Best tires for original alloys ??

[Jon Weywadt]

I read Oetker's warning about his Nankang tires in the parts weigh-list thread. Thanks Oetker.  

I am looking for new tires for my Murena, and I have a hard time finding tires that fit my original 14" alloys. It seems that no serious driver only has 14" rims these days. All the good performance tires I find do not come in less than 15".  

I would like to get something like the GoodYear F1 GS D2, which have an agressive wet capability and it existed in the 185X60R14 and 195X60R14 sizes. But that tire seems to be obsolete now and the new F1 GS D3 does not come in those sizes.  

The Toyo tires that Graham use for track and are street legal, do come with the warning "Caution: Careful attention is required in wet conditions due to limited aquaplaning capabilities."
Otherwise I would be tempted to get them. Even if the 225X50R14 on the rear would be nearly 2% undersize, the 185X60R14 are spot on and the 205X55R14 only 0.6% oversized for the front.

I am wondering what you Matranauts out there have found to be the best choise for the original 14" alloys ?  

[Oskar]

id use toyo proxies with harder shoulders

[Laurens]

I use for my non original 15 inch wheels toyo proxis t1-r 205 width in the frond, 225 in the back.

Much better than my previous pirelli p6000.

Proxis CF 1 is available in the murena 14 inch sizes. But don't have any experience with this tyre.

For my 14 inch winter set i think i am going to put toyo winter tyres on the rims.

[krede]

Try doing a search...we had a good discussion on that topic some time ago.

[Jon Weywadt]

Try doing a search...we had a good discussion on that topic some time ago.

I have searched online for weeks, but for the 14" wheels you can mostly get brands that I have never heard of or have bad experience with from previous cars.

I would love to use the Toyo Proxies, but except for the R888 model, they do not come in both the needed sizes. Grahams R888's have that warning about aquaplaning, and since I am likely to encounter quite a bit of wet driving in Denmark, I am not too keen on trying them.

I just this evening found that Goodyear makes a "HydraGrip" tire that comes in the 185/60R14 and 195/60R14 sizes. Do any one of you have experience with this tire?

I may give them a try if I cannot find a brand name performance tire.

Alternatively I could try to get a replica of the original wheels made in a 15" or 16" size.   I will keep on dreeming. 

[lewisman]

Uniroyals are good in the wet or alternatively Vredesteins.

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=12228913.110.6785&typ=D-110518&ranzahl=4&Breite=195&Quer=60&Felge=14&Speed=H&weiter=30&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=110&sowigan=So

I am not a great fan of Toyos which are basically a low budget brand .

[Oetker]

According to people on our forum, that drive the Murena for about 30 years now the Michelin Pilot Premacy is the way to go.
I heard that before, but it is a expencive tyre.
I had some Chinese stuff from Nankang mounted, but this made my car very difficult to handle.
They were way to soft.
My new choice is Bridgestone Turanza ER300 195/60 R14 on the back, wich has the best results in different tests and also good in wet conditions.
Hope to get the tyres this week.
On the front I have Michelin E3A energy 185/60 R14 wich I like but are less good in the wet, thats why I want the bridgestone now.

[Oetker]

Some extra information.
Going wider then original 195 on the back and staying 185 at the front gave me problems to keep the car on track.
I was constantly steering to keep the car in a straight line.
If it is because of the Nankangs I don't know, but to be sure this want happen again, I stay on original sizes.

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=79024014.110.22964&typ=R-103769&ranzahl=4&Breite=195&Herst=Bridgestone&Quer=60&Felge=14&Speed=H&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=110&sowigan=So

Look at the testdetais from Adac and others.

[Jon Weywadt]

Some extra information.
Going wider then original 195 on the back and staying 185 at the front gave me problems to keep the car on track.
-----

I was thinking of going wider both on front and back and to help find alternative sizes I use this danish link:
http://www.eurowheels.dk/Beregninger.asp?kode=TEST5
Even though it is danish I think all shold be able to figure out to use it. (otherwise translate with Google language tools)

The problem, though is, that on 14" rims, you will have a hard time finding anything over 195/60. The link will tell you the change in actual Km/t if you change sizes. The object, of course is to get as close as possible to the originals. Personally I would not go for more than about +/- 0.5%..

So if I could find 205/55R14 and 215/55R14 I would be +0.6% and +0.4% off from the originals. Chances of finding those sizes are slim to none, though.

But back to the problem of finding good tires. I just fount that the Danish motor organisation, FDM, has pretty good words on the Uniroyal RainExpert, which they give 4of6 stars on dry and 5of6 stars on wet road. They say it handles quite well. Comfort is not high, but since what I want most of all is GRIP, I don't really care about that. Lo and behold, the RainExpert seems to be made in the 185/60R14 and 195/60R14 sizes. Now to find them.

[michaltalbot]

My new choice is Bridgestone Turanza ER300 195/60 R14 on the back, wich has the best results in different tests and also good in wet conditions.

I have them on my orig.alloys, but be sure that You'll have them in "V" (speed index), I bought them in "H" and they are a bit soft.

[Oetker]

Can't find them in this size in V speed.
There are a lot of limitations to find the right tyres for the Murena
If they are a bit soft it's no problem.
I don't race the car, but like the country roads to speed a little.
My 12 year old Vikings felt like wood on the car, so a bit soft is no problem, but the Nankangs felt like balloons under the car.
Choices, choices...........

[michaltalbot]

Can't find them in this size in V speed.
There are a lot of limitations to find the right tyres for the Murena
If they are a bit soft it's no problem.
I don't race the car, but like the country roads to speed a little.
My 12 year old Vikings felt like wood on the car, so a bit soft is no problem, but the Nankangs felt like balloons under the car.
Choices, choices...........

OK, I think that You'll be satisfied. They are very good in dry but also very very good on wet surface. After driving first cca 200km carefully, I recomend to warm them up very well, somewhere where You can make some fast corners for cca 10 minutes. Don't know why, but after this warming, tires are working better their whole life.

[Oetker]

Living in the Netherlands, wit lots of water coming down, a bit grip in the wet is welcome.
I hope it will be the right choice for me.
We will see.

[GP]

Has anyone considered Marangoni's?

http://www.tyrecorp.com.au/marangoni/

[Jon Weywadt]

Has anyone considered Marangoni's?

http://www.tyrecorp.com.au/marangoni/

I looked at those, but the only thread pattern I would use "Mythos" does not come in 14". Actually the only 14" in sizes they show for the original alloys are the "Verso" and only in "H" rating.