CHEAP HR TYRES

[silverlink]

Hi all,
Have just come across a threat elsewhere on this site regarding Sprint wheels and on it someone has mentioned some HR rated tyres other than Michelin XAS.
They are Vredestein DOT 2012 Sprint 155/ R13 78H (thanks Carl)
Now the last time I looked for tyres rated for 130mph I could only find the Michelin XAS which were very expensive compared to any of the other makes but Carl points out that the Vredestein's are available on Ebay (http://r.ebay.com/57n86J) at ?63 per pair which to me seems real value for money, what do you think?

Ian

[TroonSprint]

Back in February this year I went to my local tyre dealer (a one man operation, not a chain) and asked him to get me a set of the Vredestein Sprints 155 HR13. He obtained five within a day from his supplier in Glasgow and charged me ?51.50 each including VAT, and that included fitting and balancing. So your ebay deal seems expensive to me. I can't tell you what they are like to use, as although my Sprint is coming along, it isn't ready for the road yet.

What I'm trying to say is, don't dismiss a local tyre dealer. They can often undercut the internet - well Sam at Troon Tyres & Exhausts can!

Mike

[Europatc]

Ian, Mike I have them fitted to my Sprint and there top class. Its ok getting them off flea bay and the like but they have to be delivered, you have to have them fitted, you need to get rid of your old ones. Its worth that bit more to retain the people on our high street. Use them or Loose them. Its like B and Q. They have killed off most of the little sole traders who had all the little bits and pieces you needed. They will sell you the full unit you try and get spares for it
all the best
Stuart

[UAB807F]

Hi Ian,

Well, they look a good deal to me although perhaps not as cheap as the headline figure suggests. I bought locally and paid roughly ?50 a corner for the tyres on my car which I think were T rating. There wasn't any real choice in makes but that price did include new valves, fitting, balancing and old tyre disposal.

I think these Vredesteins are cheap because they're a couple of years old now and presumably the mainstream dealers only want to accept new tyres from the current year production. I can't say that would bother me too much if they have been stored correctly, it would just come down to the economics of how much it would cost per wheel to get them fitted & balanced with new valves.

Compared with new Vredesteins it's got to be a bargain but against SR or TR tyres it could be a close call. I guess it depends how much you value the HR rating ?

Brian

[Keith Scarfe]

Hi Ian.
Just thought I would add that I got a set of these through the very same link (ebay to MyTyres) and paid a very similar if not the same price. I think this is a good deal (about ?32 each) for these H rated tyres, but like someone said you have to factor in getting them fitted and balanced. Luckily I have a local friendly garage who does mine, he charges ?10 per tyre.
I have had the tyres on now most of this year and can report that they are very good in terms of grip. I did have >10 year old tyres on there before so anything would be better than them but I do think these Ved's are really good and would defo recommend them.
Yes they are not brand new (off the production line) but have sat on a shelf for a while (I think mine were 2012) but they say they are correctly stored so should be OK. This didn't bother me anyway, they looked brand new when they arrived and they are obviously not used.
HTH.
Keith.

[Keith Scarfe]

Here is a direct link to the MyTyres wed site with these:
http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=110&Cookie=froogle&details=Ordern&typ=R-259767&ranzahl=4&nichtweiter=1&pk_campaign=froogle&wt_ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Eco%2Euk%2Faclk%3Fsa%3Dl%26ai%3DCQcjj7gccVNzUJuvIiwbghIDQC_CYoMwFkK_O4LwBq4vNqO0CCAQQAigFUMbwsWVgu4aAgNAKoAHMg_fuA8gBB6kCyqOCH6GatT6qBCNP0EyB0lBHxC17QrN6T1YdEyaJK4p6VcXqBiVCg7Wz7og_WcAFBaAGJoAH6KawL4gHAZAHAqgHpr4b4BLDsqu50fCvoLYB%26sig%3DAOD64_3yjBUbJn78KJywCRQ5tbgDiBdZow%26ctype%3D5%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26ved%3D0CCoQwg8%26adurl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ftracker%2Emarinsm%2Ecom%2Frd%253Fcid%253Ddy4wb5in00%2526mkwid%253Ds8mF5j8x9_dc%2526pcrid%253D50599592704%2526lp%253Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fmytyres%2Eco%2Euk%2Fcgi-bin%2Fp%2Epl%25253FID%25253Dfroogle%252526Country%25253DUK%252526typ%25253DR-259767&ID=froogle&wt_t=1411123256000&wt_ga=&wt_kw=

[silverlink]

Thanks for all your replies guys,
I wasn't suggesting buying from Fleabay I was just surprised to find an alternative to the very expensive Michelin XAS which was HR rated. When I first started looking I couldn't find another HR rated tyre and then I came across the Vredestein. As said earlier these tyres are available from My Tyres at around ?32 each plus fitting which here in my part of the UK is around ?12.
Ian

[Sea Ranch]

Hope the OP doesn't mind . . .

For those of us in North America, how about Tires Easy (tires-easy.com) . . .

I have been considering this: 165/80 R13 H rated, with great UTQG ratings of 420 (treadwear) AA (braking rating, the best) and A (temperature, the highest rating) . . .
http://www.tires-easy.com/cgi-bin/rshop ... p=R-170601

Also: this T rated tire . . .
http://www.tires-easy.com/cgi-bin/rshop ... p=R-263860

Obviously cheap tires, but the quality is better than the price might suggest, as this is one of those "online scavenger" companies that simply source tires internationally and offer them through their site.

[Galwaylotus]

Achilles Tyres - made in Indonesia. Westlake Tyres - made in China. I wouldn't put either on my car.

[Sea Ranch]

Go ahead . . . tell us why that would be, Galway . . .

[Galwaylotus]

"Off-brand" far eastern tyres that I've experienced like driving on ice. I look for grip and a long tread life rating is a red flag for me. I always stick with respected and well-known brands - but to each his own!

[Sea Ranch]

There is a theoretical inverse relationship between tread wear rating and grip, agreed.

In the old days, we used to say that Continental was somehow able to reverse this relationship and achieve reasonable traction and excellent wear characteristics.

My personal experience, and obviously it's just mine, is that the lower cost "off-shore" tires never achieve excellent wear in practice, regardless of the UTQG rating, which is often what people dislike about those "tyres". Further, judging by conventional wisdom, it would follow that the premium brands, with their longer tread life, have poorer traction.

In the end, I believe there are compounds/formulations which can deliver decent performance in both categories. Short of an on-car/on-road comparison test, it's next to impossible to predict which tires will show the best of either. A person can go with the "name brand promise", or roll the dice with the lower-price option. For me, it's hard to imagine that the triple-priced name brand tire can deliver triple the performance, and I like fresh tires with their new sipes and deep tread for wet traction.

As always (and especially in this case), ymmv: your mileage may vary!

Now, who drives their beautiful vintage Lotus in the rain, anyway!

Randy

[john.p.clegg]

I'm Spartacus....

John

[Quart Meg Miles]

I'm Spartacus....

John

Me too, though mine isn't beautiful, and I have been known to put the hood up.

Currently running Michelin Energy 145/80 R 13 75T and pleased with them.

[Galwaylotus]

Now, who drives their beautiful vintage Lotus in the rain, anyway!
Randy

Anyone who lives on this side of the Pond!!