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Tyre Pressures - Advice required please?


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Owners Workshop Manual recommends 22 lb/sq in Front/ 26 Rear. :)

 

If you have a simple bicycle tire pump it is easy to experiment with different pressures.

Many people run a bit higher, but try starting here.

 

That's Topaz?, a nice period colour.

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Great colour Saffron, my 6 was the same. You'll find all sorts of opinions on tyre pressures on the forum. Mostly it's down to trading off heavy steering with lower front pressures - I found the handbook pressure far too low for comfortable steering - against unpredictable breakaway and a harsh ride if you go for higher pressures. I settled on 26 front and 28 rear on my 6 and that's what I now use on the 4A. Try varying it until you find a setting that you like and watch for uneven tyre wear which might arise from going too far in either direction.

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The correct tyre size for the TR6 is 165 of course, and the original Hand Book states:-

 

Up to 100mph (160kph) Front 22 lb/in (1.54 kg/cm) Rear 26 lb/in (1.82 kg/cm)

 

Over 100mph (160kph) Front 28 lb/in (1.96 kg/cm) Rear 32 lb/in (2.24 kg/cm)

 

Or in other words, the faster you wanna go stick more air in!

 

And the more air you put in the fronts, the lighter the steering becomes, especially useful for parking if you've fitted a non standard, smaller steering wheel!

Edited by Denis
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Get a tread guage.

Note the tread depth across the tread from inner to outer shoulder, and repeat, monthly.

Excess pressure leas to excess centre tread wear and vice versa.

 

Also uneven wear inner to outer can show up toe-in problems.

JOhn

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Get a tread guage.

Note the tread depth across the tread from inner to outer shoulder, and repeat, monthly.

Excess pressure leas to excess centre tread wear and vice versa.

 

Also uneven wear inner to outer can show up toe-in problems.

JOhn

As John says, my toe in was in fact a couple of degrees out, soon chewed up half the tread on the insides.

 

Steve

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First of all check the dates on those tyres as I dont think they have been available for quite a while. If they are still in date i.e. less than 6 yrs old or thereabouts then I would try 24 front 26 rear and then using the same route around your local area as a test run try going up or down a couple of PSI each way until you are happy with pressures that suit your driving style.

Stuart.

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  • 2 years later...

TR6 165 Continental Contact tyres.

Doing a sprint at an airfield on Sunday.

 

Normally put 30 psi all round for sprints, but wonder what you think.?

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Best way is to measure the tread temperature. If it's even across the tread, then it's correctly inflated for your driving style at that time.

Best method is a probe-type one, a pyrometer, that you stick into the rubber, but they are costly.

Next best is an infrared guage. Much less expensive, but only measure the surface, whih may have cooled by the time you get back to pits and paddock.

But a lot better than nothing! Take the temps ASAP after to can get out, or before, if you have someone to to do it while you unstrap.

 

Keep good records, so that you can consult them again. Something like the chart below, with date and weather notes, that I use.

Your tyre pressure will rise, of course, as the tyre heats up, so a cold temperature allows you to predict what will happen on another day.

 

Most manufacturers offer a guide figure for their tyres, but Continental are more cagey, and refer to the owner's manual.

But for a starter, Continental offer this "Technical Data Book" compendium: https://blobs.continental-tires.com/www8/servlet/blob/85806/30cec2cae7fa004e1eae3b0f560e449f/download-technical-databook-data.pdf

Look up your tyre - Continental Contact 5? 6? size. You quoted "165" but x what? That last figure is the wall height, and you need it to consult the right table. EG 165x65x15 (15 is the wheel rim diameter) on p33

Find the Load Index there

and then consult the tables on p104 et seq. for which pressure to aim at between 2-2.5bar (29-36psi). That's HOT, remember!

 

Or just start with 30 and see where you go!

John

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Edited by john.r.davies
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Hi. My recently acquired '71 TR6 is running on Mabour General (never heard of them) 185x15 R tyres.

Could anyone enlighten me to the correct tyre Pressures please?

That is USA spec tyre size. One of our USA contingent will be along in a moment.

 

Peter W

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It might be a waste of time as the OP was back in 2015.

 

FWIW I now run 28 front, 26 rear with a front ARB and Gaz shock absorbers set fairly hard. Roundabouts are quite a joy.

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Thanks Pete, a friend who circuit races reckoned that was more like what I should be running, as 30 psi cold is quite a lot and last year the car was skittish.

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