tires

[Daily02]

19 hours ago, visionaut said:

You ain’t wrong Max. They DO have the 20deg risk.

 

So I’m been sleeping under a tree, ignoring 13” tire talk forever since N/A (sixteens here), and didn’t realize the ‘ol Pirelli CN36 and the Vreds Sprint Classic were REISSUED a few year back - and now, while on the surface they have that familiar classic shape and old-school tread pattern, they’re very much modern max performance summer tires underneath in structure and compounds… NOT the old tires at all!

 

And the sub-20F degree warning stuff is legit. Not just temp flat spots that can usually warm-out (which they get) but physical compound damage.
 

I have to deal with the 20-40F deg issues with my UHP gumballs over the winter (roll, jack,and/or cradle ‘em). The 40-45F degree point where they’re fully safe is based on the Glass Transition Temperature (yeah, not good for originally soft rubber-silica compounds).

 

The CN36 says it’s max perf summer V-rated, and won’t even publish a UTQG spec. The Sprint is also V-rated  has a UTQG of only 160 as a ‘GT’ summer. 
 

Pirelli: “New materials enhance the classic tires’ original construction and detailing, such as Pirelli’s motorsport-derived, high-performance nylon in the dual-ply carcass, and high-tensile steel wire in the bead geometry. Combined with a dedicated undertread compound, Pirelli Collezione tires ultimately offer greater grip and water expulsion for a safer driving experience. The tire tread compounds also conform to the latest environmental standards (unlike their original counterparts).”

Nylon ply tires are notorious for flat-spotting. Lesson learned from back in the bias-ply days. So why do they still use it for high performance speed-rated tires? Nylon contracts with heat, and that helps keep the rubber connected to the belts. While more nylon reinforcement and stiffening = better handling, it also = greater flatspot effects.

 

Y’all be careful out there. Sliding around or even lumpy riding ain’t the same as tire failure.

 

Tom

 

Very interesting. They are using old tire moulds and using modern race compound rubber. This takes the CN36 out as well. 7C (45F)... That is 5 months out of the year.

 

The CN36 and the Vedestein Sprint TW 160 are for cars that sit in heated garages waiting for that perfect day, or possibly Vintage Racers that must run a stock sizes.

 

It seems real street 02's are limited to "trailer" tires, and low budget all season radials. The 02 is a light car, and will likely make the most of this limited rubber.

 

It almost makes me want to go with 15 X 7's for some okay choices, but low grip will allow for easier sliding at under take me away in hand cuffs speeds on mountain roads.

 

Regards

 

Dono

[bmw_e30]

On 1/27/2024 at 4:31 PM, Gordon said:

Problem is,  decent 13" tires are going the way of the dinosaur in the US market.  I realize that you can order Pirelli CN36 from Longstone in the UK or order 185/70 from Coker tire for $200/tire. Even decent 195/60-14 for bottlecaps are getting hard to find.  

 

local LA vintage tire shop has a bunch of 13's in stock from different brands

 

https://lucasclassictires.com/classic-vintage-tires/search-by-tire-size/

[Santawillis]

8 hours ago, Daily02 said:

Very interesting. They are using old tire moulds and using modern race compound rubber. This takes the CN36 out as well. 7C (45F)... That is 5 months out of the year.

 

The CN36 and the Vedestein Sprint TW 160 are for cars that sit in heated garages waiting for that perfect day, or possibly Vintage Racers that must run a stock sizes.

 

It seems real street 02's are limited to "trailer" tires, and low budget all season radials. The 02 is a light car, and will likely make the most of this limited rubber.

 

It almost makes me want to go with 15 X 7's for some okay choices, but low grip will allow for easier sliding at under take me away in hand cuffs speeds on mountain roads.

 

Regards

 

Dono

I had an autocross prepped E30 with 200TW tires and, at one point, Hoosiers which I believe are 40TW. Kept it in an unheated garage and I did not notice a performance drop or an impact on the longevity of the tires. 

 

I don't think the tire sitting in place in the cold impacts anything. If tires are being moved from one warehouse to another they are not going to move them in a temperature-controlled container or truck. Even running them probably are fine if you are okay with a very tail-happy experience

 

My 2 cents!

 

Rafael

 

 

 

[bmw_e30]

should also mention there are tons of local tire shops in CA that stock 13's from tier 1 tire companies in slo this is where i got my current michelin defender tires in 175-70-13

 

The Tire Store | Auto Repair & Tire Shop in San Luis Obispo, CA

WWW.TIRESTORESLO.COM

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The Tire Store is the local choice for auto repair and tires in San Luis Obispo, CA, delivering honest and professional services you can trust. Schedule your appointment with us today!

 

[Son of Marty]

8 hours ago, Daily02 said:

It seems real street 02's are limited to "trailer" tires,

You never want to run a trailer tire on a car, the side walls are made to slip in turns to allow them to stay on the rims of a duel axle trailer when turning sharply, and you never want to run a LT truck tire on a multi axle trailer for the opposite reason.

[tech71]

On 1/28/2024 at 3:46 PM, D.Troast said:

i’m kind of a original rims and hub caps guy

i’ll probably just go with the Lauren or Khumos

Both good all season tires  suitable for year round use in Nantuckets relatively mild winters

[Conserv]

The 165HR-13 Michelin XAS — original tire on at least 95% of all U.S.-imported ‘02’s — remains available, perfectly suited to the ‘02, designed for abusive driving — I swear! 😯 — and comes with no cold-weather warnings. Continuously available since 1966. Downside? Expensive.

 

First photo below, out for a drive in March 1978. Second photo, modern times.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Vicleonardo1]

Forgive me. I am no tire expert (obviously I run Ohtsu's on my size wheels)

But what is wrong with the Bridgestones or Kumhos? 

[visionaut]

11 hours ago, Santawillis said:

I don't think the tire sitting in place in the cold impacts anything.

No harm sitting in the cold. Just don’t drive on ‘em cold if they have the 20-40F warnings.

[Zak]

There are some affordable touring 205/60 x 13 tires with stiff sidewalls for better performance. They were specifically designed for the Sprint Racing Series where the rules mandate racing on touring tires to keep the speeds lower.

In addition to Federal,MRF also makes them. They are listed on e-bay from to time to time. You need at least 5 1/2" x 13" wheels with correct offset to run them.

 

2 NEW 205/60R13 MRF LEGEND 205/60/13 MRF LEGEND 205-60-13

WWW.EBAY.COM

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<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">This listing is for 2 brand new 205/60R13  MRF Legend All Season tires for those who demand nothing but the best on their cars it offers everything you want from a tire,  Great traction on Wet or Dry Surfaces..... </p> <br> <br> <p...

 

 

 

Edited February 2 by Zak

[Gordon]

22 hours ago, bmw_e30 said:

 

local LA vintage tire shop has a bunch of 13's in stock from different brands

 

https://lucasclassictires.com/classic-vintage-tires/search-by-tire-size/

Pro: Pirelli 185/70-13 CN36 

Con: out of stock and nearly $200 each.

 

It's cheaper to buy E30 steelies and 195/60-14 tires. Purists now hate. 

['76mintgrün'02]

13 hours ago, Gordon said:

It's cheaper to buy E30 steelies and 195/60-14 tires. Purists now hate.  

 

Which tires are cheaper in that size than 185/70-13?

 

Or, is it that a certain tire is available in that size and not 185/70-13?

 

I don't hate, but I don't understand what you're saying.  Could you please post examples?

 

I put KUMHO SOLUS TA11 tires on my car last summer.  The price was reasonable and they seem just fine.  It's a daily-driver, not a race-car, or a show-car.  I suppose it's an economy-car.

 

 

Edited February 2 by '76mintgrün'02
added tire info

[Zak]

6 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

It's cheaper to buy E30 steelies and 195/60-14 tires. Purists now hate.  

I did that a long time ago,but I chose the 185/65-14 tire size to get better clearance, especially between the tire and tie rod end. The E30 14" bottle caps sit a little too far in on an 02.And, I don't like using spacers. My set-up worked well, but those E30 wheels are pretty heavy, and I went back to 13". The 185/70-13 works best with 5 1/2" wheels. It is way too mushy on a stock 4 1/2" wheels where the steering starts feeling heavy and unresponsive. With 5 1/2" wheels steering is crisp and responsive. The 185/70-13 is also a  lighter than the 205/60-13. And, 205/60-13 are nearly 3% smaller in diameter than the 185/70-13, which is close to the stock 165/80-13 tire diameter. So, with the 185/70-13 your gearing won't be reduced by 3% and your speedometer will read correct. There is also more compliance with the 185/70-13, resulting in a smoother ride. But, I'm still running the sportier 205/60-13s. The Federals really have some stiff sidewalls where you feel like you're on rails in turns. I also have a set of Dunlops with softer sidewalls, but they are asymetrical and feel amazingly responsive  and crisp in turns while delivering a smooth ride. These are my favorite, They are fitted to 5 1/2" x 13" period Cosmic wheels which have an ideal offset for an 02 (22mm - 25mm). It's just that I don't see these Dunlops often in the US. I purchased a new set of 4 tires from a distributor in the US for about $300 back in early 2019. But, I haven't seen them sold here since. They are made in Japan.

 

My car is lowered with H & R Springs. I've also installed -5 degree camber plates up front, which also changes the caster. The -5 degrees helps keep the tires tucked under the fenders. The camber plates are 3'8" thick, so they keep the fenders from sitting too low over the tires. I have no rubbing anywhere. At the rear I installed the 3 dot rubber spring pads vs. the stock 1 dot because the car was sitting too low at the rear. I like to keep a slightly forward rake to the car, as in the stock configuration.

 

But, after all is said and done, I'm still fixated on the original spare Continental tire from my 69 1600. It's a very similar tread pattern to the Pirreli CN 36. But, the Continental has a more square profile.

Edited February 2 by Zak

[Vicleonardo1]

Dunlop Sport Classic 205/60R13 86V

WWW.COKERTIRE.COM

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Dunlop Sport Classic | 205/60R13 86V Popular on: 1979-1986 Ford Capri II, 205/60 VR13 86V

Not cheap. This size was on my first car..It is actually a Mercury Capri II....But Coker has the Vredestein listed as well. 

[Daily02]

On 2/1/2024 at 6:13 AM, Vicleonardo1 said:

Forgive me. I am no tire expert (obviously I run Ohtsu's on my size wheels)

But what is wrong with the Bridgestones or Kumhos? 

I had problems with snap oversteer in the wet -at normal street speeds- with the Kumho TA11's. In the dry they were actually quite good. Not TW200 good, but better than expected. I even did a dry Autocross with them (just to collect points in class). If it weren't on & off wet 5 months out of the year...    Phoenix & SoCal they would be good.

 

Regards

 

Dono