6 replies to this topic

[CanadianMiniFan]

Hello TMF,

I've been very busy loving my mini, driving in our nice weather over here, and I went to my first auto slalom this weekend, and I've decided that I want a nice set of sticky tires for my mini! Ten inch wheels, would be looking at 165/70/10's, I've seen Yokohama A032's, A008's, Dunlop Road/Race D93J's and I'd like to know TMF's opinion. I've heard A008's are garbage in the rain, but what would you recommend?

Warren

[Rabtmac]

I've got 10" Yokohama A008's on mine and the weather here is fairly wet
Never had a problem seem to stick very nicely.
In the dry there brilliant.

[Cooperman]

There is no definitive answer as it depends on what you use your car for. All tyres are a compromise and you must choose the area where you want best performance.
The Yokos are all good in the dry and on smooth tarmac. On clean wet surfacs they are quite good, but on a slightly wet and broken surface they will not be so good as the tread patterns won't be so ideal. On a really broken or slightly loose or muddy surface they will be poor.
The Dunlops D93J is excellent in the wet on smooth tarmac, but again the tread pattern is less than ideal for a slightly broken surface.
The Falken 165/70x10 is definately not up with then Yoko or Dunlop on smooth wet tarmac, but much better on slightly broken or loose/muddy surfaces.
Tyre pressures also play a part and you need to experiment to see what suits your use and driving style. I often use Falkens for tarmac rallying as the surfaces tend to be a bit 'give-&-take' and I run them at around 34 psi which suits my rather aggressive driving style when competing. I've also used the Yoko 008 for tarmac rallies and they are great until it gets a bit too loose or muddy. I rolled my Cooper 'S' when they clogged up with mud in a forest and I went 'off the edge' and 14 ft down a gulley! My fault, but had I been on a 'knobbly' tyre, or even a Falken, I might have just got round the tightening corner. The car simply would not turn in or spin. A new roof panel was then needed. In fact on an event like that I would have been better off on a knobbly forest tyre as, although it was an 80% tarmac event, the 20% on the loose on close-pattern tyres cost more time loss than knobblies on tarmac for 80% would have done. In fact, on the same event the next year I used full knobbly tyres and won outright although it did slide about a bit on the tarmac.
Sorry for a bit of a long post, but tyres are always a difficult choice. For road use it is not such an issue as you really should not be driving to that sort of tyre-grip limit on the public highway, but for competition with a Mini more than one set of wheels/tyres may be the best thing.

[mab01uk]

I like the Dunlop R7's imported from Japan with classic CR65 tread pattern but they are quite expensive:
http://www.minispare...=...2605&title=

http://www.classicty...inch?supplier=7

[Cooperman]

The D7 was always a fabulous tyre in the 60's, but I wonder what the compound and carcass are on thes current ones. If I remember correctly, as a pure race tyre the D7 sidewall was not re-inforced as a road or rally tyre would be, but maybe these have been modified to make them suitable for the road. Be great if they are and they would then be suitable for tarmac rallies.

[CanadianMiniFan]

Thanks to all, I'm looking at new tyres mainly because I'm slaloming the car, which is never on broken surface, can be rainy though, so I'm leaning to an A032, as I've seen other minis run them successfully, and the price point is quite good! More opinions always welcome though!

[Ben1400]

If you are after the ultimate 165/70/10 tyre for a dry slightly rough to smooth surface go for Avon CR6ZZs. I have run Yoko A008, Yoko A032 and the Avons on my Sprint & Hill Climb mini and would rate them in the order I have listed them. Unfortunately the price leaps up when you go for the Avons. Just had a quote for 2 of them: £283.20 including VAT & Delivery from BMTR. They are a step better than the A032s and worth the extra if you are trying to get your times down! As to how long they last I have used them for about 30 meetings (2 seasons) of the Cornish Speed Championship and two of them are now Cream Crackered, St Eval Sprint yomps them away, So they are not a road tyre! (unless you are rich!)
Hope that helps
Barry