I am in urgent need of a new nearside front tyre, the current one is balder than Wayne Rooney pre transplant!

If I look really hard I can probably find a Pirelli P6000 195/55 R15 to match the ones currently on there, I have always bought these since getting the b 10.5 years ago. That size does seem to be quite rare though.

Having done some research today though I am quite fancying some Toyo T1R's, which also seem to be quite rare in a 55 size. There look to be some good deals about on 50's though and I am wondering if I am going to notice a big difference if I go for the lower profile. I know I can't mix them but would be happy to do all 4 at the prices I have seen. I can also get P6000 in a 50 size really cheaply, was quoted £181 for all 4 fitted!

I don't reckon I i'll see much change from £100 for 1 P6000 in a 55 size so seems like a no brainer to do all 4 with 50's. I haven't bought any new tyres for ages and there is some slight cracking in the walls of my others.

Has anyone made this switch and can comment on whether it made the ride much harder?

Thanks for any advice!

Nikki
Silver 98 LE

Just been through a similar problem with my Elan.

I always used to use pirelli's. Now the Toyo T1R's seem a popular choice

available here for £53 each

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m53b103s2..._TOYO_T1_R_-_R15_inch_-_195_55_15_195_55_R_15

I have ordered brake pads from this company on a couple of occasions.

One thing to consider is if you change tyre size is speedo inacuracy. Although going from a 55 to 50 would only give 2mph inacuracy.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Not sure how much more firmer ride this would give but the B could probably benefit from a bit less roll when cornering

Ha ha, chance would be a fine thing, but my speedo hardly ever works!

I didn't realise they would affect the speedo (I am blonde though ) I will have a look at that calculator when I get home, can't get it to work here.

You are right about the corner roll, but with all the potholes around here I am more worried about rattling my teeth, lol!

I saw those tyres on Camskill yesterday, I have not used them before so it's good to know they are ok. I saw some 50's yesterday for £50 each fitted, but they dont have any stock, I need to do some more searching.

What did you end up going for on your Elan?

Thanks for the reply!

I'm also looking at some new tyres, and something to handle the potholes! I've got Michelin Pilot Exalto 195/55 R15s at the moment, and an MoT advisory for Christmas. Replacing the same will be about £100 each, so I'm interested in what other people are running..

Cheers

Use the search function in the menus and search for tyres... there are numerous debates on which ones people are using and what seems to work best in the UK weather. I seem to remember Toyo proxies being recomended in several threads.

You will also find some interesting debates and recomendations on the T1R's and others here:
http://forum.lotuselancentral.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=17464

I guess final choice will come down to cost, availability and driving style / use. Whether your looking for something that offers the best grip and performance, wet or dry use.... or "spirited driving" or something that is going to last 1000's of miles.

I guess for dealing with potholes a higher sidewall would be of benefit to save the wheels from damage?

I ended up buying Federal tyres for both the Barchetta and the Elan. Not because I thought it was the best tyre but it was the best available here in the correct size. On the Elan they seem ok but I do find that they squeel alot on cornering in the B. I would happily change to Toyo T1R, pirelli P6000, etc...

Another thing I should mention is if possible check the manufacture date of the tyre. It will be stamped on one side of the tyre week no and year ie 0211 wich would indicate made in week 2 of 2011. (this may not be of such importance in the uk but Bearing in mind that Tyres here only last a couple of years due the extreme heat. Even tyres that have only been used for a few thousand km and have loads of tread will crack and fall apart :bang: It breaks my heart to throw away tyres that have almost full tread left on them !

Hope this helps and not just confuses you further

Yeah, I have been checking out tyre threads on here, that was how I saw the Toyo T1R's. I really like what I have read about them! I have decided to stick with 55's and if I can find the Toyo's at a good price I will do all 4. The tread is ok on 3, but they are quite old as I don't do a lot of miles, even though the b is my every day car. I will have a look for dates on my current ones as I am now intrigued to know how old they are! The cracking on them is very slight though, so I don't think it's an issue.

Thanks again for your input!

I ended up getting 2 T1R's on the fronts today. Can't comment on them yet as we had a biblical downpour whilst I was in the fitters so drove very gingerly back! Cost £69 each all in.

B was then dropped off for MOT in the morning. Fingers crossed all should be well as the health check was all good last weekend when they checked everything other than the emissions.

On the downside, I have had a couple of evenings this week when leaving work when it was a real struggle to get it started. It's not the battery as it is turning over fine, but just doesn't want to spurt into life. I will get the techs at work to have a look on Monday.

Have you checked the source of the problem for the bald tyre? Are the lower wishbone bushes in good health?

nixbarchetta said:

On the downside, I have had a couple of evenings this week when leaving work when it was a real struggle to get it started. It's not the battery as it is turning over fine, but just doesn't want to spurt into life. I will get the techs at work to have a look on Monday.

Click to expand...

Could be an imobiliser problem? when you turn on the ignition check to see if the code light goes out.....

Seems that the antenna for the key transponder is mounted at the back of the ignition...Mine has an intermittent problem where the code light stays on and car will not start. If I turn it oss and give the bottom of the steering columb a sharp whack it seems to work just fine. It's worked fine for months now but I really should look into it a bit more one day, probably when i'm stranded miles away from home (although living on an island thats about 10 miles wide and 30 miles long... I'm never far from home )

afroking said:

Have you checked the source of the problem for the bald tyre? Are the lower wishbone bushes in good health?

Click to expand...

The tyre had a slow puncture which caused the wear around the outside. Apparently it wasn't bald enough to fail the MOT but was low anyway as was the other front so got them both done. The tracking was way out so got that sorted too.

Sadly though it failed the MOT due to excessive corrosion at the nearside seatbelt anchor point, the offside isn't too clever either Pesky water leaks! There is also an issue with the handbrake and front brakes.

Lucky for me we are not busy at work at the moment so the guys will have a look at it tomorrow for me.

desert rat said:

Could be an imobiliser problem? when you turn on the ignition check to see if the code light goes out.....

Seems that the antenna for the key transponder is mounted at the back of the ignition...Mine has an intermittent problem where the code light stays on and car will not start. If I turn it oss and give the bottom of the steering columb a sharp whack it seems to work just fine. It's worked fine for months now but I really should look into it a bit more one day, probably when i'm stranded miles away from home (although living on an island thats about 10 miles wide and 30 miles long... I'm never far from home )

Click to expand...

I did notice that the immobiliser light was flashing when I was trying to start it so you could be right there.