Tyre Questions

[triggby]

I need some new tyres (225/45/17) for my FR Tdi. I've currently got Avon ZZ3s on there which were on it when i bought it so got nothing to compare to but i think they've generally been good in terms of grip wear etc.

i've looked round the net and the best price i can find is £68 a corner mail order for the ZZ3s and i've also seen the zv5s for the same price.

what are your thoughts on these tyres and is there much of a difference between the zz3s and the zv5s?

can i get them cheaper than this anywhere?

Are there any other brands i should be considering for the money? i do mostly motorway driving and the odd rant round the B roads when i go back to my parents house.

comments welcome

 

[swilky23]

Have a look at kumho ecstas from event tyres on the net I think mine were around £68 a corner fitted at my work(mobile fitting). Not bad tyres IMO

 

[james walker]

falken fk452s, cant recommend them enough.... fit perfectly in my setup

 

[seantdi]

hankook evo 12s. have them on my fr tdi

 

[triggby]

Have a look at kumho ecstas from event tyres on the net I think mine were around £68 a corner fitted at my work(mobile fitting). Not bad tyres IMO

Thanks for the response, found these kumho tyres for £58 plus postage. what type of driving do you do? i do mostly motorway so want something that will last well and give reasonable, predictable grip for those infrequent blasts!!!

thanks for the responses so far!! Any avon zv5 drivers out there?

 

[adam cupra 20vt]

The Kumho Escatas are a good compromise of both grip and hard wearing its what I've just got for my 18's

Good value tyre, not everyone has £600 for a set of tyres so these are spot on for most people.

 

[lordgibbness]

Better to compromise on other parts of your car than the tyres

 

[Hobbiniho]

im also looking for tyres for my fr alloys (225/45/17) i think im going to go for the falken 452's but my question is would 245/40/17 tyres fit or would they be too much of a stretch, the reason i ask is i can get them for £2 more than the standard size. another option is 235/40/17????

 

[adam cupra 20vt]

im also looking for tyres for my fr alloys (225/45/17) i think im going to go for the falken 452's but my question is would 245/40/17 tyres fit or would they be too much of a stretch, the reason i ask is i can get them for £2 more than the standard size. another option is 235/40/17????

Well the first number is the width? so 245 is more than 225 so it would be wider and stretched less not more?

 

[Jonny]

im also looking for tyres for my fr alloys (225/45/17) i think im going to go for the falken 452's but my question is would 245/40/17 tyres fit or would they be too much of a stretch, the reason i ask is i can get them for £2 more than the standard size. another option is 235/40/17????

225/45 is approved for a 7 1/2J rim. 235/40 and 245/40 are approved for 8 1/2J rims. They will fit, but there will be no stretch as they are wider.

 

[Jonny]

Well the first number is the width? so 245 is more than 225 so it would be wider and stretched less not more?

yes, first number is width in mm, second number is the height of the sidewall, which is a percentage of the width, last number is obviously the inside diameter in inches.

 

[bozwellox]

I had the FK452s on the front for about 18K and they were pretty good, but having just put a set of Hankook Evo 12s on the front I would definitely recommend them over the Falkens - pretty similar in the dry but feel more confident in the wet than the Falkens ever did. Bargain at £62 a corner too.

 

[Hobbiniho]

ok i do know what the numbers mean i should have maybe said would the 245's bulge out therefor making them just as stupid as stretched tyres???

@ bozwellox i have a set of the hankook evo v12 on my standard 16's aswell as a set of fk452's and i feel they are equal except the hankooks seemed to wear out a lot quicker than the falkens and they are both about the same price. iv just bought a full set of 235/40/17 falkens for £313 delivered from camskill, the hankooks are only £2 cheaper for the set.

 

[Shani]

You can't put a premium on safety - Goodyear Eagle F1 asymmetric all the way. They are pricey and seriously soft though but they have never ever failed to impress.

 

[mjt]

You can't put a premium on safety - Goodyear Eagle F1 asymmetric all the way. They are pricey and seriously soft though but they have never ever failed to impress.

indeed. i'm running conti sportcontact 3s. they're expensive (~£110) and it's debatable whether they're worth the premium over F1s, but i think they're fantastic.

i've heard nothing but positive things about Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta, and they're only £~85 a corner so the same as the F1s.
But they're not as soft as the F1s, so they should last longer

 

[dav3]

ok i do know what the numbers mean i should have maybe said would the 245's bulge out therefor making them just as stupid as stretched tyres???

The perfect upgrade in size and profile from 225/45/17 is 245/40/17 yes you are correct in the fact the side walls will bulge outwards. But fitting 235/40 will give you a completly different rolling circumfrence and section load width which in turn could cause you're abs and speedo problems. Also with put wider tyres on the chances of aqua planning are increased. In all honesty I'd stick to 225/45 as a wider tyre is classed as a moddification when it comes to your insurance.

 

[triggby]

Have a look at kumho ecstas from event tyres on the net I think mine were around £68 a corner fitted at my work(mobile fitting). Not bad tyres IMO

i've found these tyres for £58 each plus a fiver delivery. any more comments on these as i'm def tempted by them. As i said before the vast majority of my driving is motorway and i just want a reasonable tyre which will last a long time and have a reasonable level of grip. I've heard mixed reviews about the Avon ZZ3 which I've currently got on there, but to me they seem pretty good, although I don't have alot of experience with different tyre brands. if the Kumho's are similar to the avons, then they'll do me!! Anyone have a direct comparison?

 

[Hobbiniho]

In all honesty I'd stick to 225/45 as a wider tyre is classed as a moddification when it comes to your insurance.

i have spoken to my insurance company today and declared that i have bigger alloys with 235/45/17 tyres fitted and that i am going to be fitting my new suspension soon aswell and they were happy with it, infact the guy that i spoke to told me that only engine modifications will make any difference to my premium and that most folk dont declare mods as for the speedo issue etc im sure i probably wont notice at all