyone recommend a suitable replacement make for next summer? What's so good about Yokohamas? Are they just good for race events, and is there a better everyday performance road tyre available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I can recommend Yokohama AO21Rs and AO32Rs. I have not driven with Pilots but gather that both Yokos offer more grip and feedback in the dry, and I've not had any problems in the wet. I prefer AO32Rs for trackdays as they seem to work better when hot but AO21Rs seem just as good on the road. Some maintain 21s are better in the wet but I've never pushed things in the wet and have had no problems with the 32s. Tyre wear will be greater but if you don't go on track it won't be terrible; if you do go on track, all the more reason to get sticky rubber! All the best, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrolhead Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Nick beet me to it. If you have a look back over this section you will find many discussions about tyres including mine (Wheels). The general concension is that a good all round tyre for both dry and wep performance is the Yoko A021-R. I recently got a price £51.62 + Vat ea Free Delivery if buying 4 from G Pooley. When I spoke to him earlier this week he said he was getting some more in by the end of the week. I shopped around and he seems the most competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrolhead Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 My god just noticed that I am now an Angel. I promise to polish my wings and learn to spel Long way before I hit the dizzy height of Anorack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISmall Posted October 18, 2000 Author Share Posted October 18, 2000 Thanks. I've made a few calls and I can't believe how cheap they are! Pilots are over £100 notes each! I'd imagine that Yokohamas are a softer, grippier (!?) compound therefore will wear at a much faster rate? Also, a few suppliers have said that AO21Rs are harder to get these days and tried to fob me off with S306s which look like the kind of thing you'd put on a Vectra! Why is there such a difference in price for Yokos??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I saw George Polley at Foxhall Stadium in Ipswich at the weekend - he was fitting dozens of sets of AO21Rs so you shouldn't have any trouble getting any. Let me know if you do - I have a dozen part worn ones in my garage! Yes, AO21Rs are softer / grippier than Pilots. As for price, they are used by many racers so maybe it's a supply and demand thing. I've always got mine from Easytrack who have charged the same as George Polley. You can probably pay a lot more if you want at your local tyre fitter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Checkley Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I had Pilots when I first got my VVC, and found myself in a few awkward spots having been used to A021's on the previous car. I changed to A032's on the VVC as I was doing a few trackdays and found them to be excellent and very predictable trackday tyres. I would classify the A021 as a more general all round tyre, which will be much better suited to the 7 than your current Pilots. The A032's are also very good tyres, but I would say that they are more suited to dry conditions. Regards, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Wong1697456877 Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I've gone through quite a few sets of tyres. IMHO : 021's - best all round tyre for road and occasional track use. Good value. 032's - Better in the dry but not as progressive as 021. In the wet, not as bad as people think unless there is standing water to clear. ACB10 - Available in 3 compounds. Hard (standard caterham) compound not as much better than 032's as people may think but have a certain feel to them that the radial Yoko's don't have. More condusive to steering by throttle than radial tyres. Again, not as bad in the wet as they look unless there is standing water. Expensive. Softer compounds are very grippy. Need camber changes to work best. Tramline more than radials. CR500 - Kind of like 021's but very good in the wet. Absurdly expensive. Normal road tyres - Michelin etc - Way too hard to work in a 7. I've tried Goodyear GSD's and Yoko A520's. Good value and last forever but appaling performance wise. I use A520's on the road cos they're cheap and hardly wear at all. Alex Wong www.alexwong.net _________ / / ___ _/______ /_ ___ / (_) (_)/ /`-'/o/ _______ o/`-'/ / /// ( VDU7X ) \/ / /___/--_________/--/___/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Gibson Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 I have only used Yoko tires on my last 4 Lotus cars in the USA. Even on my 4x4 truck Yoko's were the best. I do however use BF Goodrich Comp T/A R1 soft compound tires. On a normal car they may last 2000 miles. They are great on the 7 , but they do thow up stones a bit. Check out: www.tirerack.com for info on them Richard Gibson 85 Caterham Crossflow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 I'd go with you on that one Alex. My Yoko 520's need to get warm to give any level of decent grip, but just last forever! I might add they is for road use only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain chaos Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Alex, Which of the yoko's would you use if the car's set up for ACB10's, or do they both ride the same and are both crap without changing the ears's etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Would they be a weight differential between A 021 R and Pilots Exalto in 14 inches? Multiplied by 4 it would be good to take... Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Wong1697456877 Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Captain Chaos, Using radials on a car with crossply cambers is ok but the back does let go a bit more suddenly with the reduced camber. It is a subtle effect and some more experienced drivers than myself think I may be imagining it. Bearing in mind that most live axle cars run very little if any rear camber and use yoko's to good effect, I suppose I could be! 032's are better than 021's in the dry so I'd go for them. Alex Wong www.alexwong.net _________ / / ___ _/______ /_ ___ / (_) (_)/ /`-'/o/ _______ o/`-'/ / /// ( VDU7X ) \/ / /___/--_________/--/___/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Haighton Posted October 26, 2000 Share Posted October 26, 2000 On tyres - why not consider Bridgestone Potenza RE 720s. These are available in 13" size at 60 profile and have a similar tread pattern and dual compound construction as the Potenza SO2 Pole Position, which are only available in 15" upwards. The RE 720s are on List 1A and are becoming a tyre of choice for smaller wheels in road going sprint classes - I knocked more than 2 seconds off my previous best time at Curborough with them. Oh, ....and they're cheap. I paid BMTR about £210 for a set of 4 fitted, valved, balanced and buffed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain chaos Posted October 26, 2000 Share Posted October 26, 2000 Allan, What are they like on the on the road? and how do they cope with our inclement weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Haighton Posted October 29, 2000 Share Posted October 29, 2000 I'm afraid I'm probably not the best person to answer for the RE720's road performance. They're certainly better than the NCT2's I'm using as my normal road typres - but that isn't saying much. They grip well in the dry and break away progressively in the wet - nothing dramatic. I'm keen on keeping to 70 profiles for road use since my locality (Gloucester) is plagued with speed bumps, so I try not to use the RE720s on the road. A forthcoming upgrade will be to a set of A021s for the road. So I guess by next year I shall be able to compare the RE720s and the A021s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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