Tyre Thread

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WRDendy
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Tyre Thread

Post by WRDendy » Thu Apr 19, 2018 11:43 am

I thought it would be handy to have a reference for tyres that fit the various different wheels and whether or not we feel that they are any good, partly for general interest and also as a guide when looking for new ones.

I'll go first:

Wheels: Vesa (15")

Front Tyres: Rubbish (To be added)

Rear Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato, 195/55 R15 85V
Image
Should have cleaned both the wheel and the car but oh well...

Thoughts:
I've had the Pirellis on the back for about a year and I think they helped with road noise a bit vs the cheapo ones I had before, although I find that the rear wheel noise is generally quite loud regardless due to lack of insulation/deadening. No particular comment on performance/handling since I haven't driven on them much in the wet and I still have the cheapo ones on the front. Looking into changing them soon however.
Formerly known as 'Jaster'
Current: '94 GT & '88 ES
Former: '89 ES

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by dragonflyjewels » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:03 pm

I tried Pirellis some years ago on 14" ES wheels, roadholding was good but they didn't last long. Now we have 15" Vesa wheels on all our cars and mostly on Yokohama Parada asymmetrical tyres 195/55 R15 85V. My ES has been on them for quite a few years, excellent roadholding and they've worn well.
Image

My turbo has wheels which came with a mix of Westlake and Marangoni tyres and the roadholding is OK but not great, so I'll be changing them for Yokohamas.
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by dragonflyjewels » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:07 pm

Sorry, looking at the wrong pic, my Yokohamas are 195/50R15 82V
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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jamescarruthers
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:09 pm

Good idea Jaster.

I have 185/60R14 tyres on my Pollux rims on both cars. ‎

Goodyear Eco Contact Premium‎ 
I'm have four Goodyear Eco Contact Premium‎ on the E-reg car. It was previously running cheap nasties on the rear which had age hardened but I thought I'd try and stretch them until MOT time. I spun it on a roundabout a few years ago... I changed them immediately after that little incident! They seem to be good tyres. The 480 does get a good thrash quite often and I now have no complaints tyre wise. I think these were about £50/tyre, unfitted.

Avon ZT-5‎
D-reg car is about to run Avon ZT-5. I haven't driven it yet on these but I put four of these on my wife's Mini Cooper R52 and they quietened it down a fair bit and it grips very well. I'll report back once I've got an MOT on the D-reg car. The price was very very good at about £35/tyre, unfitted.

Michelin‎
After running a fair few hydraulic Citroens in the past, I have a soft spot for Michelin. The C6 has Michelin Primacy 3. I really wanted to put their Cross Climate's on the D-reg but w‎ith all the other expense getting it on the road, it seemed a bit extravagant. 

There's lots of whinging about perishing sidewalls on Michelin's‎. Do remember that the rubber isn't doing a great deal structurally, the tyre case is what holds the tyre together. Therefore, you can live with some perishing due to ozone reacting with the sidewalls. Of course the tyre monkeys will do their best to persuade you otherwise to sell you a new tyre early.  ‎

Winter Tyres
Regarding winter tyres, I had some on my Turbo when we had that insane winter a few years ago. They were brilliant for those few months when they were needed in the UK and I went right up north with them‎. I found that using the chart on this site, I could alter the tyre size and still by compliant with the Volvo manuals and get slightly skinnier tyres on Atlas rims. I went from the usual 185/60R14 to 175/65R14 for the winters as I figured skinnier was better and they were significantly cheaper. 
http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/volvo480/wheels.php 
(need to be logged in to the main site to view this chart I think).‎
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

jifflemon
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by jifflemon » Mon May 21, 2018 6:25 pm

Finally adding mine:

Uniroyal Rainsport 3:

Image

Image

Sat on standard taurus turbo rims, in the Correct 195/55/15 and went for V rated (so good for 149mph - I can dream).

The first that throws you, is that they're an asymmetrical tyre, so have inside and outside stamped on the tyre to make sure you fit them the right way. But then, when on the car, you think you've fitted them the wrong way, as the patterns seem to go in different diections. Thankfully, before you go back and start shouting at the garage, Uniroyal have a handy guide explaining it way better than I ever could.

Highly recommended. Quiet, grippy - even in the dry. Wet? You seriously think I'm going to take a 480 out in the wet?? :bla:

timrosser
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by timrosser » Tue May 22, 2018 9:33 am

I moved from a mixed set to all for toyo proxes 15/55/185's and they transformed the handling. That said the chevron design throws a lot of water / filth up the sides of the car but I really like them, also very inexpensive at about £50esh. Always had a bit of a crush on the aysemetirc yoko's tho!

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brinkie
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by brinkie » Tue May 22, 2018 11:07 am

Being a chauvinistic Dutchman, I have Dutch tyres on a Dutch car of course :crazy:

Vredestein Sportrac 5 195/55-15 85H is what I have. I can take a roundabout at 50 km/h and the tyres won't even squeal.

Some people buy 195/50-15 because they're cheaper, but to my taste they don't fill the wheel well well (tongue twister)

No winter tyres for me, though I don't fear the wet, the car won't see salted roads in winter.
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

100
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by 100 » Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:31 pm

I've got Bridgestone Turanza T001 EVO 195/55 R15 H all round.

£285 for 4.

Image

Typically when it comes to tyres I default to Michelin/Pirelli/Goodyear in the forms of Supersports/P-Zero/Eagle F1. However, with none of these available in the right sizes I went shopping for something that was going to perform well year-round but still with a sports focus.

I thought the Toyo Proxes might not work so well in the wet but have no personal experience and would love to try some in the dry, not that I've experienced any understeer on these Bridgestones...yet!

I've been running these for about 6 months and have no complaints so far, grip is fantastic.

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jamescarruthers
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by jamescarruthers » Mon May 06, 2019 8:28 am

Avon ZT5 is now superseded by‎ ZT7
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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jamescarruthers
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Location: Cambridge

Re: Tyre Thread

Post by jamescarruthers » Mon Jan 13, 2020 1:27 pm

I have Michelin Cross Climate + on my C70 and they are superb: quiet, grippy and give piece of mind in the wet, cold, snow. A bit pricey but when the 480 needs new tyres I think I shall fit them on that also. 
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

nigel poustie
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by nigel poustie » Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:34 pm

I've just bought some Celebration wheels (I would put a photo up but I've never sucessfully done so on here 😬) I'm going to put some new tyres on for track day use but not slicks as I'll be driving to and from the track. What would people suggest, including size? Currently they have 185/55R15 82V on but I've heard of people putting 195s on the same wheel and what about 50 instead of 55?
1995 -storm grey Celebration - 108

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dcwalker
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by dcwalker » Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:07 pm

The Cetus will happily take a 195...had them for many years on my first Celebration.

To keep the speedo accurate 195/50 best replaces 185/55. And it's a much more common tyre size, so more options and cheaper.

I have 195/50 82V Michelin Pilot Sport 3 on Pud, and she certainly seems very happy on them.

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

100
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by 100 » Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:17 am

dcwalker wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:07 pm
I have 195/50 82V Michelin Pilot Sport 3 on Pud, and she certainly seems very happy on them.
I've just bought some Continental All Season tyres for the front of mine. As expected the Turanzas on the rear have plenty of life in them (I should have rotated them).

I was initially going to get Michelin Cross Climate+ but I checked the Auto Express all season tyre group test and the Four Seasons came out ahead. In hindsight, now the car isn't relied on as the sole everyday car, I should have got Pilot Sport 3s you've mentioned... damn!

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MisterH
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by MisterH » Wed May 11, 2022 6:43 pm

jamescarruthers wrote:
Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:09 pm
Good idea Jaster.

I have 185/60R14 tyres on my Pollux rims on both cars. ‎

Goodyear Eco Contact Premium‎ 
I'm have four Goodyear Eco Contact Premium‎ on the E-reg car. It was previously running cheap nasties on the rear which had age hardened but I thought I'd try and stretch them until MOT time. I spun it on a roundabout a few years ago... I changed them immediately after that little incident! They seem to be good tyres. The 480 does get a good thrash quite often and I now have no complaints tyre wise. I think these were about £50/tyre, unfitted.

Avon ZT-5‎
D-reg car is about to run Avon ZT-5. I haven't driven it yet on these but I put four of these on my wife's Mini Cooper R52 and they quietened it down a fair bit and it grips very well. I'll report back once I've got an MOT on the D-reg car. The price was very very good at about £35/tyre, unfitted.

Michelin‎
After running a fair few hydraulic Citroens in the past, I have a soft spot for Michelin. The C6 has Michelin Primacy 3. I really wanted to put their Cross Climate's on the D-reg but w‎ith all the other expense getting it on the road, it seemed a bit extravagant. 

There's lots of whinging about perishing sidewalls on Michelin's‎. Do remember that the rubber isn't doing a great deal structurally, the tyre case is what holds the tyre together. Therefore, you can live with some perishing due to ozone reacting with the sidewalls. Of course the tyre monkeys will do their best to persuade you otherwise to sell you a new tyre early.  ‎

Winter Tyres
Regarding winter tyres, I had some on my Turbo when we had that insane winter a few years ago. They were brilliant for those few months when they were needed in the UK and I went right up north with them‎. I found that using the chart on this site, I could alter the tyre size and still by compliant with the Volvo manuals and get slightly skinnier tyres on Atlas rims. I went from the usual 185/60R14 to 175/65R14 for the winters as I figured skinnier was better and they were significantly cheaper. 
http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/volvo480/wheels.php 
(need to be logged in to the main site to view this chart I think).‎
Bit of a resurrection here James, but given our cars share the same Pollux wheel, what would your ideal tyre recommendation be now you've had some experience with it? I remember when you saw my car at Thruxton you enlightened me to the fact the tyres were of the incorrect (though not necessarily wrong) profile. I was considering getting some fresh rubber of the correct type now the rest is pretty much done, but not sure what I should be looking for
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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jamescarruthers
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by jamescarruthers » Wed May 11, 2022 8:00 pm

I have Avons on my Pollux wheels but will likely go for Uniroyal Rainsport or Rain Experts when mine are next due as they are amazing on my wife’s Mini. As I’m a fan of French cars, I’d happily put Michelins on. I also had Goodyear Efficient Grips on the last early 480 and they are good. I do like the idea, as Brinkie mentioned, of Dutch tyres on a Dutch car so consider Verdestien tyres! Also, Nokian, the old Finnish maker, previously part of Nokia!

You should have 185/60R14 tyres; you had 185/65R14 tyres when I last saw the car. I would personally not worry about replacing them early unless you really want to as long as they match left to right across the axle.
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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MisterH
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Location: Stockbridge

Re: Tyre Thread

Post by MisterH » Wed May 11, 2022 8:29 pm

jamescarruthers wrote:
Wed May 11, 2022 8:00 pm
I have Avons on my Pollux wheels but will likely go for Uniroyal Rainsport or Rain Experts when mine are next due as they are amazing on my wife’s Mini. As I’m a fan of French cars, I’d happily put Michelins on. I also had Goodyear Efficient Grips on the last early 480 and they are good. I do like the idea, as Brinkie mentioned, of Dutch tyres on a Dutch car so consider Verdestien tyres! Also, Nokian, the old Finnish maker, previously part of Nokia!

You should have 185/60R14 tyres; you had 185/65R14 tyres when I last saw the car. I would personally not worry about replacing them early unless you really want to as long as they match left to right across the axle.
The tyres are still good, but I don't like having odd ones so I am wondering about coughing up and getting a new set, it is kinda fitting given what else the car has been through, but I am not made of money, so I am going to have to closely look at the prices of these options....

Thanks for your input, I am a bit of a pedant, and while having taller sidewalls is never a bad thing in the UK, it did always look a bit like a Rally car but with no stickers. Which is an odd look as I am sure you will agree :lol:
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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jamescarruthers
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Posts: 2500
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Re: Tyre Thread

Post by jamescarruthers » Wed May 11, 2022 9:16 pm

No idea where the information comes from on our site but hope this puts your mind at rest that it’s not the end of the world having the slightly taller tyres:
Image

http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/volvo480/wheels.php

It was probably done by a previous owner because of cost as the 65% tyre may be a bit more common and therefore cheaper than the 60% one… I’ve bought one with them installed in the past and also fitted the 175R65/14 size winter tyres as they were considerably cheaper and I figured thinner was better for that application— but we digress now!

I understand where you are coming from re:pedant as I would be the same.

What is the date code on your sidewalls… if they are ancient then that’s more of a good reason to get rid of them. Less than 5 years is okay in my book.
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

User avatar
MisterH
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:15 pm
Location: Stockbridge

Re: Tyre Thread

Post by MisterH » Wed May 11, 2022 9:36 pm

jamescarruthers wrote:
Wed May 11, 2022 9:16 pm
No idea where the information comes from on our site but hope this puts your mind at rest that it’s not the end of the world having the slightly taller tyres:
Image

http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/volvo480/wheels.php

It was probably done by a previous owner because of cost as the 65% tyre may be a bit more common and therefore cheaper than the 60% one… I’ve bought one with them installed in the past and also fitted the 175R65/14 size winter tyres as they were considerably cheaper and I figured thinner was better for that application— but we digress now!

I understand where you are coming from re:pedant as I would be the same.

What is the date code on your sidewalls… if they are ancient then that’s more of a good reason to get rid of them. Less than 5 years is okay in my book.
I only got them in 2019 when I first recomm'd the car, they have been stationary for a long time though, but they are still quite fresh. They have done 10,000 miles
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2500
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: Tyre Thread

Post by jamescarruthers » Wed May 11, 2022 9:47 pm

MisterH wrote:
Wed May 11, 2022 9:36 pm
jamescarruthers wrote:
Wed May 11, 2022 9:16 pm
No idea where the information comes from on our site but hope this puts your mind at rest that it’s not the end of the world having the slightly taller tyres:
Image

http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/volvo480/wheels.php

It was probably done by a previous owner because of cost as the 65% tyre may be a bit more common and therefore cheaper than the 60% one… I’ve bought one with them installed in the past and also fitted the 175R65/14 size winter tyres as they were considerably cheaper and I figured thinner was better for that application— but we digress now!

I understand where you are coming from re:pedant as I would be the same.

What is the date code on your sidewalls… if they are ancient then that’s more of a good reason to get rid of them. Less than 5 years is okay in my book.
I only got them in 2019 when I first recomm'd the car, they have been stationary for a long time though, but they are still quite fresh. They have done 10,000 miles
Sounds good to keep as long as they haven’t accidentally done a mis-match but do understand the weird urge to have them swapped! I’ve got cheap and nasty tyres on the Citroen and can’t wait to get them used up
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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