Tyres

I admit it's a bit of a guesstimate, but I've had the car for 14 years now (half its life and 2/3 of total km traveled) - where do the years go?

Perhaps 7 or 8 years on FM800s would be more realistic.
 
Here's a slightly different perspective on tyres.

I have just replaced two front tractor tyres, 380/70x24 tubeless radial. Options included Chinese at $800 each, Indian at $1000, Vredestein (Dutch but who knows where made) at $1100, none of which were in stock. I ended up with Cultor, made by Mitas in Czech, for $1100, which were in stock at my local local Michelin truck and tractor tyre dealer. I passed on the Michelins at $1600! Prices plus fitting ($110 for an hour's field service: they prefer to fit tractor tyres with the wheel still on the tractor), plus valves, plus GST. Criteria are grip, softness of ride, puncture resitance and longevity. Dealer said for what I am doing with the tractor I don't need Michelins. If I was using it all day every day he would have recommended them.

Roger
 
Concur with all said about the FM800s. I have them on the 240Z, a car which has the capacity to push tyres to the limit, especially with a certain clown at the wheel.

They have good grip, wet or dry, and are predictable, giving very clear „do you really think this is a good idea?“ messages at both front and rear.

Can thoroughly recommend them

Andrew
 
Mitas is now owned by Yokohama. The tyres may come from factories in Czechia, Slovenia, Serbia, Sri Lanka or USA.
 
seasink said:
Mitas is now owned by Yokohama. The tyres may come from factories in Czechia, Slovenia, Serbia, Sri Lanka or USA.
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I've had a lot of Mitas tyres on motorcycles.
They always seem to do the job.
They have good reputation in competition circles, particularly, enduro, speedway, MX etc.
All the Mitas motor cycle tyres I've had have been made in Czechoslovakia.
Funnily enough I'm looking at getting a pair for my TA250 Suzuki at the moment.
I've been trying to find whitewalls at a reasonable price, as that is what the bike had OE, but have had no luck as it is not a very common size.
I've shortlisted these classic pattern Mitas tyres.
I'll let you know where they are made if I end up going.with them

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I ended up going with Shinko tyres for the Suzuki.
Shinko have been making bicycle and motorcycle tyres since the 1940s. Shinko bought all Yokohama's tyre moulds and tech off them when Yokohama stopped making motorcycle tyres in the late '90s. Shinko is a Japanese company, but they are now getting their tyres manufactured in Korea.
I did find out that the Mitas tyres I was considering are made in Belgium.
 
Hi tyre folk... Asking for informed opinions here. I am investing in a new set of wheels and tyres with the hope of curing some traction and ride issues with my pug 308 GTI 270. It's factory spec 19" wheels shod with 235/35/19 struggle to conform to the road surface and are bloody noisy.

I am ordering a custom made set of 18 x 8" wheels to clear the front brakes and allow a better tyre choice.

One recommendation is 245/40 r18 with +.8% total circumference difference.

Or I go for 235/40 r18 with a -.4% difference.

I'm thinking more sidewall is better but I'm worried the extra width will affect steering response and noise.

Tyre will most likely be a Michelin PS5.

Thoughts?
 
If you are seeking better ride, then, other things being equal (like tyre type), the 22% sidewall height increase for the 245/40 should be noticeable.
So, for that matter, should the 15.6% of the 235/40.
One advantage of the latter over the 245/40 is that turn-in response should be sharper with the shorter sidewall & the greater pre-tensioning of the sidewall of the narrower tyres on the same 8" rim. I mention this as you have chosen a sporty variant of the 308 & thus presumably value handling response.

As for noise, this is going to be more tyre dependent. I don't think that you'd notice the difference between 245/40 & 235/40 except for a bit more bump-thump with the latter. (I'm assuming same tyre type for each.) You don't say what the current tyre type is but assuming that the new ones will be PS5, I'd browse the PS5 tyre tests at Tyre Reviews & see what is said about noise &, if your current tyres are in any of the tests, about relative noise.

www.tyrereviews.com

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Will the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 suit your car? Find the best tyre for your car read 54 reviews for the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 and compare to other Ultra High Performance tyres at tyre reviews
www.tyrereviews.com www.tyrereviews.com
 
4cvgordini said:
If you are seeking better ride, then, other things being equal (like tyre type), the 22% sidewall height increase for the 245/40 should be noticeable.
So, for that matter, should the 15.6% of the 235/40.
One advantage of the latter over the 245/40 is that turn-in response should be sharper with the shorter sidewall & the greater pre-tensioning of the sidewall of the narrower tyres on the same 8" rim. I mention this as you have chosen a sporty variant of the 308 & thus presumably value handling response.

As for noise, this is going to be more tyre dependent. I don't think that you'd notice the difference between 245/40 & 235/40 except for a bit more bump-thump with the latter. (I'm assuming same tyre type for each.) You don't say what the current tyre type is but assuming that the new ones will be PS5, I'd browse the PS5 tyre tests at Tyre Reviews & see what is said about noise &, if your current tyres are in any of the tests, about relative noise.

www.tyrereviews.com

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Will the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 suit your car? Find the best tyre for your car read 54 reviews for the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 and compare to other Ultra High Performance tyres at tyre reviews
www.tyrereviews.com www.tyrereviews.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for the detailed response. I don't want to lose the crisp turn in that's for sure. But I definitely want to take the edge off the initial bump response.

Current tyres are pirelli p-zeros, not the good ones. Fronts have worn to legal minimum in 12000 kays and offer terrible limit feel and grip and are very harsh and noisy. Do not like them at all.

I have been considering some contis but feel confident in Michelin as the last few sets I've used on other cars have been great. PS3 on a fiesta in 195/55/15 were excellent. The PS4 on an A3 were brilliant. PS4S on the A4 have and continue to be great - even after 600000 they have worn evenly and still offer sick inducing grip.

Edit: a quick read makes me think I should consider the conti sport contact 7 too.
 
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A small post scriptum:

keep in mind that there will be considerable variation within tyre types of a given size as to comfort & handling "crispness" & that these are competing priorities.
 
Something else to consider for your next set of burnout tyres is the colour of the smoke they generate.
I had no idea this was a thing, but evidently it is ...

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David S said:
Something else to consider for your next set of burnout tyres is the colour of the smoke they generate.
I had no idea this was a thing, but evidently it is ...

View attachment 230091

View attachment 230090
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Yeah a guy I know goes in burnout comps.
You can get ones that change colour as they wear down as well.
This bright spark in a Commodore got arrested (and his car crushed) up here for doing a massive burnout in a residential area for a baby's gender reveal.
It's actually fairly common in gender reveals, and it's usually a Commodore driver.🤔
PS "It's a boy"!

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David S said:
Now the gender has been determined, there is the small matter of a suitable name ...
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/of...child-has-the-most-aussie-name-ever-c-8689458

And a tyre query. How bad can a never used Michelin spare that's lived in the boot since 2007 really be?
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Poor little fella. At least it wasn't Leyland Marina I suppose.😁
I wouldn't stress over the spare tyre, but I'm guessing some might.😉
Living in a boot compartment it's pretty sheltered from the elements, I'm guessing it still looks and smells like a brand new tyre?
The "5 year" limit isn't even a thing in QLD.
RWC is just a check for tread depth, cracking/perishing and general damage.
Other than that ancient motorbike tyre I had fail a couple of months ago, the only tyre disasters I've had have been with brand new tyres anyway.🤷‍♂️
 
Holden is a legitimate male first name though. Not so sure about Leyland. Leland certainly ... and Morris, also yes, where brothers could be Major and Minor, even if twins. There are of course the people in WA who named their kids after a combination of Holden, Brock, Monaro etc.. Daughter's 2nd and 3rd names are Mona Rose.
Tyre look, feel, smell 100% as new. Doesn't match any of the other tyres, so it's actually fairly useless, but still a closer match than any sort of the typical space-saver spare. You can see why manufacturers would like to eliminate the spare and save an expensive Primacy tyre and pretty alloy rim that is often never used.
 
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David S said:
Holden is a legitimate male first name though. Not so sure about Leyland. Leland certainly ... and Morris, also yes, where brothers could be Major and Minor, even if twins. There are of course the people in WA who named their kids after a combination of Holden, Brock, Monaro etc.. Daughter's 2nd and 3rd names are Mona Rose.
Click to expand...
No it's a legit first name, just not a popular one.
Even as a historical surname, you often see Leyland and Leland used interchangeably.
Leyland Hodgson was a supporting actor in over 100 movies during the '30s and '40s.
My oldest son's young fella is named Hudson, I usually call him Hornet.😆

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