| Author | Message | ||
     A.R. Greenberg Experienced User Username: bergxu Post Number: 11 Registered: 2-2012 |
Gentlemen, My '52 R-Type, B59RS, is currently wearing a worn out pair of Continental 205/80-16 tires which, come springtime, I'd like to replace. Unfortunately, the Contis are no longer available and I'd like to stick with modern radials on the car and happen to like the look/stance of this size tire on the car. Some of the guys on the BDCL forum warned about tie rod ends rubbing the inner sidewalls of these tires, something I've not observed on my own car. Regardless, looking on the web reveals the only tire available in the 205/80-16 size in the US market to be a Pirelli Scorpion SUV tire, which I'd rather not use. With this information in mind, what would the consensus here do with respect to fitting new tires which have a similar height/width, are black walls and are radials. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Cheers, Aaron | ||
| David Bailie Experienced User Username: davidb Post Number: 14 Registered: 11-2005 |
I put Hankook 650R16C AH11S radials (from Ken Long in Melbourne 9329 6595) on my MkVl dhc. They look good and transformed the handling compared with the previous cross ply tyres. Although a bigger tyre there is no problem with rubbing anywhere. David | ||
| Brian Vogel Prolific User Username: guyslp Post Number: 144 Registered: 6-2009 |
Aaron, Take a look at the results returned by a search at tires-easy.com, which returns a Continental and one other tire you might consider. Brian | ||
| A.R. Greenberg Experienced User Username: bergxu Post Number: 12 Registered: 2-2012 |
Brian, Thanks for that link! Have you used them before? The Contis they show are actually the same ones that are on the car now, which I thought had long been discontinued. Anyhow, I'll ring them up and grab a set now before they sell them all out. Perhaps if they're in fact a discontinued model, they will offer them at a close out price. My other option, via Tire Rack, is the Pirelli Scorpion ATR, which is a bit more aggressive looking than I'd like, although my cost is $110/ea. through their wholesale side. Nevertheless, for a few bucks more, I think I'll go for another set of the Contis. Cheers! Aaron | ||
| Brian Vogel Prolific User Username: guyslp Post Number: 145 Registered: 6-2009 |
Aaron, I have not yet purchased from them, but they're one of the four online tire sellers I routinely check because of selection and price. If you do buy from them let me know how it goes. I've purchased from treadepot and tirerack so far. Brian | ||
| Jonas TRACHSEL Experienced User Username: jonas_trachsel Post Number: 29 Registered: 2-2005 |
Tires-easy.com seems to be the same international company as trading under the name of "Delticom" here in Switzerland. I buy all my tires (for my everyday cars) from Delticom and can endorse them. Just recently they introduced here in Switzerland also a range of tires for collectors cars, including for pre-war cars. | ||
| Bill Vatter Frequent User Username: bill_vatter Post Number: 54 Registered: 9-2004 |
I have 10K miles on a set of 205/80R16 Pirelli Scorpion tires mentioned by Aaron. They are very nice in all respects. I agree the tread looks aggressive, but that does not translate to road noise; tires run quietly. Another option is the Bridgestone Ecopia 195/80R16. | ||
| A.R. Greenberg Experienced User Username: bergxu Post Number: 14 Registered: 2-2012 |
Bill, Some of the chaps on the BDCL forums warn against the 205 size on the R-Type as it can rub against the tie rod ends, however I've not experienced any issues with the 205/80-16 Contis on my car and I'd be interested to hear if you've ever witnessed evidence of rubbing on your car with the Pirellis. Also, were you able to find those Scorpions without the outlined white letter sidewalls? I know they can be flipped to the inside, but I don't even like seeing white letter on the inside underneath!  | ||
| Norman Geeson Unregistered guest Posted From: 81.98.88.156 |
Aaron Quote……….”Some of the chaps on the BDCL forums warn against the 205 size on the R-Type as it can rub against the tie rod ends, however I've not experienced” Firstly in the case of an R TYPE fitted with its correct front wheels and no steering component damage, to have a tyre foul condition, a miracle must have happened! The static wheel rim clearance to tyre, on a 6.50 x R16 tyre is around 1.20 inches (31 mm) Today I had an engineering, R Type owner friend check this same clearance on a Michelin 205/ 80 x R16 , it is about 1.10 (28mm). This clearance is enough to allow even an under inflated tyre to have recovered its shape at high speed by the time it reaches track rod height. I have no doubt that any investigation will show that people who should know better have once again assumed an R Type is the same as every MKVI. The pre-GT chassis series cars were fitted with different road wheels, many of which found their way onto the later cars, and R Types, and in fact vice versa. During production of all these Bentley cars 1946-1955 no less than nine (probably more) different road wheels were fitted. Only two remain listed in parts books and they were not even the last to be fitted. A number of these earlier MKVI wheels had different offsets to accommodate a number of different steering/ suspension yokes. If these early road wheels are used on very late cars, including R Types, you will have a potential foul condition, as will happen with bent steering arms. In all other cases on an R type, damage excluded, there should be no foul condition. That of course presumes the tyre used is sized within tolerance of the international standard for a 205/ 80 x R16 tyre. Anyone with extensive experience will be aware of the wheel swap potential and warn you accordingly, however as your existing oversized tyres do not foul I doubt you will have any trouble. Interestingly the RREC has a MKVI instructional chassis at Hunt House in England, and although it has never been mentioned, it is fitted with five different road wheels, counting in the spare wheel. In my daily job many years ago I frequently came across tyre foul conditions on Bentley MKVI and in nearly every case the wrong off set wheels had been used. Cars entering scrap yards in those days with good tyres soon had the good tyre and wheel refitted to another car. The incorrect wheel fitting then usually came to light if the owner then fitted 6.70 x 16 remoulded tyres. This tyre size was never intended for the Bentley but was produced on a 6.50 x 16 carcass to get over a problem on the Austin car range. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1497 Registered: 4-2003 |
Norman/ How very interesting, That explains why I indeed have had cars that had a light rub mark on the inside of the carcass. This sort of esoterica (?) must have been gleefully applied back in production days to confound possible 'tinkerers'. Now with emancipation, mere mortals can suddenly find themselves on a steep learning curve!! |
