New Tyres

January 11, 2004

My front tyres are getting a bit worn around the edges ( I beleive that this is quite common with the T sport)

So I am going to have to bite the bullet and get some new tyres. Does anyone have any suggestions about what to get?

If you have replaced any tyres on your T sport/sportivo, what did you get and how much did they cost?

Are Fensport good for tyres? They are local to me which is handy.

Looking for something that is not going to break the bank, as well as something that is going to last for a while.

Also, what spec. tyre do I need? The current tyres are 195/55/r16, but I am not sure which speed rating I will need

Cheers.

January 11, 2004

Depending on your driving style, I would stay away from Falken.

I am an enthusiastic driver, and my 215/40ZR17 Falken Ziex ZE512s have lasted about 17000km, and they need to be changed before the 20K mark.

Since I upgraded from the stock 195/60-15 Dunlop SP7000s, I experienced a large increase in grip, but I have no way of knowing how the Falkens would have compared to 215mm wide Dunlop SP7000s.

Grip on the Falkens is okay. Since I changed my launching technique, I have not been behind any of my opponents in legal or illegal racing at the 20m mark. Yes, 20m is nothing, but I have only raced one car that is slower than mine on paper (an '03 1.4-litre VW Polo hatch). The rest have all had power:weight and torque:weight ratio advantages. So I have some useful grip on pull-offs.

Around a track the Falkens were pretty good. Sometimes too good, as I have loads of trouble initiating lift-off oversteer.

They just didn't last very long. My first choice would be Goodyear Eagle F1s, second choice would be Bridgestone S03s, but those tyres carry a 50% premium in SA. And I don't think they'll last long either. :(