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MG MGF Technical - Sliding in the Wet
| Hi everyone, I know this has probably been mentioned before. I come round a small roundabout and started to accelerate before I had straightened up (doing about 20mph). This would have been fine in the dry but when I did this in the wet, the rear started to slide. Mananged to get control back by steering and taking my foot of the accelerator. My question is: What can be done to improve the F's handling in the wet? I recently wrote off my MX5 with a spin in the wet and as you can imagine the F sliding is causing me some concern. any ideas? |
| John |
| >What can be done to improve the F's handling in the wet? Slow down & treat the accelerator with respect. |
| Dot |
| As Dot says taking it easier in the wet would be the best first course of action. I don't want to sound like I'm putting you down either, but as you said yourself you have already written off an MX5 in a similar situation which points more to driver error than anything. Eeek that sounds like I'm being really nasty - I don't mean to sound that way! With regards to lifting off the accerator doing this too suddenly could actually make matters worse. I have been in the same situation myself - driver error? Hmmm. Basically it's better to ease off the accelerator gently as you can rather than just taknig your foot clean off the pedal, otherwise you just cause engine braking and hey presto you spin. However, plenty of people have experienced the back end stepping out in the wet, which is why you should not take my driver error remark too personally. Quite simply you have to take it easy in the F when it's wet. Also I'm going to assume you have the original Goodyear NCT3 tyres on your car, if so these are quite frankly dire when it comes to wet weather performance. Since I switched to Bridgestone S0-2's (all round) I've not experienced any loss of traction in the wet, other than possibly very slight understeer - the back end has stayed put. I put this down to a combination of the MUCH better tyres and the fact that I now treat the F a little more gently when it's wet. HTH. http://www.dotcomoff.demon.co.uk Home of the F'ers Gallery and MG Dealer Guide. :) |
| Paul Lathwell |
| Dear All I too have suffered the same problem at LOW!!! speeds round a roundabout. I think that the handling in the wet of the MGF is SH*TE!!!!! Regards Sunil 1.8i BRG N440 GYG |
| Sunil |
| If you hit the accelerater too hard at any speed going around any corner, the back will kick out. The F is not brilliant in the wet, but assumung that the tyres & suspension are OK, it's the driver's fault. |
| Dot |
Hi all! There is help to be found , take a look at www.racelogic.co.uk and point at "Traction control". Also lots of nice things for the "K"-engine on that site. Regards , Carl. |
| Carl |
| I know it sounds like driver error, but I had only just started accelerating when the back started going. Due to my experience with the MX5 in which I only escaped with a fractured pelvis, I have learnt to treat the accerlerator in any sports car gently in the wet. Which is why on this roundabout (which I use everyday) I was going quite slowly when the rear kicked out. Paul I think I have Eagle tyres on my F. Where can I get the Bridgestone tyres? Will my MG dealer fit them? Thanks for any help. John |
| John |
| To Dot and Sunil, pPaul is not telling a word of a lie. with S-02s on the car the wet handling is infact brilliant and i feel very confident in the wet. and indeed you can accelerate hard out of corners in the wet and feel confident that you will be ok. if there is any slight drift it is completly controlable. my car also has toe in 5 min front and back, but thinking about it this if anything makes the car more likely to oversteer. with the bridgestone tyres though not a problem. i obviously would like to ad a little disclaimer that despite the fact that i have complete faith in the tyres obviously if you act liek a wally in the wet and really really push you will always end up in the ditch, so still respect the wet. but with these tyres there is no need to be scared of it. which i was before i got them. John as far as where to get them the best thing to do is to phone around all the tyre places you can find and see if they sell them and compare the prices. there will be a huge range of prices. you will not however be able to get 185 tyres which the F comes with on the front so IMO go for 195./50/15 front and 205/50/15 rear. you will not regret it. also make sure they are S-02s Pole Position. The Pole position just means they are the latest incarnation - slightly better good luck |
| matt |
| John, With regards to getting S0-2's - you may find a number of tyre dealers will be a litle reluctent to fit them because as it's already been stated they don't come in the standard size for the front. Avoid any of the Kwik-Fit tyre centers as they will ONLY fit NCT3's ie. they are totally crap. |
| Paul Lathwell |
| Sunil, <handling in the wet of the MGF is SH*TE!!!!!> Drive fast in any other rear-wheel drive car on a roundabout, in the wet, and you'll go out of control. Whether a Ford Granada or an F355. I did it in both and I can tell you, the latter really gave me a fright, because i wasn't expecting it. Matt is right. The 'F's handling in the wet is brilliant with good tires, and still well above average with the standard ones. If you like computers to take over driving from you, fit traction control to your MGF (an aberration, if you ask me) or buy a 3-series BMW like my grandad: it's fitted as standard. I HATE traction-control. In average-power cars it's useless (except up a hill in the snow) and in powerful cars it's ever so frustrating. The only interesting feature i've ever discovered about it is the "off" button. Anybody agrees with me? No? |
| Tony Braham |
Tony, A few laps around Ring Knutstorp WITH PSM-system on was about the most spectacular driving ever made ! The Porsche was fantastic, nearly as fast as without the system but without any fear of hitting the AMORC-rails ! A slight smell from the brakes after the session as they had been working overtime to correct any overoptimistic aproaches in some turns. A GOOD system can save both car and driver but as You stated - a lousy cheap system is a bore.. As regarding to rear end drive cars there is a huge diff. depending on inertia, ie. weight distrubution. One of the best, 944 and later on 968 are so well balanced that power slides in the wet can be made and handled by anyone. Catching the "F" in the wet with NCT 3´s is another story ! Carl. |
| Carl |
| carl agree with the catching an F on NCT3s. i never actually lost it but quite a few time i felt lucky to end up pointing the right way still and roughly on my side of the road. But with adjusted alignment and new tyres the car's balance is fanatastic, and feels like it should for a mid engine car. And not once has there been an issue of 'having to catch it' just drifts around nicely what a great car |
| Matt |
| Tony, >>except up a hill in the snow hum hum ... well listen to a short story: On the BMW 3 series you have an electronic system (can't remember the name) which reduces the revs when you accelerate (even with the feet down on the accelerator, it prevents the engine to rev up to avoid the wheels to slide) The fun happens when you want to climb a hill in the snow ... the revs drop until the engine stalls ! I wonder how you can reach the top ! >>A GOOD system can save both car and driver Only a good driver can save both car and driver (and passenger) IMO With all those electronic systems, I think drivers are becoming less and less responsible on the road, saynig anyway, "If I do anything wrong, the system will correct my faults ..." Jerome |
| Jérôme |
| Tony, >>except up a hill in the snow hum hum ... well listen to a short story: On the BMW 3 series you have an electronic system (can't remember the name) which reduces the revs when you accelerate (even with the feet down on the accelerator, it prevents the engine to rev up to avoid the wheels to slide) The fun happens when you want to climb a hill in the snow ... the revs drop until the engine stalls ! I wonder how you can reach the top ! >>A GOOD system can save both car and driver Only a good driver can save both car and driver (and passenger) IMO With all those electronic systems, I think drivers are becoming less and less responsible on the road, saying anyway, "If I do anything wrong, the system will correct my faults ..." Jerome |
| Jérôme |
| Bridgestone SO2 is the only quick solution answer ;) |
| Dirk |
| John, I, like a number of regulars on this BBS, hill climb and sprint my MGF. This year *everyone* has fitted Bridgestone S-02 tyres including myself. They are simply superb in the dry- transition over the limit of adhesion is wonderfully progressive, and you get plenty of warning. In the wet, the transformation from NCT-3s is difficult to over emphasise- they instill huge confidence in the driver that the car is going to go exactly where you point it. Again, when the limit is reached, lots of communication, and you can get things back on track very quickly. I would NEVER fit NCT-3s or any other equivalent tyre to my MGF. Such is my confidence in the Bridgestones, I do not think I'd buy anything else! Rob |
| Rob Bell |
| Has anyone experience lack of control at the front in the wet. I recently went over the Manx TT cicruit and thro' one of the bends which has a slight depression in it, a route I've used time and time again, and got one hell of a shock in the F. As I turned thro' the corner the car continued in the original straight line, it went into the corner in. I was doing around 40mph, quite slow really considering I would usually top 60-80mph in my old 306 1.8i. My tires are fine etc. It seems to me as the car went over the crest of the depression, there was insufficient weight to maintain the pressure on tires and keep grip as I cornered. Hence it slid, lucky for me I caught it straight away before hitting the wall on the other side, not before ending up on the wrong side mind !! . Needless to say, I learn't very quickly and take the car very steady in any wet conditions, forget round abouts etc, the F will go anywhere ?? |
| Mark Rodman |
> Has anyone experience lack of control at the front in the wet. Only with the crappy NCT3s fitted. Stuck record, I know, but get Bridgestone S02s ... etc. Even they will slide... but much more progressively and with more warning. P. |
| Paul Nothard |
| The Bridgestone's are the tyres to get. The standard fit goodyears are very sensitive to pressure (the Bridgestones are not). If you are staying with the Goodyears until worn out, I would advise that you buy an accurate tyre pressure gauge and make sure that you do not over inflate. Bridgestones on back, Goodyears on front are OK - but do not fit Bridgestones on front, Goodyears on back. Why are the bridgestones not standard fit ? Steve |
| Steve |
| >Why are the bridgestones not standard fit ? Cost more? Ted |
| Ted Newman |
> Why are the bridgestones not standard fit ? Cost, as Ted says. ...and they'd be wasted on >50% of 'F owners ? ...and people would complain that they don't last until the 36k service(!) ? P. |
| Paul Nothard |
| Amonst other cars, the Honda S2000 has S02's as standard ... Its handling is praised in the magazines ... surprise ? |
| Fabrice |
| In which size do the S02s come? At the moment, I have 215/40/16 Eagle F1s on all four wheels and, although I am tempted by the S02s after reading all your positive feedback, I wouldn't like to go back to the original 15 thumbs setup. Niklas |
| Niklas |
| The Honda S2000 does indeed use S-02s. Had a chat with a chap who turned up to sprint his yesterday. Strangely they aren't Pole Positions- an OEM issue? Also, the profiles are suprisingly high- 205/55 R16s at the front, and 225/50 R16s rear... more useless facts for the pot!!! ;o) For 'our' purposes, we use much lower profiles. For the 16" rim, the 215/40 does not exist, so you need to opt for the 205/40s instead- which IMHO is not a real compromise given the trade between rolling resistance and the sheer grip these tyres seem to provide. Need to check rolling diameters though- to avoid speedo calibration issues- but guessing, I don't think that this should be an problem as it'll be within about 5% of the OE tyre. Rob |
| Rob Bell |
| S02's don't exist in 205/40-16 aswell, but in 205/45-16 which are, in fact, closer in diameter to original 15" tyres than are the 215/40-16 . Guess what will be my next tyres ? Bridgestone, I'll be back again ! |
| Fabrice |
| Hi, Where would be a good place to have these fitted in West London or in Surrey. Cheers, John |
| John |
| Guess what? I was thinking along similar line Fabrice!!! All rather dependant upon som 'cheap' 16" MG rims ofcourse... Good to hear that the 204/45R16s are spot on diameter-wise! John, try Feltham tyres who seem to be very good (they are near Heathrow), or if you are willing to travel a bit further try Micheldever which off the first junction on the A303 after the M3... Happy hunting- well worth search out at a good price. Tyre pricing is incredibly variable- avoid the bigger outlets that invariably charge a fortune. Rob |
| Rob Bell |
| A slight sideways slip, but perhaps someone could help... Sticking to the 15 inch rims and looking for an all rounder (grip & longevity) I thought I'd go for the Eagle F1's. Only they aren't made in 185/55/15 size. I may opt for the 205 on the front but if I don't then it's down to the 195 size, however should they be 195/55/15 or 195/50/15 ? or doesn't it matter. Phil |
| Phil |
| I have 195/50R15s on the front- different tyre manufacturer I know, but I don't have the problems with 'tramlining' that some report with 205/50R15s. A long way of saying, go for 195/50s! Rob |
| Rob Bell |
| Trying to remember the formula:- The first is the width of the tread in MM the second bit is the percentage of the width as a profile the third is the rim size in inches and the letter is the speed rating with the highest being a Z rated tyre. So if I am right a 195/55 will have a slightly larger diameter than a 195/50. Or is that all a lot of cobblers. Ted |
| Ted Newman |
| That sounds right Ted, so do we go for 195/55 with a slightly larger diameter than the std 185/55, or the 195/50 with a slightly smaller diameter than std. Does it matter ? Of course, I've then got to find the cheapest supplier |
| Phil |
| Doesn't matter too much as the speedo reading is based on the drive to the rear wheels. A lower profile will mean less tyre wall deflection on encountering a bump or a corner so: a) the lower profile will give you a slightly firmer ride b) the lower profile tyre will give slightly better handling characteristcs Depends on your priorities. Mine are for handling, so I went for the 195/50 R15s. Rob |
| Rob Bell |
| You are talking 10 MM difference between lowest and highest profile - less than half an inch - as Rob says go for you pfererence. Ted |
| Ted Newman |
| Thanks, I'll go for the 195/50 simply because Rob recommended it ! & I've already got a price on it (unless I can find a supplier of 205's for not a great deal more. Phil |
| Phil |
| Phil, gor for the 195/50, they are cheaper, because it's one of the most common dimensions. re. diameters : 185/55-15 -> 58.5 cm -- OEM (front) 195/50-15 -> 57.6 cm 195/55-15 -> 59.6 cm 195/45-16 -> 58.2 cm 205/50-15 - > 58.6 cm -- OEM (rear) 225/45-15 -> 58.4 cm (but doesn't exist, I think) 205/45-16 - > 59.1 cm 215/40-16 -> 57.8 cm -- 16" OEM (all round) 225/40-16 - >58.6 cm Rob, I enquired a few month ago for 205/45-16 S02's and they were damn expensive. From the place where a got a set of 4 S02's (195 & 205 combo in 15") last year for under 250 GBP, one 205/45-16 S02 was well over 100 GP. I hadn't too much time to shop around (I was almost ridind on the rear rims), but next time, S02's are on my shopping list, and nothing less ! Fabrice |
| Fabrice |
| Hi, just to give my two swiss francs: I went today with my mg to one of this nice safety courses and did some training. my experiences and opinion: once the back starts to break off in the wet, it's almost impossible to recover - even small drifting angles led into a 360 degree turn. we did it on roundabouts with a special plastic surface (should simulate handling on snow or very slippery surfaces). even on the exercise "hard breaking, avoid obstacle and change lane (obviously from slippery to gripping surface)", once the car had begun to spin - just hope there is nothing coming opposite. I never managed to recover a spinning F on the slippery surface. but i never tried it on wet asphalt, i think, that this would be a bit easier . On the other side: excellent grip on dry surface. tight turning and giving hard gas in second gear, and you made a nice and good controllable drift, very easy to handle. by the way, i have the goodyear ntc mounted. there was also a s2000. same problems here: too much gas on wet surface, and you get nice uncontrollable spin. by the way, i highly recommend to do one of this safety trainings - it's really worth the money! (for the swiss here: VSZ Veltheim) have a nice evening, Alex ps had extreme problems with the cooling - water was 1.5 lines before the red one! - seriously thinking about building in an additional cooling fan... :-( |
| Alex F |
| I would go for 195x50x15 on the front I found the 205s hard work always having to fight with the steering wheel. QUESTION, are 195x40x16 (or so) available and if so will they fit a 16x7J wheel safely? |
| Tony Smith |
| Fabrice, I remember you mentioning the high cost of 205/45R16s before, which is what is putting me off upgrading to 16" rims- especially as I suspect that I'll need to change the complete set of tyres every 18-24 months... If you are finding them expensive (and the price you paid is cheaper than here in the UK, surprise, surprise) I do ot know how much I'd have to pay for them! The angle of controllable drift does indeed depend on road conditions as Alex says (good idea to do a safety course!)- but also depends on the rear toe angle and the type of tyre... I have a cool picture of me holding onto a 90 degree tail out moment at Silverstone in the dry with my MGF fitted with S-02s and a rear toe angle of o degrees... Thanks for the picture David! :o) Tony, I am not sure whether that tyre would be recommended on a 6J rim- one would have to check the manufacturer's literature. Rob |
| Rob Bell |
| Tony, I'm pretty sure you can fit 195/45-16 tyres on 7Jx16 rims. (ratio 45, not 40, to match the original diameter) That size of tyres is available from some manufacturers like Michelin, Pirelli, ... (at a cost similar to 205/45 or 215/40, I guess) These tyres on the front combined with 205/45 or 215/40 on the rear would make a clever choice IMO. Shame that dimension is not too common, so you'll have less choice of makes. Rob, 205/45-16 tyres are not so expensive : it's the S02's in that dimension that are expensive :-( If I had to change my tyres every 24 month, I'd be very happy. But that's my own fault : I really must have the tracking, lowering, ... issues perfectly sorted soon ! Fabrice |
| Fabrice |
| I was talking about the S-02 Fabrice- I wouldn't consider any other tyre now! ;o) Your tyres aren't lasting 24 months???? What kind of mileage are you doing? Crumbs, I'd be somewhat distraught if I had to pay out for rubber so frequently! Rob |
| Rob Bell |
| Salut Alex, >> I never managed to recover a spinning F on the slippery surface. but i never tried >> it on wet asphalt, i think, that this would be a bit easier . I went for such a training in December last year. It was on wet asphalt wtih BWM 3 Series. I tried it with the F too to compare the handling. It's more difficult to take the F out of a spin because of the engine position in the middle of the car. The F doesn't give many warnings before it starts spinning neither. But as far as the angle is not too high, you can recover quite easily indeed (I don't know when it comes by surprise on the road but on that wet roundabout it was OK because you expected it to spin) Jerome |
| Jérôme |
| >> was talking about the S-02 Fabrice- I wouldn't consider any other tyre now! ;o) So do I, Rob ! :) My current Toyo's aren't bad tyres, but I miss the S02's ... At least, with 215/40-16 all round, I can now swap tyres front/rear. At 33K miles, I'm now on my 3rd set of rear tyres, and 4th set on the front. My last set of rear tyres (S02's) lasted 11 months (10 K miles). But before, the rear NCT3's did 18K miles. I'm sometimes (well, often) pushing hard, but I guess there's some tracking issue to sort by myself (no more dealer please) . Fabrice |
| Fabrice |
| I have Toyo's on the front also, not bad for the price, I will only get more expensive tyres when I'm sure that the inside of my tyres remain the same tread depth as the outside :-. Rob, In 3 years after 52,000km I am on my fourth set of front tyres, work it out for yourself :-) I think I have fixed this, but only time will tell. The powerflex bushes really hold it all together much better when cornering, not as many surprises on roundabouts. The reason I have not gone to 16" wheels is that they cost 850 quid for a set, and who wants to buy my old wheels? eh? No one, that's who..... Er where was I... :-( Also, until I can get the car lowered 16" rims look a little silly with all that space above them.. |
| Tony Smith |
| I've joint this thread a little late and probably echoing previous comments. I've driven over 20 MGF Mk2's (and two Mk1's). A mixture of 18i's and VVC's. My own car is 1.8i but with F1 and 16" wheels. The best extra 500GBP ever spent on the new car was upgrading to 16" wheels. There is a huge difference in handling (dry and wet) between… 1) 16" v's 15" wheels (estimate 30% improvement). 2) Car "basic set up/ tracking" (estimate 60% difference between best and worst I have driven) I even have had to return one "loan MGF MK2" within minutes of driving as the basic handling was not right and made driving dangerous if I drive the car "normally". I know there is whole performance side to the finer points of "set up and wheels"... but for drivers like me who love the car pretty much as is... there’s is an awful lot the dealer can do to make the basic MGF much safer. Best wishes Francis PS... Best advice as already stated about skids ... is not to get into one... recognise and act according to conditions (road, car and your own immediate personal state). |
| Francis |
| dealer told me yesterday he has no collection of an MGF in Luxembourg (over 80)which has still correct front tyre settings. "It's just too fragile, 3 bumps and bye bye correct settings", he added. So swap tyres regularly to compensate the excessive wear on front tyres, that's all he can do. |
| Dirk |
| As I mentioned in another thread, my Abby has 215/40/16 F1's and the handling is superb, hardly notice any significant difference in the wet. However, driving 2 standard F's (courtesy cars) the handling, even in the dry was very noticibly bad! I would imagine that they had the standard NCT3's on 15" wheels. The only time I have lost the back briefly was on a dusty/gravelly bend on a country road, and apart from the fact that I was probably overdoing it anyway, any rear-wheel drive car would do the same! So the moral of the story is, get 16" wheels, bung some spanking gorgeous F1's on them and you will stick to the road like sh*te to a blanket. So There! ;-) Chris R585 ERO BTW, if you are losing it in the wet, then slow down! Simple rule, but very effective ;-) |
| Chris George |
| Fabrice and Chris, i have limited experience of different wheel types but i would like to add a few things and ask for comments from other people. OK 16" with F1s, obvioulsy a huge huge improvement on the standard wheels and tyres, no questions asked. But how do they compare to 15" with S02s. I would say from my experience the difference isn't huge. couldn't say which was best, the expereinces where to far apart. And the reasons for sticking with 15" IMO is, as said above, until its lowered 16" can look a little silly. and the 16" F1 set up isn't anywhere as communicative' on the limit. The 15" S02 set up is truelly amazing in this set up. you know exactly what is going on. and once past the limit/on the limit the progression to losing it is so slow you can really easliy cathc it well before anything happens. But either way, 15" with NCT3 are real bad |
| Matt |
| Matt, I agree, I obviously only have experience on 16" F1's and 15" NCT3's somewhat at different ends of the scale. However, the wider wheels really do look the nuts, I agree that it does need to be lowered a bit, but even at normal height it does not look too bad. I have seen a couple of f's that look like tractors the ride height is so high, and they were with both 15 and 16" wheels! I had to laugh... Chris BTW I had an MGB wave at me the other day!! Woo Hoo! |
| Chris George |
| The F1s seem to last longer than the S02s, don't they? I have had mine on 16'' wheels for 30'000 kilometers and I could safely stick to them for perhaps 5000 more (but yes I know, I drive like a grand-mother ;-)). Niklas |
| Niklas |
| I must point out that any negative comments towards 16" wheels is down to the fact that i have to give my self reasons why i don't want thme, cos otherwise i'd get jelous. they do look good. but i'm happy with the 15". |
| Matt |
I think it depends what you want out of a car as to whether you go for 15" or 16" wheels. Also your driving 'style' affects the choice. Some interesting (probably correct too!) statistics : o > 80% of the 'Fs that sprinted with the MGCC used 15" wheels. o Last year's #1, #2 and #3 in the Abingdon trophy cup (includes sprints *and* races) ran on 15" wheels. o The winner ran on 15" wheels with 195 S02s all round. Yes, all round. Interesting isn't it ? :-) I've heard the reasoning that 16" wheels with, say 205/215s all round, will technically give more grip but when driven on the ragged edge they are less predictable. Guess it depends on your driving style when close to the edge. The 16" rims do look the mutt's nutts though. Came v.v.close to buying a set. :o) Just my 2p worth. P. |
| Paul Nothard |
| Hi, for a help on any decision here the car of a german MGCC friend: http://home.t-online.de/home/dkoen/michael.s_2817_.jpg http://home.t-online.de/home/dkoen/michael.s_2806_.jpg http://home.t-online.de/home/dkoen/michael.s_2808_.jpg 7.5Jx16 45mm offset + 225 tyres 9Jx16 50mm offset + 245 tyres added 25 mm rimadapters to the rims to get at last a rim offset of 20mm at the front and 25mm at the rear side. The car has got no lowering knuckles. No idea on the ride behavior but he likes it. Cheers Dieter |
| Dieter |
| To be quite honest my 195x50x15 Front (Toyo) 205x50x15 Rear (Pirelli) setup gives far superior roadholding and handling than the standard setup so the 16" rims are not essential to decent handling. I have not had any scary moments with this setup. The toe in front setting and polly bushes also help some :-) |
| Tony Smith |
| When I had 15" wheels with S02's (195 front/205 rear), the grip was superb, both on the dry and on the wet. Now with 215/40 Toyo Proxes all round on 16" wheels (6 spoke "minilite"), the grip feels better on the front, but not as good on the rear. It's not very noticeable ... It's on some small ends that I know very well where I used to "powerslide" with the NCT3's ; impossible to slide with the S02's, and now, it slides a little with the Toyo's. On fast curves, the F sticks to the road. I guess Goodyear F1's are superior, esp in the wet ... The look is much better with 16" wheels, even if my F isn't lowered (yet). It looks like the tyre test that we were discussing some time ago would give more "scientific" answers. Fabrice |
| Fabrice |
| Lots of good talk about tyres and general views are quite clear. There is too little comment on tyre pressures and what actual pressures are being used. Pressures have such a big input in the tyres performance. Then add the very light front end of the F which makes it difficult to get a tyre to work properly. Hence the sensitivity and very good reports by the users of 'soft compound' tyres. On the subject of overall tyre size I would have to add that whilst tyres from different manufacturers may have the same nominal size the actual dimensions usually differ. This can be quite marked and I have a current ongoing example where the OE 185/55x13 Dunlop is smaller than a rival makers like size, to the point where the new tyres actually touch the body slightly. I have seen this in other sizes as well and since the F has a limited space situation at the front with many comments on 16" users having tyre to wheel arch liner contact it is something that must be borne in mind. Rog |
| Roger Parker |
| Hi Steve, Having recientley started to read these news groups, I have noticed an occassional mention of inner tire wear. I have thus looked at my new (well to me) VVC and guess what, nice tread outside, nearly bald inside! So off to get some new ones, however with all the good publicity SO2s look a good bet, but my back tires are Goodyear F1s (all on std 15" VVC alloys) and they are less than 2K miles old (the garage fitted a new set when I bough the car). What is the reason not to use the combination (at least until the backs wear a bit, and I have a bit more cash...). Paul R405 KPD |
| Paul |
| I just put on 4 F1's on mine (195 front, 205 rear) and the differnce in handling was immediately noticeably even by my pasenger. Thought I would try these over the SO2's as they seem very similiar. John |
| John |
This thread was discussed between 27/08/2000 and 03/09/2000
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