44 replies to this topic

[beanboy450]

Hi guys I'm new to this forum room stuff so bear with! Just wonder what people think are the best 176/50/13 tyre. I just want good grip wet and dry mainly. Have heard that yoko tyres are good but crap in the wet?? Just didn't wana waste my money so for I research what tyres are best but can't find anythink??

[nev_payne]

So best in terms of all round performance or best pound for pound? The only front running practical choice that you can get used to over long term is the Yokohama A539. Dunlop SP2000's are another but the compound is softer and they wear out faster. Other major manufactuers have ceised production, there are alternatives like Nangkang and Maxxis.

[iwatkins]

Newish Maxxis with tread a bit like the old Toyo T1-S are very good in wet. Don't seem be wearing very fast either. Much better than the Yokos in the wet too.

Cheers

Ian

Edited by iwatkins, 01 April 2013 - 10:53 AM.

[Ipod]

Yokohama A539.
If you think their no good in the wet then, your not driving to the conditions of the road

[Leics1275]

A539 is the best option, though currently the nangkang is perfectly good,good wear rate out-does the maxxis

[maieth]

A lot of my mates criticise the yoko A539 but I've loved them and found them a huge step up from the Dunlop sp2000.
They're not great in the wet, but as mentioned by a previous poster, if the road conditions are bad enough to push the limits of your tyres then its time to ease off a bit, they'll still stop and turn well, you just won't have the buckets of grip that Yokos give when dry.
Friends rate a certain Pirelli very, very highly, but never tried them

[mini13]

the continentals are good too,

as above you cant expect miracles from a wide tyre on a light car in wet condidntions,

[beanboy450]

Hi thanks all for your replies. I just want best performance really I know in bad conditions there is only so much a tyre can do but I was wondering if Yokos where and good in dam/light rain. The only makes I can find are Yokos maxxis Dunlop and Nankang. I just want best performance dont care about price :)

[Cooperman]

If you want better wet performance change to a 165/60 x 12" tyre on a 4.4" or 5" wide wheel. In the wet, as stated above, a 175" wide tyer is too wide for a light car like a Mini. In the wet a 175 section widtyh is more suited to a car weighing around 1000 kg or slightly more. A Mini weighs around 700 to 750 kg. In fact, wet road road-holding & handling tends to be at its best on a 145 section tyre.

[Ryang556]

My 165/50/12 yoko's on 12x6's is the best handling I've witnessed so far!

[Cooperman]

I guess I've driven Minis on most tyre and wheel sizes from 5.20 x 10 cross-plies to race rubber and I can say that although 13" wheels can be fine with sticky rubber in the dry, in the wet they will always have a tendancy to slide as the contact pressure between tyre surface and road surface is less then the optimum for water clearance.
However, for use on a totally smooth race track, with very sticky slick racing tyres, a 13" wheel will perform extremely well so long as the suspension is set correctly and accurately.
For overall handling it's always believed that a 10" wheel provides the best results, although I must say that I've had 12" wheel Minis where the handling was excellent, wet or dry (don't forget, road-holding & handling are not the same thing at all).

[conlad]

I've driven my mini with continental contact 3's on the front and also with just one yoko on the front left ( cant remember yoko model) and then a conty on the right front but the yoko span in the wet so much it was nasty... The continental is fantastic, it grips well in all weather

[Cooperman]

My 165/50/12 yoko's on 12x6's is the best handling I've witnessed so far!

Are you sure they weren't 165/60 x 12 Yokos.
I have found that with those Yokos the road-holding is best with the pressures at about 30 front, 28 rear, but the best handling was at 32 psi all round.
I have never managed to make a 13" wheel Mini handle anything like a 10" or 12", although dry road-holding can be similar. Braking is much better in the wet with the narrower tyre on 12" or 10" wheels.
Some of it is personal choice and if someone likes the 13" wheel and is prepared to accept the reduction in wet-skid/slide resistance then that's OK.

[Ryang556]

My 165/50/12 yoko's on 12x6's is the best handling I've witnessed so far!

Are you sure they weren't 165/60 x 12 Yokos.
I have found that with those Yokos the road-holding is best with the pressures at about 30 front, 28 rear, but the best handling was at 32 psi all round.
I have never managed to make a 13" wheel Mini handle anything like a 10" or 12", although dry road-holding can be similar. Braking is much better in the wet with the narrower tyre on 12" or 10" wheels.
Some of it is personal choice and if someone likes the 13" wheel and is prepared to accept the reduction in wet-skid/slide resistance then that's OK.

That's what I meant... woops

13's just aren't right for a mini, I just think with the 12" you get the abilities of the 10" wheel and the minor advantages of the 13" as well

[Cooperman]

My 165/50/12 yoko's on 12x6's is the best handling I've witnessed so far!

Are you sure they weren't 165/60 x 12 Yokos.
I have found that with those Yokos the road-holding is best with the pressures at about 30 front, 28 rear, but the best handling was at 32 psi all round.
I have never managed to make a 13" wheel Mini handle anything like a 10" or 12", although dry road-holding can be similar. Braking is much better in the wet with the narrower tyre on 12" or 10" wheels.
Some of it is personal choice and if someone likes the 13" wheel and is prepared to accept the reduction in wet-skid/slide resistance then that's OK.

That's what I meant... woops

13's just aren't right for a mini, I just think with the 12" you get the abilities of the 10" wheel and the minor advantages of the 13" as well

13" are fine for track use where the surface is totally smooth and wide and where ultra-sticky slick tyres can be used. With a 13" the reduction in side-wall depth makes the Mini suspension even less compliant and it's a good idea if fitting 13's to raise the suspension height a bit and use slightly softer damper settings so that the suspension can still work on bumps. The other thing which is not often considered is that the wider wheels and tyres, complete with the very wide arch extensions significantly increases the frontal area and thus reduces the maximum speed and increases the fuel consumption at cruising speed.