The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hi

13" tyres are becoming more and more obsolete.

on top of that the carcass design of modern tyres is becoming less and less suited to the chassis geometry of cars like Dolomites. Even within the specialist tyres, there are difficulties with the Avon closing their factory, among othere things this was where the Dunlop were made.

however these is good news from Michelin and Pirelli. this page shows a good selection of 13" tyres

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/vintag ... es/13.html

Pirelli have also recently added a 155R13 Cinturato CA67. this is a H rated sports car tyre and is absolutely perfect for loads of Dolomites.

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classi ... omite.html

the Cinturato range is remarkable in that not only is it currently the best performing classic car tyre out there the prices, particularly of these 13" tyres is remarkably good.

Have a look at these tyre tests, it shows how much better they are than the predominently totally modern tyres they are being tested against.

https://www.longstone.com/classic-tire-test

The Michelin, Dunlop SP Sport and Pirelli Cinturato are the only proper classic car tyres in these tests, the rest are modern tyres that should have benefitted from modern computer modeling and have all sorts of benefits, (they do do better on noise and rolling resistence) however the Pirelli repeatedly knock everything else into a cocked hat. because they use modern compounds and modern build quality, but on a carcass perfectly suited to your car.

Far to expensive

I've been looking at this as I will be in the market for a new set of tyres in the next month, the 'clasic' options from longstone are just far too expensive IMO, at at least £160/each. Really the only widespread options are Uniroyal RainExpert 3 & Continental Eco Contact 6 (even at £80-90 each) as the non-ditchfinder random brands available, its slim picking.

I recently fitted some Toyo Nanoenergy tyres to my vitesse in 155/80 13 size. A decent tyre, behave nicely in all conditions. Well priced too. (as in a set will cost the same as single one of the Longstone retro tyres)

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I fitted a setof Yokohama Advan HF Type-D A008S tyres to my Sprint last year, it is a period tyre from the late 70s early 80s with the correct speed rating for a Sprint and just shy of 100 a corner. Very pleased with them

Howard81 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2024 11:02 am I fitted a setof Yokohama Advan HF Type-D A008S tyres to my Sprint last year, it is a period tyre from the late 70s early 80s with the correct speed rating for a Sprint and just shy of 100 a corner. Very pleased with them

Interesting, not come across that option, any comparison with other tyres? Where did you get them from, as 175/70R13 is not available from BlackCircles.

hoops wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2024 11:10 am

Howard81 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2024 11:02 am I fitted a setof Yokohama Advan HF Type-D A008S tyres to my Sprint last year, it is a period tyre from the late 70s early 80s with the correct speed rating for a Sprint and just shy of 100 a corner. Very pleased with them

Interesting, not come across that option, any comparison with other tyres? Where did you get them from, as 175/70R13 is not available from BlackCircles.

Always astonishes me how one can find things on google!

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/yokoham ... -6000292/

Personally I wouldn't be choosing a tyre with a D rain rating that's based on 1970's tyre technology when there's a modern tyre with a B rating at half the price...

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/uniroya ... e-2003242/

Each to their own though.

shaunroche wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:56 am

hoops wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2024 11:10 am

Howard81 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2024 11:02 am I fitted a setof Yokohama Advan HF Type-D A008S tyres to my Sprint last year, it is a period tyre from the late 70s early 80s with the correct speed rating for a Sprint and just shy of 100 a corner. Very pleased with them

Interesting, not come across that option, any comparison with other tyres? Where did you get them from, as 175/70R13 is not available from BlackCircles.

Always astonishes me how one can find things on google!

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/yokoham ... -6000292/

Personally I wouldn't be choosing a tyre with a D rain rating that's based on 1970's tyre technology when there's a modern tyre with a B rating at half the price...

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/uniroya ... e-2003242/

Each to their own though.

I had seen them on DT but they don't offer fitting as far as I'm aware, hence asking where they got them fitted. But as I said earlier up, the Uniroyal and Continental seem the only real widely available choices.

They're a modern tyre carcass with a classic design, I can confirm after a wet weekend in the Welsh countryside they perform superbly

The issue with the Uniroyals posted is that they are only a “T” speed rating, whereas a Sprint requires a “H”.

Howard

Howard81 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2024 1:43 pm They're a modern tyre carcass with a classic design, I can confirm after a wet weekend in the Welsh countryside they perform superbly

The issue with the Uniroyals posted is that they are only a “T” speed rating, whereas a Sprint requires a “H”.

Howard

This is both true and not correct! The Sprint was BUILT with H rated tyres (130MPH) as the next lowest rating AT THAT TIME was the S rating at 112MPH. Which wasn't quite good enough.

Some years after they stopped making Sprints, the makers introduced the T and W rating, T being rated to 118mph which is perfectly acceptable for a Sprint, which, in standard form and top nick was only capable of 115MPH. And is unlikely to be driven anywhere near that fast today anyway! It doesn't actually NEED an H rated tyre.

I would (and do) fit T rated tyres to Sprints with zero qualms about the rating. It's a non-issue.

Steve

hoops wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2024 11:10 am
I had seen them on DT but they don't offer fitting as far as I'm aware, hence asking where they got them fitted. But as I said earlier up, the Uniroyal and Continental seem the only real widely available choices.

Yeah they offer fitting, they have an enormous workshop next to the shop!

Carledo wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 7:54 pm

Howard81 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2024 1:43 pm They're a modern tyre carcass with a classic design, I can confirm after a wet weekend in the Welsh countryside they perform superbly

The issue with the Uniroyals posted is that they are only a “T” speed rating, whereas a Sprint requires a “H”.

Howard

This is both true and not correct! The Sprint was BUILT with H rated tyres (130MPH) as the next lowest rating AT THAT TIME was the S rating at 112MPH. Which wasn't quite good enough.

Some years after they stopped making Sprints, the makers introduced the T and W rating, T being rated to 118mph which is perfectly acceptable for a Sprint, which, in standard form and top nick was only capable of 115MPH. And is unlikely to be driven anywhere near that fast today anyway! It doesn't actually NEED an H rated tyre.

I would (and do) fit T rated tyres to Sprints with zero qualms about the rating. It's a non-issue.

Steve

I was just going to comment on this Steve and then saw your post appear!

The best I've had out of my Sprint down Lavant straight is about 117mph, I wouldn't think many road going Sprints around today will be driven to that speed knowing how ancient most of us are so the Rainsports etc. will be fit for purpose I suspect!

The other point about the tyres being modern but with the retro tread pattern is, the tread patterns are generally crap in comparison, though I'm sure the actual tyre technology is sound; I also suspect that none of those retro treads will hold a candle to modern tread patterns.

shaunroche wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2024 11:40 am

Carledo wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 7:54 pm

Howard81 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2024 1:43 pm They're a modern tyre carcass with a classic design, I can confirm after a wet weekend in the Welsh countryside they perform superbly

The issue with the Uniroyals posted is that they are only a “T” speed rating, whereas a Sprint requires a “H”.

Howard

This is both true and not correct! The Sprint was BUILT with H rated tyres (130MPH) as the next lowest rating AT THAT TIME was the S rating at 112MPH. Which wasn't quite good enough.

Some years after they stopped making Sprints, the makers introduced the T and W rating, T being rated to 118mph which is perfectly acceptable for a Sprint, which, in standard form and top nick was only capable of 115MPH. And is unlikely to be driven anywhere near that fast today anyway! It doesn't actually NEED an H rated tyre.

I would (and do) fit T rated tyres to Sprints with zero qualms about the rating. It's a non-issue.

Steve

I was just going to comment on this Steve and then saw your post appear!

The best I've had out of my Sprint down Lavant straight is about 117mph, I wouldn't think many road going Sprints around today will be driven to that speed knowing how ancient most of us are so the Rainsports etc. will be fit for purpose I suspect!

The other point about the tyres being modern but with the retro tread pattern is, the tread patterns are generally crap in comparison, though I'm sure the actual tyre technology is sound; I also suspect that none of those retro treads will hold a candle to modern tread patterns.

Don't know how many horses your Sprint posseses Shaun, but I guess considerably more than the stock quoted 127! In my mind, a figure of 175-200 seems likely.

Yet all those extra horses have only resulted in a modest 2mph increase in available V-max. Still (just) within the limits of a T rated tyre. Which confirms a long held suspicion of mine that the limit of a Sprint's top speed is mostly governed, not by power, but by aerodynamic limitations. The thing has all the aerodynamic efficiency of a common house brick! (BTW, the Carledo, massively lightened and bearing around 145BHP also tops out at 115 on the satnav and that's with a couple of miles to build up the last 5mph!)

I also suspect that anyone like us, who have tuned for track worthy perfomance, will have long since converted to more modern and specialised road/race spec tyres, in my case, V rated 15" Toyo Proxes. A purely road car would be unlikely to see even an indicated 100mph, due to illegality and risk to one's licence if nothing else!

As for the concept of having tyre tech matching period suspension and steering tech and geometry, at best i'd call that "case not proven". Whilst I AM aware that many cars built in the 50s and early 60s and designed around crossply tyre tech can have "interesting" problems coping with radial ply tyres, in my experience a radial is pretty much a radial, tread pattern and compound can affect results gained, as can tyre quality (beware Chinese ditchfinder specials) but modern tread patterns rarely make a Dolomite handle WORSE than the crap being sold in the 70s and ofttimes improve it a bit. I still shudder when I remember the Dunlop SP Sports common in the 70s and 80s and how genuinely awful THEY were in terms of wet grip, tyre life and build quality! And they were regarded as a "premium" tyre in their day, not as good as Goodyear (remember the block treaded G800?) perhaps, but still a decent tyre. I never held much regard for Michelin or Pirelli tyres in those days, as I thought they sacrificed grip, especially wet grip, in the name of a harder compound and extended tyre life. The Cinturato was better than the Michelin X, but that wasn't saying much! Maybe they are better now, I don't know, as I don't want to spend the money to find out!

Steve

PS, Just looked at the picture of the Yokohama Advan A008 out of curiosity, as I used Yoko A008s (without the Advan name) throughout the late 80s and into the 90s on my Track/Road prepared GT6. They were a quantum level above the Goodyear NCT2s I'd used previously being maybe 50% better in dry conditions and 75% better in the wet. I used them exclusively from then on, they were so much better, though the compound was so very soft, I was barely getting 12000 miles from a set, it was worth it. Somewhere in the late 90s/early 00s they went off sale and I thought no more of it. Imagine my surprise at finding these new Advans have the exact same tread pattern as the A008s I so loved years ago! I'll definitely be looking into them again!