Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Afternoon all,

I need to replace the rear tyres on my 72 ?lan Sprint and wondered what the favoured (and currently available) tyres are for use in the UK, year round. I did a search and couldn't find a really recent thread on the currently available tyres.

I am aware of the love for the Michelin XAS FF and understand these are the pinnacle for fast use, but what are the next best option that don't cost ?170 per corner?

There are some Bridgestone, Dunlop, Kuhmo and Michelins on the blackcircles website, but wonder who has what and whether they are any good.

Thanks in advance,
James

This may be useful:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Size/ ... -Tyres.htm

Perhaps a 165/70 may give you more options.
Also, if you've worn out the rears, they've either been on a while, or, nice work. If the former , I'd change the fronts too if they are over 6years old

Uniroyal RainExpert.

Check out a tyre called Vredestein sprint. That's what I have and I really rate them. Good performance and they look like a classic tyre too. You can also get them in H speed rate too which is quite rare in our shopping car size. Check out this thread http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-suspension-f42/cheap-tyres-t32621.html

Keith Scarfe wrote:Check out a tyre called Vredestein sprint.

But are they still made? I hope I didn't miss anything, but a Google search didn't disclose any UK supplier who had them in stock.

Keith,
Thanks for the link to the sprint thread. I would be happy to buy these as I have a Couple in the front already and they are well recommended, but they are not available in this size any,ore anywhere by the looks of it.

Thanks also for the link to the tyre review site earlier, it looks like the Dunlop and Uniroyal are relatively well respected, so I might go down that route.

Cheers,
James

rcraven wrote:

Keith Scarfe wrote:Check out a tyre called Vredestein sprint.

But are they still made? I hope I didn't miss anything, but a Google search didn't disclose any UK supplier who had them in stock.

Here in the USA they are available from Coker and other vintage tire suppliers.

I've been happy with Michelin Energy E3R (in 145 for my early Elan) and they feel good in the wet as well as dry. They were about ?50 each 18 months ago. It depends how you're going to drive, I suppose!

rcraven wrote:

Keith Scarfe wrote:Check out a tyre called Vredestein sprint.

But are they still made? I hope I didn't miss anything, but a Google search didn't disclose any UK supplier who had them in stock.

When I was looking for tires, I ordered a set of these (165/80r13). I was contacted by the supplier to say they had none and production was being stopped. He did say he could get some but they'd come from Europe and would take a month or two.

Vredenstein's own website is a pain to navigate, but it doesn't list the correct size in the Sprint version, and as far as I can see the nearest size in other (probably unsuitable) versions has the wrong profile. So it doesn't look as though they still make it and if you found anyone stocking them in the UK they'd presumably be old stock.
Articles on this site about the availability of tyres tend to go out of date.
And with another car I've found that on-line suppliers sometimes list tyres they don't have and which are no longer made, presumably because they don't update their websites.
Vintage Tyres list three possible tyres (including the Michelin): http://www.vintagetyres.com/item/923/155tr13--155r13--dunlop-street-response

Wow you you guys are all correct. They don't exist any more not listed on any of the places I would use. When I got mine (only a couple of years ago) they were old stock then but only just (1 year old I think). I thought they still made these but just in the T rating. This is quite worrying. There really is nothing decent any more. All the listed ones are T rated. I guess that is OK just but H would be better. Sorry for misleading you but I didn't realise they had stopped making them completely.

Plenty of 155/80 R13T here:
http://www.eiretyres.com/search?vehicleTypes=PKW&vehicleTypes=RACE_PKW&vehicleTypes=LLKW&vehicleTypes=VINTAGE_PKW&vehicleTypes=OFF&season=SO&width=155&profile=80&size=13&speedRating=T&priceCategory=all&brand=

I have ordered the Uniroyal Rain Expert 3 tyres and will report back once they are on and i have had a chance to test them out.
Thanks for all your assistance.
James

My Europa rides on the Kumhos, I think I bought 165's though.

It's a low-end tire but at silly speeds for the street is still nicely predictable, good in wet too. I suspect few even on this list drive at sustained speeds over 100mph so question a general need for H-rating. These cars are so light they don't stress tires much, so the largest challenge is getting enough sticky out of them without more weight.

Something that might be worth consideration is variation in (unsprung) weight; it's one of two reasons why I think wide tires on an early Lotus are a questionable idea. The other is their ability to stress minimally-sized suspension arms and the chassis beyond original design intent when driven with purpose. Racers pay frequent attention to these parts so are less at risk than street drivers who make those mods primarily for appearance.

My car came to me with Michelin 'Rainforce' tires, I bought new because I bought Minilites too and the originals are in a closet on the steel rims. Those were 155 and they worked just fine too.

We cannot get the Uniroyal Rainexperts in N.America so I have been shopping around. One possibility is General Tire Altimax RT43. These are generally rated slightly higher than the equivalent Kumhos but are still T rate-like the previous poster I think this is acceptable for street use. General Tire is part of Continental Tire apparently. However, the smallest size they do in 13 inch is 175 which is what I am looking for since I have wider rims and narrow springs but may not suit others.