Tyre Choices

Novice Racer · Post by **Novice Racer** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:56 pm

Had a look through some old posts re tyre choice.

As some of you know, I have a standard K-series S2 Elise. Currently, the front Potenzas are completely worn on the inside - as per expected with these tyres. By that I mean the inside part of the tyre has ZREO tread and is completely smooth

whilst the rest of the tyre has plenty life left.

The rears are also Potenzas with plenty left - these were replaced just before I bought the car a year ago and I have done about 8000 non-track miles.

Had been keen on the Toyo R888 but have 175 rims on the front.

I am keen to change for a grippier summer tyre (ie AO48) that is not too scary in the wet if caught out in a storm.

Any thoughts ?

John

Post by **Shug** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:18 pm

AD07s. No point at all going to 48s or 888s for road driving. You'll scare the crap out of yourself in the wet and you won't get enough temp in them to make sense of the money.

It's really a no-brainer if you've still got 175s on the front.

Novice Racer · Post by **Novice Racer** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:36 pm

Fine.

Where to get AD07s. Wheelsaround?

Post by **Shug** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:39 pm

Not sure if they are Lotus (Murray) only still - if they are, you'll get an SE discount, so prices won't be as bad as you think.

Deffo the best choice for a road car - much like the Advans on the S1, I believe, 95% as good as a semi-slick on track and much better in any other circumstance.

Before anyone says, yeah, I've got A038s on mine, but it'll now only ever get used for dry road runs and TDs (when she's finally back on the road again)

Post by **simon** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:00 pm

Yep, AD07s from MMC, £394ish + fitting with the SE discount. Insist that you get the discount and quote the mail from Pauline from the thread in General if you need to.

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:43 pm

I would also get the camber changed a little if it's worn as uneven as that assuming you aint going on track (might give you a little more bite at the front end).

Post by **Shug** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:20 pm

The uneven front wear would be cancelled out by making the camber positive, which would definitely not help the turn in!

It's a 'feature' which disappears as you corner harder

MacK · Post by **MacK** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:21 pm

gorrie wrote:I would also get the camber changed a little if it's worn as uneven as that assuming you aint going on track (might give you a little more bite at the front end).

The uneven tyre wear seems to be a 'feature' of the Bridgestones.

I had the same problem last year and this is one reply I got on the subject of adjusting the camber, from Giles.

GilesM wrote:John

Just a quick comment about the uneven front tyre wear, I had exactly the same on my S2 with the original Bridgestone RE040s, strange it happened with all of the sets of RE040s I fitted, other people have also had the same. I started using T1-Rs about 18 months ago, mainly because I found the RE040 to be poor for the last 3mm or so of tread, and I never liked them in the wet. Once I fitted the T1-Rs I stopped getting the uneven tyre wear, I have had the Geo checked once, this was with the second or third set of T1-Rs and I had the front camber adjusted more negative, so the inside tyre wear should have been worse. So in summary the front T1-Rs don't seem to wear on the inside like the RE040s did, even with more negative front camber, I can't explain it, but this is what happened.

Giles

So I would say, change to the AD07's and not to worry too much about the (not so) unusual tyre wear.

Post by **Shug** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:23 pm

MacK - probably a side effect of the more rigid Bridgie sidewalls, in comparison to the softer Toyos.

MacK · Post by **MacK** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:36 pm

I've not seen anyone mention it on the AD07's either yet, are they softer sidewalls too?

Anyway it does appear to be just the Bridgestones that have the problem, so NR doesn't need a geo check/camber adjustment.

/
Day off Shug?

Post by **Shug** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:40 pm

MacK wrote: Day off Shug?

How did you guess, dear boy

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:06 pm

OK, I will stand corrected then.

I was assuming that standard road use would be the main use (as he says 8000mls with no track days)... so cornering harder probably isn't an option, which also possibly means he isn't getting the benefit of the negative camber set up...

So maybe could go slightly more positive without it detracting from the turn in (I also was of the impression that it would actually increase initial bite, as the contact patch is larger... but under heavy cornering the limit would be exceeded quicker as the contact patch moved outwards), but with added tyre wear on the Bridgestones as a bonus.

That was my theory anyway.

Andy.

Novice Racer · Post by **Novice Racer** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:33 pm

simon wrote:Yep, AD07s from MMC, £394ish + fitting with the SE discount. Insist that you get the discount and quote the mail from Pauline from the thread in General if you need to.

So wheels around cannot source AD07s?

MacK · Post by **MacK** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:51 pm

The AD07's have an LTS code marked on them, and are secifically for the Elise, and at the moment are only available from dealers. Other AD07's are available, but they are a different compound and not 'endorsed' by Lotus.

AFAIK

Post by **simon** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:07 pm

Novice Racer wrote:So wheels around cannot source AD07s?

Try asking them. But even if they could, I doubt they'd be a cheap as MMC

Can't believe I just said that