Tires (again!)

[davidj]

I know this is a much talked about subject and have looked at all the the posts, but I have to buy 5 145r13 tires for my S3, which is a significant investment in cost and performance and a decision I will have to live with for the foreseeable future.
I cannot really justify the cost of Cinturato’s, £588 for 5, Uniroyal rainexpert look too modern. Blockleys? I have read mixed reviews https://www.tyrepress.com/2019/07/origi ... HwmYYu5yio However, some people swear by them and a good price at £372 https://www.blockleytyre.com/product/145r13

Has anyone any recent recommendations?

Cheers.

[Ross Robbins]

I'm sure to provoke the purists who demand only the best tire (tyre) for our little cars, but I'd bet I have driven more in the last two years than most any Elan owner and I have done it on the least expensive Kumho's I can buy. I did upsize to 155/13 though.

I believe that the Blockley tyres are probably better made and have better technology than anything one could buy in the 60's at any price. Get them and get on the road and drive, drive, drive!!

[661]

I'm sure to provoke the purists who demand only the best tire (tyre) for our little cars, but I'd bet I have driven more in the last two years than most any Elan owner and I have done it on the least expensive Kumho's I can buy. I did upsize to 155/13 though.

I believe that the Blockley tyres are probably better made and have better technology than anything one could buy in the 60's at any price. Get them and get on the road and drive, drive, drive!!

Ross is a man who likes to drive.
( see you at the Revival this year?? - PM me)

[mbell]

Personally I go with fit the best tires you can possibly fit. They are one of the major safety items on the car.

I know your not suggesting cheap tires but this video can give you an idea on the difference you get for paying for that premium tyre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nm9jq8PWFs

It hard to know what the difference between a Pirelli, Uniroyal or Blockleys unless the have been tested but at the end of the day a few feet of braking distances or extra grip to could be a life changing thing for yourself or someone else.

[StressCraxx]

Agree with mbell completely. Tires are a safety item. Age of your tires are also an issue. As tires get older (7 years +) the chances of a belt or sidewall separation increase, the sidewalls crack and the tread compound gets harder and harder providing less grip and longer braking distances, particularly wet braking. Careful maintenance and inspection are your friend.

What's really important is how tires are stored and maintained.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenan ... correctly/

[Craven]

May be a little thought provoking! I fitted these 155 x 70 x 13. to my S3
https://www.goodyear.eu/en_gb/consumer/ ... RIPCO.html
Those that have looked at wheel clearance will see the advantage, rolling radius in between 145 155 x 80. Light weight tyre with all the advantages of the latest compound etc

[greg40green]

Bridgestones are perfect .

[alanr]

I needed tyres last year and I deliberated for a while over fitting Blockleys to my +2 but in the end I fitted Falken Sincera SN832 's and I am more than happy with their performance.

Alan

[davidj]

Personally I go with fit the best tires you can possibly fit. They are one of the major safety items on the car.

I know your not suggesting cheap tires but this video can give you an idea on the difference you get for paying for that premium tyre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nm9jq8PWFs

It hard to know what the difference between a Pirelli, Uniroyal or Blockleys unless the have been tested but at the end of the day a few feet of braking distances or extra grip to could be a life changing thing for yourself or someone else.

Thanks for all your comments and I totally agree with mbell which is why I asked the question. I guess unless we stage our own version of the youtube test, we will never know the differences between the tires. However, I have a nagging suspicion that the Pirelli's, with their 60 year old tread pattern would not perform as well as a modern tire? Blockleys tread pattern appears to be even more ancient. Is there a danger of fitting a tire which looks correct, but hopelessly outdated? Another complication are the skinny 145.. I guess modern tires are designed to work with a wider width. Willing to be corrected though on all my remarks

[h20hamelan]

I believe the Pirelli tread is timeless.
Rally cars still use it (or very similar)
Suppose the only difference might be roads are paved or cemented nowadays. Hydroplaning and low tyre pressure are about the only issues. We all have TPMS viewable on our phones or visible in car right? As blowouts happen, that is the reason they are mandatory on new cars since 2007.

661 had about 4 sets of tyres, he was maybe going to have time to test.

I suppose the ultimate is, are you ever running your 888's on the street in the wet. Do you need gravel tyres ever, are there hydro tyres for our cars.

So for me, the most dextrous tyre is a snow. Because they are soft and sticky, and have great hydro.
This is what I run on the alloys, the steels have the Pirelli, its a tough call for a long road trip which ones, but I go with the snow tyres. Because I live in the mountains, and it can get cold up there.

[661]

I believe the Pirelli tread is timeless.
Rally cars still use it (or very similar)
Suppose the only difference might be roads are paved or cemented nowadays. Hydroplaning and low tyre pressure are about the only issues. We all have TPMS viewable on our phones or visible in car right? As blowouts happen, that is the reason they are mandatory on new cars since 2007.

661 had about 4 sets of tyres, he was maybe going to have time to test.

I suppose the ultimate is, are you ever running your 888's on the street in the wet. Do you need gravel tyres ever, are there hydro tyres for our cars.

So for me, the most dextrous tyre is a snow. Because they are soft and sticky, and have great hydro.
This is what I run on the alloys, the steels have the Pirelli, its a tough call for a long road trip which ones, but I go with the snow tyres. Because I live in the mountains, and it can get cold up there.

I only had one of each!
The purpose was to find the best fitting, the 155 XAS came out on top .(S4 Elan) Now that the car has all 4 tyres on of the same make , I can report it drives very well indeed. Certainly the best tyre I've used. Others have simply been too hard. Even with a sticky compound these tyres will have plenty of tread left by their 6th year, when I try to renew.

[h20hamelan]

Ah, my pardon.

[mbell]

However, I have a nagging suspicion that the Pirelli's, with their 60 year old tread pattern would not perform as well as a modern tire?

I've gone from some carefully chosen (Burum Briliantis 3, decent manufacturer, high-ish wear rate) modern tires to the CN36. I think the CN36 develop more grip and are more confidence inspiring, I suspect the CN36 caracas is of better quality and design for an elan/+2, the compounds is better (aka softer and grippier). It might lose out in very wet and aqua plane conditions compared to a modern design.

[seniorchristo]

I just recently fitted a set of the Kumho tires suggested by Ross and I am very happy with them.
They seem to handle well, at least in the dry so far, and are very smooth and quiet. Tire Rack now lists them as "Closeout" with 8 remaining in stock. They list no other 155 /80R13 tires available.

[jonnyg]

I see that the long-awaited Pirelli Cinturato CA67s in 155/R13 size are now available from Longstone tyres, with their iconic tread pattern. Like so many of you before me, I am currently weighing up the options for a new set of tyres for my '69 Elan S4 SE. Back in the day I believe Elans like mine came fitted with Dunlop SP Sport Aquajets when new. When I bought the car a couple of years ago it came with Michelin XAS FFs all round, but these are now getting old and hard and need replacing. So, what to choose? Stick with Michelin XAS FFs again, or try the new Cinturatos which also look good (or, as a possible option in the interests of originality, go for the Aquajets?) I do only 2 or 3 thousand miles a year, on local country roads, in the dry, and at only moderate speeds (so will not be exploring the outright performance characteristics of any of these tyres - indeed, would I even be able to detect any significant difference between any of them in normal daily use). As others have said, the Michelins are very expensive, the Cinturatos will probably be less costly, like the Aquajets. All have 'interesting' tread patterns; some people like the idiosyncratic tread pattern of the Michelins, though personally I find them a bit odd; the Cinturato CA67 looks very much a period-correct late 60s sports car tyre, and the Aquajet has the original tread pattern which would have been seen on the car in the first place. I'll ponder my choice further before I take the plunge since this is a costly purchase, but the arrival of the Cinturato in Elan size complicates the choice (and might just be the winner, all things considered). Choices, choices!