Alloys turned up today... quick tyre questions

lordrobs · 10 Mar 2006 at 13:01

Well my alloy wheels turned up today, to be honest I wasn't expecting them to be great as I got them cheap but I was pleasantly surprised, they aren't perfect but are pretty respectible and should smarten my car up once they are fitted.

The tyres were described as "nearly new" and i'm pleased to report that they are! Theres stacks of tread, they can't have done more than 3000 miles at most. To buy the tyres alone would have cost me more than I paid so if I run them until they need new tyres then bin them i'm still quids in

Anyway enough of my burbling- the tyres are Dunlop SP sport 3000 and Firestone Firehawk 700. Both have identical tread depths and I was wondering which were the grippier as they will be put on the back? I think the answer is the Dunlops but I just wanted to check.

Now the downside- One of the Firestones had a screw lodged in the rubber between 2 tread blocks, it was probably 5mm into the rubber. I removed it and it didn't start hissing so i'll take that as a good sign but i'll get the garage to check it out and have all 4 balanced before they fit them.

Finally can anyone tell me what tyre pressure 306 XSi's run as i'll use that as a guide as to what psi to run them at as they are bigger and wider than my current tyres.

Thanks.

Gixer · 10 Mar 2006 at 13:38

I run my 306 Gti-6 tyres 36psi all round. I would also put the stickier tyre on the front end as the front tyres have a hell of a lot more to do than the rears!! They both power and steer whilst the rears dont really do that much in comprison.

I know you got the passive stearing thing to think about but for being planted and sticking on turn in etc for myself the stickies would be up front. As to which are stickiest outta those two I don't know

I'm not to bothered about the wear rates, I run toyo proxies on my 306 and they are a superb tyre, just dont last as long as some of the others, but the grin factor they provide round the twisties

lordrobs · 10 Mar 2006 at 13:52

Thanks for the reply Gixer.

I take your point about the better tyres being up front. I have neer had any issues with the back end losing grip with 165/70 R13 budgets so I can't see me having any issues now!

Also I had a brown trouser moment on Wednesday when I came around a blind bend to find myself head on with a bus overtaking a line of parked cars :eek:

The fronts just locked and I went straight on, luckily common sense overtook panic and I backed off the brakes and aimed for a low section of curb.

Phil W · 10 Mar 2006 at 13:52

Gixer said:
I run my 306 Gti-6 tyres 36psi all round. I would also put the stickier tyre on the front end as the front tyres have a hell of a lot more to do than the rears!! They both power and steer whilst the rears dont really do that much in comprison.

How did you figure that out ?

If you have more grip on the front, the back is more likely to kick out. I'd have the grippy stuff on the rear, at least that way you will be able to control the front more if anything should happen.

lordrobs · 10 Mar 2006 at 13:54

Phil W said:
How did you figure that out ?

If you have more grip on the front, the back is more likely to kick out. I'd have the grippy stuff on the rear, at least that way you will be able to control the front more if anything should happen.

Thats what I was told two sets of tyres ago by STS, but last time I got tyres they said stick the new ones on the front :confused:

... not that I really know which are the better of the two

MrCake · 10 Mar 2006 at 15:57

Put the grippier ones on the back. Understeer is "safer" than oversteer

lordrobs · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:00

MrCake said:
Put the grippier ones on the back. Understeer is "safer" than oversteer

I would... but I don't know which ones are grippier!

TBH the wheels with the Dunlops on are in better condition so i'll be sticking those on the back as theres less chance of me curbing them on the back

Phil W · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:19

My friend works for ATS, and recently attended a refresher course.

He said they told him, if asked to reccomend putting new tyres on the back, so if the front need replacing, replace them, but put the wheels with the new tyres on the back, and the older ones on the front.

This means a) you will be replacing the older tyre first, rather than going through 2 sets of tyres on the front, and 1 on the back etc due to wear rates.

He was also told, which is sods law, if you put new ruber on the back, that will grip, and if the fronts now provide less grip, its is erasily controllable.

Doonhamer · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:35

I only worked as a tyre fitter for a year but was always told new tyres always go on the back unless the customer asks for otherwise.This is due to the fact your more likely to suffer an accident should a rear tyre fail than the other way round.