17 replies to this topic

[ian2000t]

Currently I've got a full set of Yokohama A539 175/50/13's... and I hate them.. with a passion. Front wheel grip is awful in the dry...and in the wet it's just plain unsafe. And, the ride is far too harsh with my suspension. Now, I must admit the set of 539's I had before this set were excellent, still harsh but much better grip than these... don't know what's changed in the last 5 or so years!

Anyway, I'm thinking about going either:

Pirelli P5000 Drago 175/50/13
or Continental Conti-Sport 195/45/13

Any opinions on either of these? Really 175's are a stretch for 7" rims so the 195's are the correct size really. Rolling radius, sidewall heigh and price difference are all negligable.


If I go for the 195 Conti's I was actually considering going 195/50/13 on the rear which will make the sidewall a bit higher, which will fill the arch a bit better and also take away some of the harshness (more like a 12" wheel/tyre). But, all 195/50/13's I can find are trailer/commercial tyres with load ratings far too high for the rear of a Mini, which means the sidewalls are probably much stronger which will make for a harsh ride anyway. I can find 195/55/13 but I think that may be going a little too high - don't want to make it look like a dragster!

[jagman.2003]

Watch the rolling diameter fouling the radius arm if you go larger on the rear. I tried a 185/60/13 the other day from a different vehicle & there was no way it was going to clear.

[ian2000t]

Ok, cheers, will bear that in mine.

Radius Compared to 175/50/13:

195/45/13 = +0.2mm
195/50/13 = +10.0mm
195/55/13 = +19.8mm
185/60/13 = +23.5mm

So...I think I'd be ok if I could find some 195/50/13's. 195/55/13 would be too high I think. And 185/60/13 is even higher still.

Also, I think there is an MOT rule that states if front/back tyres are different widths, that the wider are fitted to the back of the car (even for FWD), which rules out 185's.

Edited by ian2000t, 24 May 2012 - 12:22 PM.

[jaydee]

Why you want to stick with 13"? They could give more road holding on a tarmac raceway but in the wet you'll never find grip no matter what the tyre (and the wider the worse) and they screw up handling.

[ian2000t]

Because I like 13" wheels, for styling, and also because the grip on hot tarmac is far better than similar 12's.

Also, note what I said before - my LAST set of A539's (still 13's) were great. Even in the wet. So, there is grip to be found. What tyres did you run on your 13's?

[jaydee]

I've not run any 13" since 2004, tyres were from continental IIRC and they were horrible in the wet...

[ian2000t]

Ok, so your complete opinion on 13" wheels is based on one experience 8 years ago, of which you can't remember what the tyres were. Forgive me for sounding a little harsh, but that really isn't a constructive contribution to this thread...

[Cooperman]

The Mini is a light car and all tyres have an ideal contact pressure per sq. cm. of tyre area on the road. Whilst a wide 13" tyre might seem good on a smooth dry road, in the wet its ability to clear water is largely dependant on contact pressure and that is where the 175 section width falls down on a Mini.
Large diameter wheels were originally used on racing Minis where race tyres with soft compounds were fitted as slicks in the dry and as heavily-grooved wet tyres in rain.
So for a road application a 12" or 10" wheel will almost always be better overall as the contact area of the 165 tyre will be nearer the optimum for the weight per wheel.
But, if perceived styly is more important than grip, then you have that with a 13" wheel, although many on here think that 13" wheels look a bit comical - each to their own really.

[Wil_h]

In my experience the 539 is the best 13" wheel. If you're struggling for grip in the dry you must ha lits of power. I don't find my 13" wheels any worse than others in the wet. It's only when you have lots of standing water that its a problem. I was faster on slicks than some on wets at a recent meeting when it was soaking, it's not all about water dispersal.

The main thing to consider is getting the correctly rated tyre, a tyre rated for less weight will typically softer. If you get a tyre massively over rated for the weight you'll likely have a hard compound. Not sure if the 539 in the 175 50 13 is available in different ratings, but if it is it may explain the differance in gip from one set to another.

[ian2000t]

Haha, too much power I wish! About 80bhp at moment. Considering adding LPT one day though so need more grip. My mate has 539s aswell (his is nearer 100bhp) and he has the same problems as me.

In the wet (or even just damp) every junction I pull out of gives either a little slip or just plain wheel spin...and that's not me driving like a hooligan either!

Yes, I know some people hate 13's on minis. That's never stopped me doing something before! All down to personal preference! Thanks for your input.

So, no opinions on the Pirelli or Conti's? I know most run 539s as its what the mini suppliers push (even though 175 on a 7" rim is outside of the manufacturers guidelines

Would you mind checking the load and speed ratings of your 539s? Going to check mine,you could be onto something!

[ian2000t]

Bringing this up once more - anyone ever tried Pirelli P5000 (Drago) 175/50/13 or Continental 195/45/13?

[ecook83]

Hi, I've always used Pirelli 175/50/13s and loved them, but I do have the Lamm Cabrio which is lowered and sporty so these were the original tyres. They seem to cling to the road like glue, even in the wet.

Problem is my car just failed its MOT as 3 of the tyres are shot, and the specialist mini garage I go to actually said Pirelli don't make this size of tyre any more I hate the look of the Yokohamas and am desperate to find my beloved Pirelli 175/50/13 (in the next 8 days!) Does anyone have any suggestions?

[minidaves]

if you can get them the contintal 175 50 13's i have to say i was inpressed with good grip and low road noise drive minis on most 13" tyres as i fix em for a living, dunlops yuck, yokos are fair, p5000's yeah ok, budget find a ditch, conti's are smooth,

dave

[ian2000t]

Well, I've just borrowed a couple of wheels and tyres from my mate (7*13 still) and they are Pirelli Drago 175/50/13.

Put them on the front of mine in place of the Yoko A539 175/50/13's. Only tried them in the dry, but so far - what a difference!! Tramlining is far less than the Yoko's - I can actually let go of the steering driving down a less than perfect road (actually a country B-road) and the car carries on straight, rather than trying to dive into a bush like the Yoko's would.

Also, the ride is so much nicer! I'm running red dots and Gaz at the front, and the ride was so harsh I was going to ditch the Red Dots. With the Pirelli's though, the ride is quite nice, even with Red Dots...still firm, but not trying to shake the car to pieces, and I didn't break any teeth when I ran over a rough bit of road either!!

So... it's either the tyres (Pirelli vs. Yoko) or the wheels (Superlight vs. Starmag). I wouldn't think wheels of the same width/offset and roughly same weight could make much difference though.

My only problem now is I can't find anywhere to buy the Pirelli's!!!

[The Matt]

in what driving conditions are you struggling for grip? Is it accelleration or is it understeering in corners that's the issue?