sticky rubber wanted!

[missmouse]

What tyres do folks here recomend? I am running on the front (newish) dunlop sport9000 & on the back (1/2 worn) pirelli p7000. (215/45x17)
The other day i had a (sort of!) race with a guy in a peugeot 406 coupe (nice LOOKING car, but hardly in S2 class!) anyway on a tightish motorway offramp in the wet, he was actually gaining on me & I was feeling the car starting to slip!
I had the missus in the car so i couldnt really do anything too mad & when on the straight I left him standing. But the thing is this: what f***g tyres did that guy have? 4x4 should have left him in the armco!
I WANT!!!

Simon

[s2driveruk]

goodyear eagle F1 or toyo for wet i would say. F1's have the slight nose in my opinion

[audiman]

quattro doesnt give you any better cornering ability. It gives you the ability to get traction out of the corner. Common mistake to make, but maybe that 406 had some monster 18's on it with 235 rubber??? Maybe not. But yes the goodyears arent bad in the wet. Yokos are damn good in the dry, but not so good in damp conditions

[caterpillar]

What tyres do folks here recomend? I am running on the front (newish) dunlop sport9000 & on the back (1/2 worn) pirelli p7000. (215/45x17)
The other day i had a (sort of!) race with a guy in a peugeot 406 coupe (nice LOOKING car, but hardly in S2 class!) anyway on a tightish motorway offramp in the wet, he was actually gaining on me & I was feeling the car starting to slip!
I had the missus in the car so i couldnt really do anything too mad & when on the straight I left him standing. But the thing is this: what f***g tyres did that guy have? 4x4 should have left him in the armco!
I WANT!!!

Simon

sticky rubber.............try bridgestone potensa 540, or was it blissak

[Pete_RS2]

I've just got Uniroyal Rainsports fitted. They have a good reputation in the wet.

[RIX]

one word bridgestone so3

[Fat Audi 80]

Toyo's advertised as a good rain tyre. I am on my third pair and love them!

[dan_b]

My personal view is this, in order of preference:
1. Toyo Proxes T1-S - although they won't be around for much longer so grab them quick. Superb in the wet, great in the dry, break away very predicably on the edge.
2. GoodYear Eagle F1- DS03 - also superb in the wet, great in the dry, but I think the sidewall is a little softer than the Toyos - better ride, not quite as precise turn in.
3. Bridgestone S02 Pole Position - although they're almost impossible to get anymore. Possibly better in the wet than the Toyos, wear out very quickly, noisy and harder ride.

I wouldn't touch a Pirelli with a barge pole. No experience of Michelins, but they're always way overpriced. Don't even go near a budget tyre - you want the best performance you can get regardless of conditions - you never know when you need it.

Totally agree with Tom about the quattro mis-conception: it doesn't automatically give you improved cornering capacity, but what it does give you is TRACTION. A few years ago at a very wet Castle Combe, in my old 80Sport, I was able to pass an 20v urQ on a bend, and that was purely down to my Toyos. He tried to boot it to pass me too early and spun off in to the grass - tyres are vital.

[missmouse]

[QUOTE=dan_b]My personal view is this, in order of preference:
1. Toyo Proxes T1-S - although they won't be around for much longer so grab them quick. Superb in the wet, great in the dry, break away very predicably on the edge.
2. GoodYear Eagle F1- DS03 - also superb in the wet, great in the dry, but I think the sidewall is a little softer than the Toyos - better ride, not quite as precise turn in.
3. Bridgestone S02 Pole Position - although they're almost impossible to get anymore. Possibly better in the wet than the Toyos, wear out very quickly, noisy and harder ride.

I wouldn't touch a Pirelli with a barge pole. No experience of Michelins, but they're always way overpriced. Don't even go near a budget tyre - you want the best performance you can get regardless of conditions - you never know when you need it.

Totally agree with Tom about the quattro mis-conception: it doesn't automatically give you improved cornering capacity, but what it does give you is TRACTION. A few years ago at a very wet Castle Combe, in my old 80Sport, I was able to pass an 20v urQ on a bend, and that was purely down to my Toyos. He tried to boot it to pass me too early and spun off in to the grass - tyres are vital.[/QUOTE



Well thanx for all the suggestions guys: new tyres coming soon!
However I cant agree with Dan & Tom about the 4x4 not giving better roadholding in the wet. surely you guys have had a blast in a powerful 2wheel drive car in the wet?
A perfect example is the Honda S2000, similar power & performance to a standard S2 and probably better roadholding too (in the dry), BUT try one in the wet! you will SH*T yourself!!!

simon





]

[audiman]

I didnt say roadholding! I said cornering grip. There is a lot of difference. I have driven high powered 2 wheel drive cars in the wet and they are a nightmare to get TRACTION. That is getting the power onto the tarmac. 2wd cars can often out corner a 4wd car. BTDT.

[missmouse]

I didnt say roadholding! I said cornering grip. There is a lot of difference. I have driven high powered 2 wheel drive cars in the wet and they are a nightmare to get TRACTION. That is getting the power onto the tarmac. 2wd cars can often out corner a 4wd car. BTDT.

Maybe we are at crossed purposes here Tom, but I AM meaning wet road cornering! Dont you think 4x4 is of any help in those circumstances?
Would our cars corner just the same in the wet if we were to disconnect either of the axles? (hypothecically of course, with all the weight penalty gone too)
Say you were to fit your mental engine into a standard 80 2wd coupe, could you go round a tight bend as fast IN THE WET?
That might be an interesting project! I saw an article some time ago about a golf with an S2 engine fitted but not sure if the used the S2 quatro system.

cheers,
simon

[dan_b]

If you've got the same chassis design, same weight distribution, same power, same overall weight, same tyres, same road conditions, if you're balanced flat and stable through a corner, a 2WD car will corner to the same maximum potential as a 4WD car. What is different is when you try to apply power at any time either at entry, taking the corner, or at corner exit.

A FWD car will at that point scrabble for traction. The quattro system gives you extra traction, meaning you should be able to accelerate OUT of the bend more quickly.

Don't forget that there are myriad influences on cornering potential and traction. Extra weight gives you extra traction. Extra weight gives you worse cornering potential due to the extra mass giving you extra momentum which tends to want to make you travel in a straight line. Sticking the engine mostly in front of the front axle gives you very predictable (and boring!) understeer if you get it wrong. Sticking the engine behind the drivers ears gives you vastly quicker turn in, and vastly quicker potential to stick the back of the car in front of you if you get it wrong!


I refer you to my earlier experience at Castle Combe in my old 1985 80Sport, which had about 140BHP going through the front wheels. In the wet, I was out cornering ur-Quattros when flat through corners - better tyres, less weight, no acceleration. When trying to accelerate OUT of the bends though, I was minced by every quattro car out there, I had wheel spin city - high power through front wheels, low road surface traction, and you're trying to shift the weight of the car backwards by accelerating, meaning even less traction, and Mr Spinny Wheel time!

That's my view anyway.