Tyre Advice

[Steve-B]

Reading this thread and trusting all the reviews, I am on the fence of whether to go for the Uniroyal RainSport 5 or the Vredstein T-Trac 2 tyres, 165/80 15. I'm not someone who uses car in winter unless roads washed of salt, and only occasionally get caught out in the rain BTW.

The tyres on our 1972 TR 6 are 8yrs old and will crack soon-ish plus they are a bu**er to steer at <5Mph so I want something that hopefully will help with that.

Curious to what your experience with <5Mph has been with either, thanks in advance!

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Steve-B

[TRTOM2498PI]

56 minutes ago, Steve-B said:

Reading this thread and trusting all the reviews, I am on the fence of whether to go for the Uniroyal RainSport 5 or the Vredstein T-Trac 2 tyres, 165/80 15. I'm not someone who uses car in winter unless roads washed of salt, and only occasionally get caught out in the rain BTW.

The tyres on our 1972 TR 6 are 8yrs old and will crack soon-ish plus they are a bu**er to steer at <5Mph so I want something that hopefully will help with that.

Curious to what your experience with <5Mph has been with either, thanks in advance!

 

Uniroyal Rainsports, even fantastic in the dry.  I've done over 40k miles on these tyres.

 

Good luck.

[stuart]

Doesnt seem to be the right sizes in the Uniroyal from that link.

Stuart.

[RobH]

From the main Uniroyal site they don't seem to offer a 165-80 in 15 inch.

https://www.uniroyal.co.uk/car/tyres?cartype=

[Steve-B]

48 minutes ago, RobH said:

From the main Uniroyal site they don't seem to offer a 165-80 in 15 inch.

https://www.uniroyal.co.uk/car/tyres?cartype=

Uh, yeah just noticed that so TRTOM2498PI where did you source them from?

Edited September 27, 2023 by Steve-B

[matt george]

1 hour ago, Steve-B said:

Uh, yeah just noticed that so TRTOM2498PI where did you source them from?

I believe Tom uses the Uniroyals in 195/65 size on his TRs.

Matt

[stuart]

17 hours ago, matt george said:

I believe Tom uses the Uniroyals in 195/65 size on his TRs.

Matt

They dont do them in higher profile than 55.

Stuart.

[TRTOM2498PI]

21 hours ago, stuart said:

They dont do them in higher profile than 55.

Stuart.

My tyre man can get Uniroyal Rainsport 5 in 195/65/15 (would need to order in, & just called him). £80 per tyre fully INC. (balanced & new valve, etc).

 

Tel: 01159 281249

 

 

Cheers.

[dougal]

Hi

165R15 is the best size tyre for a TR6 (Michelin XAS or Pirelli Cinturato the best). If it weren't the best size Triumph themselves would have fitted something wider. At the time low profile tyres were the buzz word with the motoring journalists. Porsche had fitted a wider rim, jet carried on with 165R15 initially and then in 1968 they fitted the fancy new technology 185/70VR15 low profile tyres. The TR6 could have done exactly the same; and the jouros of the time would have raved about it, if it would have worked; but it didn't. The TR6 handled better on 165R15 tyres and it still does today.

One smart thing Triumph did do was offer Michelin XAS tyres. along with the Pirelli Cinturato they were the best sportscar tyres of the late 1960s

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/tyres/165-15.html

Tyre carcass is also important. A period tyre carcass compliments the chassis set up of that period. a TR6 handles better on a suitable period tyre carcass. thinner tread patterns with rounded shoulders handle better on an older chassis set up. Cinturato and XAS are still the best tyres for these cars. they have the right carcass designs with modern improved compounds that move water better than they did in the '70s, but the period carcass will keep your steering fast and precise and also keep the handling progressive.

Cheap brands are not as good. there is more to making a period tyre carcass than simply writting "classic" or "retro" on the side of a tyre.

a 195/65R15 tyre is completely wrong. the steering will be heavy, slow and numb, and the handling will make your car go round a corner like a 50p peice and it will track on rutted roads. If it is just point and squirt you are after, straight line acceleration, they will wheel spin less and lock up under braking less, that is just straight line grip, if that is all you are interested in but that doesnt transmit into the corners unless you do some major modifications to keep all the rubber on the road.

[DRD]

32 minutes ago, dougal said:

Hi

165R15 is the best size tyre for a TR6 (Michelin XAS or Pirelli Cinturato the best). If it weren't the best size Triumph themselves would have fitted something wider. At the time low profile tyres were the buzz word with the motoring journalists. Porsche had fitted a wider rim, jet carried on with 165R15 initially and then in 1968 they fitted the fancy new technology 185/70VR15 low profile tyres. The TR6 could have done exactly the same; and the jouros of the time would have raved about it, if it would have worked; but it didn't. The TR6 handled better on 165R15 tyres and it still does today.

One smart thing Triumph did do was offer Michelin XAS tyres. along with the Pirelli Cinturato they were the best sportscar tyres of the late 1960s

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/tyres/165-15.html

Tyre carcass is also important. A period tyre carcass compliments the chassis set up of that period. a TR6 handles better on a suitable period tyre carcass. thinner tread patterns with rounded shoulders handle better on an older chassis set up. Cinturato and XAS are still the best tyres for these cars. they have the right carcass designs with modern improved compounds that move water better than they did in the '70s, but the period carcass will keep your steering fast and precise and also keep the handling progressive.

Cheap brands are not as good. there is more to making a period tyre carcass than simply writting "classic" or "retro" on the side of a tyre.

a 195/65R15 tyre is completely wrong. the steering will be heavy, slow and numb, and the handling will make your car go round a corner like a 50p peice and it will track on rutted roads. If it is just point and squirt you are after, straight line acceleration, they will wheel spin less and lock up under braking less, that is just straight line grip, if that is all you are interested in but that doesnt transmit into the corners unless you do some major modifications to keep all the rubber on the road.

What's your recommendation for the US spec cars then, which came with 185 tyres as standard?

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

7 minutes ago, DRD said:

What's your recommendation for the US spec cars then, which came with 185 tyres as standard?

Michelin with a red stripe.

[Motorsport Mickey]

"a 195/65R15 tyre is completely wrong. the steering will be heavy, slow and numb, and the handling will make your car go round a corner like a 50p peice and it will track on rutted roads. If it is just point and squirt you are after, straight line acceleration, they will wheel spin less and lock up under braking less, that is just straight line grip, if that is all you are interested in but that doesnt transmit into the corners unless you do some major modifications to keep all the rubber on the road."

Gold Star and a tick for Dougal and Longstone, too often the firms will indulge the owners whims rather than explaining what is best for the car.

Mick Richards

[dougal]

17 hours ago, DRD said:

What's your recommendation for the US spec cars then, which came with 185 tyres as standard?

Well the truth is the American cars fitted with the 185R15 tyres didn't handle as niceley. if you take them off and throw them in the wheelie bin and fit 165R15 Cinturato or XAS you will find your car more enjoyable to drive.

fit either

• 165VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN36 https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/165r15-pirelli-cinturato-cn36.html
• 165VR15 Michelin XAS https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/tyres/165-15/165vr15-michelin-xas.html

sadly the 165HR15 Pirelli Cinturato CA67 is currently out of stock, that is an excellent tyre but slightly earlier. In the US you can get the Cinturato from Lucas Tires.

At the risk of being rascist i will try to explain, and possibley offer a compromise:

it was deemed that what was wanted more in America is a comfortable ride, better point and squirt straightline grip, and slightly longer legged gearing. The American taste was more down the route of a fatter tyre with a softer ride. Triumph were prepared to compromise the handling to enhance these other features.

We did, a while ago, against our recomendation and at the insistence of a customer fit 205/70R15 tyres on a TR6. it was an alround dreadful and expensive experience for the customer who soon came and asked us to take them off.

 

For some reason the town planner idiots in so many towns think it is a good idea to put speed bumps in our roads. I'm sure these people are civil engineers who couldn't get a real job and instead focus their efforts on ruining our roads and trying to brake our cars. if i met the idiot who does this town planning i would snap his pencil!

Anyway there is some validity to wanting a taller tyre. There is no attraction to the fatter tyre foot print for a road car. however Michelin do make a rather odd tyre. a 180HR15 Michelin XAS. (we flog loads of these to Austin Healey).

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/180hr15-michelin-xas.html

this tyre is pretty much the same width as a 165 tyre, but has the heighth of a 185R15. And it has the advantage of the Michelin XAS carcass which Triumph used twice to improve their cars. they fitted 165R15 XAS to the TR6 and they also dramatically improved the handling of the Stag by taking it off 185R14 tyres and fitted the 175R14 Michelin XAS.

We can also supply the 180HR15 XAS as a white wall, but that wouild be vulgar. lets not go round fitting white wall tyres on European Sports cars. eeeuw! lets maintain a bit of dignity. we are a business, so we will allow you to buy white walls if you really want, but you have to go through a couple of rounds of scathing remarks first. i don't think this helps me sell tyres, but i am aware having an opinion can be expensive.

 

 

[DRD]

2 hours ago, dougal said:

Well the truth is the American cars fitted with the 185R15 tyres didn't handle as niceley. if you take them off and throw them in the wheelie bin and fit 165R15 Cinturato or XAS you will find your car more enjoyable to drive.

 

Then the speedo will be inaccurate as the US cars have a different ratio diff!?

tbh I've found the car to be fine on the 185 size tyre and I'm sure our friends in the US don't have an issue either.

[dougal]

Do they have a different ratio?

 

I am not saying that people fitting 185R15 have a problem. what i am saying is that:-

with a 185R15 you will have a more comfortable ride, more clearance, less chance of wheel spin under acceleration and less chance of locking up the brakes.

with 165R15 you will have more nimble, lighter faster more precise steering with less tracking and the handling will be more progressive.

Different tyres give different characteristics.

[rcreweread]

6 minutes ago, dougal said:

Do they have a different ratio?

Yes - US TR6s ( and 250s) had a 3.7 ratio diff ( same as TR4As), whereas UK cars were fitted with a 3.45 as standard

Cheers Rich

Edited November 29, 2023 by rcreweread

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

11 minutes ago, rcreweread said:

Yes - US TR6s ( and 250s) had a 3.7 ratio diff ( same as TR4As), whereas UK cars were fitted with a 3.45 as standard

Cheers Rich

Just to fine tune that reply.

Triumph TR5 & 6 PI cars had 3.45.    The Carb TR250&6 cars of the era had 3.7.  With or without overdrive in all cases.

On earlier TR models the 4.1 ratio was offered with overdrive fitted cars.   Otherwise they were 3.1 ratio.

Edited November 29, 2023 by BlueTR3A-5EKT