18 replies to this topic

[asahartz]

I'm sure this topic has been done to death, but I have a twist here.

I'm needing some new rubber and I'm a little bit concerned. I have 5x12 rims, which currently have 165/60R12 Yoko A539s. Although decent enough new, they've worn out in 18k miles (wouldn't even have made that without my winter tyres on the front) - 20 months, it's my daily. And replacements will cost me close on £300 fitted.

However the only choice in 165 tyres right now is between the Yokos and Falken ZE 912. Nobody has any other brands. I was never a fan of the old Falkens (though a set on Harriet drove well enough) - what are the new ones like?

My other option is to go to 145s all round, for which there is a wide range of budget tyres. However I'm an enthusiastic driver with a poky 1275 doing 50 miles a day in all weathers, so I'm a little concerned about how they will handle in comparison with the wider tyre. But I have to consider the £150 saving over Yokos!

Has anyone any thoughts about the new Falkens?

I have to say the lack of supply in the 165 tyre is a bit worrying for us all, and I suspect it is driving prices up. A concern for future motoring.

Then there's option 3. I've been researching tyre sizes, and discovered (through parking next to one) that a Daihatsu Cuore has 145/70/12 tyres as standard and 155/65/13 as an alloy option. I have a Micra as a donor car(!) and tried a Micra wheel (155/70/13, 6J) on my Sky - it doesn't look out of place and would only need a minor modification of the arches, perhaps even less with the Daihatsu tyre size. Both tyre sizes are significantly cheaper than even the Falkens in 12"!
I can get proper Mini alloys with the correct 4" pcd in 5x13 or 5.5x13. Since these are narrower than the usual 175x13 tyres used on Minis, I would expect them not to tramline as badly. Has anyone ever tried this tyre size combination on a Mini?

[Guess-Works.com]

Isn't Minispares doing a group tyre buy at the moment ?

I've had no problems with the grip level of falkens, new or old.

[Bungle]

on a side note i don't get any more millage out of a set of tyres on my daily renault clio

so it's not just a mini thing

[Wil_h]

I think 18k miles is pretty good.

[gazza_sidewalk]

I dont even get 18k miles out of the fronts. god darn you basingstoke with all your roundabouts!!!

Both mini spares and speed currently have a deal for all 4 tires.

[shellspeed]

145's will be a real retrograde step on the handling front. Drove one once and that was enough for me. You really carn't knock 18k. I have 17" wheels on my Focus so conciderably greater rolling radius and get about 12k on the front if I drive it carefully.

[Cooperman]

145's will be a real retrograde step on the handling front. Drove one once and that was enough for me. You really carn't knock 18k. I have 17" wheels on my Focus so conciderably greater rolling radius and get about 12k on the front if I drive it carefully.

No, 145's will degrade the road-holding not the handling. The handling will still be as it was and in some conditions could be better. Minis on 145 section tyres have always handled very well in all conditions.
A 155/65 x 13 won't fit on a Mini as the fronts will hit the wheel arches and the inner wing on lock and the rears will hit the radius arms.
18k miles for Mini tyres is quite good.
The latest Falken 165/60 x 12 are excellent and I was driving an MPI with them on last week in the wet - excellent.
12" wheels with 165 tyres are much better than 175/50 x 13 in the wet or on slippy surfaces.
The best tyres are the Yoko's which you currently need to replace.

[asahartz]

A 155/65 x 13 won't fit on a Mini as the fronts will hit the wheel arches and the inner wing on lock and the rears will hit the radius arms.

That surely depends on the offset of the wheels.

But thanks for your other comments.

I'm surprised people are saying 18k is a good mileage; I've been driving Minis as dailys for about 7 years and never noticed them wear out this quickly. That's 18 months driving for me! My dad used to get 24k on his vans but that was 35 years ago!
I've driven on most Mini wheel & tyre sizes and many different brands, and while I'll agree Yokos are good tyres in most conditions, they're worse than useless in snow, and damned expensive too.

[Cooperman]

Most modern tyres are useless in snow. They are virtually all close-pattern. For performance in snow you need a 145 section snow-pattern tyre.

The nominal radius of a 175/50 x 13 is 9.9" whilst a 155/65 x 13 is 10.5". That's over 1/2" greater radius. You would need lock-stops on the rack to prevent the tyre hitting the inner wing and would have to cut away the front wing to get clearance as well.

Why not just do what everyone else does and fit the correct tyres for the car. It is doubtful whether a 155/65 x 13 would meet the approved tyres sizes for the car in terms of C & U Regulations.

[Mini Cheddars]

I dont even get 18k miles out of the fronts. god darn you basingstoke with all your roundabouts!!!

Shouldn't go bombing round them so fast then.

[cradley-heathen]

145's will be a real retrograde step on the handling front. Drove one once and that was enough for me. You really carn't knock 18k. I have 17" wheels on my Focus so conciderably greater rolling radius and get about 12k on the front if I drive it carefully.

No, 145's will degrade the road-holding not the handling. The handling will still be as it was and in some conditions could be better. Minis on 145 section tyres have always handled very well in all conditions.
A 155/65 x 13 won't fit on a Mini as the fronts will hit the wheel arches and the inner wing on lock and the rears will hit the radius arms.
18k miles for Mini tyres is quite good.
The latest Falken 165/60 x 12 are excellent and I was driving an MPI with them on last week in the wet - excellent.
12" wheels with 165 tyres are much better than 175/50 x 13 in the wet or on slippy surfaces.
The best tyres are the Yoko's which you currently need to replace.

as usual i completely agree with cooperman, dont mistake grip for handling.

i have found that on 12" wheels the yokos you had before are the best all round, and the falkens are great for the road, if not brilliant on a track to be honest. i must admit the best fun i can remember having in a mini recently was a 1275 engined one, with steel wheels and 145/70/12 tyres. not huge amounts of grip but as james may pointed out recently, you have the fun of driving at silly speeds, but at only 35mph.

[asahartz]

Most modern tyres are useless in snow. They are virtually all close-pattern. For performance in snow you need a 145 section snow-pattern tyre.

The nominal radius of a 175/50 x 13 is 9.9" whilst a 155/65 x 13 is 10.5". That's over 1/2" greater radius. You would need lock-stops on the rack to prevent the tyre hitting the inner wing and would have to cut away the front wing to get clearance as well.

Why not just do what everyone else does and fit the correct tyres for the car. It is doubtful whether a 155/65 x 13 would meet the approved tyres sizes for the car in terms of C & U Regulations.

Fact is, I used to get to work in snow on plain old 165/60/12 Falkens, so the poor performance of the Yokos came as something of a surprise to me; I now have a set of 145 snow tyres for the winter.

I'm fully aware of the difference in the radius of the 155 tyre, and having tried one on the car I don't think it would be the problem you are inferring. I was merely floating an idea and getting opinions, and looking for a cheaper option in tyres than we are currently offered.. However as it would also cost me a new set of wheels, it looks as though I'll be settling for the standard 12s in one size or the other. As an experienced Mini owner aged 50 I don't appreciate being talked down to, which is why I don't spend much time on TMF. See ya.

[Cooperman]

I had to use a 155/70 x 12 on an Endurance Rally as they were the only size made by the company providing the 'control tyres'. Even at that size they hit the inner wheel arch on full lock and I had to cut & re-shape the front of the wheel arches and re-position the arch extensions. So, no, a 155/65 x 13 won't work properly.

[minispaniard]

... As an experienced Mini owner aged 50 I don't appreciate being talked down to, which is why I don't spend much time on TMF. See ya.

Of course, each one has got their own opinion but mind that there might be Mini drivers with even more experience than you. I'm not talking about myself but the post above this may belong to one of them. It's not only unexperienced youngsters in TMF...

[1275GTS]

I agree with Guessworks. I've had no problems with either the old or new Falken tyres.