The 'E' Type Forum

Having read previous threads and now needing a new set of tyres, would be grateful for opinions please, for my Series 3 2+2 which has wires.

I see that the Michelin tyres are highly regarded, but have some people fitted 215 70 15 rather than 205 70 15?

I will use the car enthusiastically (Le Mans - type road trips) rather than show it very occasionally, so speed cameras more of an issue than snapshot cameras if you follow my meaning!

I have seen mixed reports for the Vredesteins but these do seem attractively priced....

Thanks folks.

Speak to Dougal at Longstone Tyres.

Have a look at this thread...Dougal has a bit of a wright up on it.....Steve viewtopic.php?t=6341&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=10

Many thanks to both, I have seen Dougal's video, my car has 205 70 15 because it has power steering. Also has Dunlops that I suspect are 21 years old!

Up to ?1200 for a set of four Michelins versus ?600 for the Vredestein Sprint Classics, but wondered if anyone else had gone to 215 from 205 on standard rims?

Hi Jaggy Waggy

I would suggest either Michelin XWX or Pirelli Cinturato

http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/20 ... n-xwx.html

http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/20 ... urato.html

These are genuine period tyres that are developed to suit cars like yours, that are made by 2 of the worlds best tyre manufacturers.

Of course the Dunlop 205/70VR15 tyres were not the standard tyres for the first series 3s - these are a steel belted radial. The Series 3s were fitted with ER/70 R15 Dunlop Aquajet tyres - a fabric radial and a ever so slightly narrower tyre.

I know they are slightly narrower tyre as I have had both on my series 3 and the ER/70 tyres did not rub the wheel arch where the VR steel belts did when the car was fully loaded.

I did put some wheels I had from a XJC V12 on my etype (same wheels as the etype) which had 215/70 VR 15 Centuratos on it - if the car was low on fuel, unloaded with only the driver they fitted but as soon as the tank was full and you had a passenger they rubbed badly.

Cheers

Garry

Hi

I have once come accross a customer with a series 3 e-type that fitted 205/70VR15 tyres that rubbed on the rear wings, However rather frustratingly when he came to see me and we inspected the car carefully, at some point during restoration it had had the rear wings replaced and they were slightly differently positioned, which caused the rub.

As i mentioned before i think the best tyres are http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/20 ... n-xwx.html or the http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/20 ... urato.html and the Cinturato is currently a great bargain for such a good tyre.

One thing that does concern me is wire wheels without tubes in them so i thought i would post a film we recently took of one of the failed tubeless wheels that we have recently come accross

Dougal, could you give a bit of an explanation as to what we're seeing in the you-tube clip?

Maybe it's the size of the screen but I struggled to see, think I saw some sort of bulging of the tire bead at the bottom. And then I initially thought someone was peeing on the tire ("it's a load of piss") but then I thought, nooo, they wouldn't do that. So it's water leaking from inside, or ?

I've just fitted a set of Vredestein classics (205's) on my S3 and they feel great and look good too.

Having competed in motorsport for 21 years I know a little bit about how a car should feel and handle. I drive my S3 quite hard and in my opinion the tyres perform well, they give a good level of grip and they are progressive in the transition to a slide when the grip is exceeeded. Overall they inspire confidence to drive quickly.

A lot cheaper than the 'traditional' brands at around ?140.

I'm not sure the point of spending a lot more money on the Michelin or Pirellis, they might last a bit longer? but our cars generally don't get used much so they tyres are going to go old and hard well before they wear out of tread!

I run 215 70 15 on my V12 S3. No issues at all, been to The sarf a France
and Le Mans x3. I personally prefer the look

DC

What tyres are you using DC?

There is a risk of the car being 'over tyred', i.e too much grip but I guess 215 compared to 205 isn't much of a difference and the age of the tyre is going to have a much bigger influence.

The tyres I took off mine were Pirelli Super Tourings, they had only done about 400 miles but had been on the car since 2000. they had very little grip and would easily spin up in 3rd in the wet.

I am using P4000 s. Although there as been a lot said against them I
have found them to be OK for me and my S3.

Spirited driving is not my thing......... I prefer the tootling about driving
and have covered many a mile doing so.



DC

David Oslo wrote:Dougal, could you give a bit of an explanation as to what we're seeing in the you-tube clip?

Maybe it's the size of the screen but I struggled to see, think I saw some sort of bulging of the tire bead at the bottom. And then I initially thought someone was peeing on the tire ("it's a load of piss") but then I thought, nooo, they wouldn't do that. So it's water leaking from inside, or ?

We had some tubeless wheels brought to us under complaint of a slow puncture. this has happened before, so we did this test:

what you can see is; we have put water on the area where the tyre that meets the rim, and when we put pressure on the side wall of the tyre air seeps out and causes the bubbles you can see in the water. Of course every time this wheel and tyre combination goes round a corner or over a bump air seeps out. and it just seeps out anyway. we say; just fit tubes. wire wheels should fit tubes.

You should pee in the hedge, not on your e-type wheel.

In my view Michelin and Pirelli are 2 of the worlds best quality tyre manufacturers. i think quality is worth paying for. Also the Pirelli is currently a massive bargain http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/20 ... urato.html

And Babes fit Pirelli. Watch the film at the top of this page http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/jaguar-e-type

The Pirelli Cinturato and Michelin XWX are genuine period tyres. they have a carcass that were developed in period to improve the handling of cars such as the e-type. Which is different to a modern tyre that is developed to be fitted to a completely different kind of car all together.

These tyres also have an understated period look, they don't have all sorts of bumf on the side wall, which is what tyres in this period were like.

dougal wrote:what you can see is; we have put water on the area where the tyre that meets the rim, and when we put pressure on the side wall of the tyre air seeps out and causes the bubbles you can see in the water. Of course every time this wheel and tyre combination goes round a corner or over a bump air seeps out. and it just seeps out anyway. we say; just fit tubes. wire wheels should fit tubes.

How does that differ from a steel disc wheel? If the bead is rough and the pressure so low you can distort it by pressing it with your foot, what does the presence or absence of sealed spokes have to do with it? Cleaning and smoothing the rim, regardless of type, and fitting a tyre that seals properly at the bead is the cure surely?

I rode for four decades on chrome and alloy rim spoked wheels and cast alloy wheels all with tubed tyres. They were fixable by the side of the road and I liked them. But when they punctured it was bad news and the deflation was anything but slow. I've never had a tubeless tyre deflate anything like as fast and you usually get plenty of warning. That is a huge plus on two wheels or four.

Totaly agree with you Peter...been running on wires tubless for years and no problems where as my other car with tubed wheels go completely flat almost instantly from the first tiny puncture.I live in the countryside and when they are hedge cutting its a nightmare...dont really like all this promotion of a posters own company

PeterCrespin wrote:

dougal wrote:what you can see is; we have put water on the area where the tyre that meets the rim, and when we put pressure on the side wall of the tyre air seeps out and causes the bubbles you can see in the water. Of course every time this wheel and tyre combination goes round a corner or over a bump air seeps out. and it just seeps out anyway. we say; just fit tubes. wire wheels should fit tubes.

How does that differ from a steel disc wheel? If the bead is rough and the pressure so low you can distort it by pressing it with your foot, what does the presence or absence of sealed spokes have to do with it? Cleaning and smoothing the rim, regardless of type, and fitting a tyre that seals properly at the bead is the cure surely?

I rode for four decades on chrome and alloy rim spoked wheels and cast alloy wheels all with tubed tyres. They were fixable by the side of the road and I liked them. But when they punctured it was bad news and the deflation was anything but slow. I've never had a tubeless tyre deflate anything like as fast and you usually get plenty of warning. That is a huge plus on two wheels or four.

Totally agree too.
I fail to understand the influence of spokes here.
Only a consequence of bead surface finish and sealing, IMO.

Btw, why is deflating of a tubed tyre so quicker than a tubeless one?

Hi Serge..if you pick up a nail or thorn in a tubeless the air can only escape out of the hole that was made, if the nail stays in it takes a while for the air to get past it....in a tubed tyre that same nail goes through the tire and the tube, the tube being much thinner will let the air out much quicker and because the spokes and tyre rim are not sealad as in a tubeless wheel the air just goes straight out......thats my experiance anyway ive never had a slow puncture in a tubed wheel apart from the valve..If tubes were a good idea we would still have them on modern cars

I've just been looking at tyres for my S3. The vredesteins are looking much more expensive now - prices are between ?225 and ?439 (!) each, making the Pirellis look a more reasonable option. Does anyone know where I might find more competitively priced Vredesteins 205/70vr15 tyres?

Steve

Hi Steve...have you called MWS

Longstone have them for less - VAT extra obviously:


They have an offer at the moment on Cinturato's of 5 for ?1,079 in VAT.