[tempest]

It would seem that Unsprung weight is very important to ride and handling etc. And for most of us - the easiest way to improve that ratio is to buy lighter Tyres when we replace them. Is there a way of compiling a "weight of tyre only" list by size to point us in the right direction come swap time?.

 

[SoberOne]

You're right.
But choosing tires (tyres) based on their wight is not a great idea.

Generally speaking, but not always, the lesser quality tires have less weight and the higher quality tires have more weight. What a bummer, eh?

It boils down to the tire's manufacturing. How they use steel belts and the number of steel belts plays a large part in the end weight. The steel belts along with things like wound nylon strips, spirally wound nylon cord, spiral-wrapped jointless nylon caps, spiral wrapped polamide cords and/or aramid reinforcement all play a big roll in determining the end weight. The different and amount of silica tread compounds also changes the weight, but not significantly in comparison to the other factors.

If you want to do tire and/or tire weight comparisons http://www.tirerack.com/ is a great resource of information.

The bester way to change (lighten) unsprung wight is to upgrade the brake rotors and calipers along with the wheels to a performance types. Keeping the same stock size, the performance parts will be lighter. Unfortunatly they usually cost more.

BTW.... the Hankook Optimo H426 is one of the lightest tires, weighing in at 21lbs. AND we all know how much we love these. lol

 

[tempest]

You're right.
But choosing tires (tyres) based on their wight is not a great idea.

Generally speaking, but not always, the lesser quality tires have less weight and the higher quality tires have more weight. What a bummer, eh?

It boils down to the tire's manufacturing. How they use steel belts and the number of steel belts plays a large part in the end weight. The steel belts along with things like wound nylon strips, spirally wound nylon cord, spiral-wrapped jointless nylon caps, spiral wrapped polamide cords and/or aramid reinforcement all play a big roll in determining the end weight. The different and amount of silica tread compounds also changes the weight, but not significantly in comparison to the other factors.

If you want to do tire and/or tire weight comparisons http://www.tirerack.com/ is a great resource of information.

The bester way to change (lighten) unsprung wight is to upgrade the brake rotors and calipers along with the wheels to a performance types. Keeping the same stock size, the performance parts will be lighter. Unfortunatly they usually cost more.

BTW.... the Hankook Optimo H426 is one of the lightest tires, weighing in at 21lbs. AND we all know how much we love these. lol

i dont know much about tyre makes......i assume the comment about Hankook tyres is derogatory and i should avoid them?.

 

[SoberOne]

Yes I was.
Hankook Optimo H426 are what they are and do their intended job.
Many people expect a lot more from their specific tires than they should. We must consider ourselves lucky when our tires are upto the task.

 

[tempest]

Yes I was.
Hankook Optimo H426 are what they are and do their intended job.
Many people expect a lot more from their specific tires than they should. We must consider ourselves lucky when our tires are upto the task.

Last bit sounds very profound!!......not sure if theres a hidden message in there or what.....any reccommendations on make to go for the future?

 

[SoberOne]

No.
I have some favourites but it depens more on the application than any one overall.

My point is and an example of, is that if we purchase K-Mart/Walmart brand or Canadian Tire brand tires and want to rip around corners like we are on Toyo Proxes T1R tires or Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires we are due for a rude awakening and we should not be at all suprised when we jump the curb or find ourselves in the ditch.

We must understand there are limits to every tire. We must make the correct purchase for our driving style and for the performance expectations we demand from our tires. Summer, all season, winter and the extream performance variations of these catagories are all different and we must expect different characteristics in different conditions.

 

[tempest]

No.
I have some favourites but it depens more on the application than any one overall.

My point is and an example of, is that if we purchase K-Mart/Walmart brand or Canadian Tire brand tires and want to rip around corners like we are on Toyo Proxes T1R tires or Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires we are due for a rude awakening and we should not be at all suprised when we jump the curb or find ourselves in the ditch.

We must understand there are limits to every tire. We must make the correct purchase for our driving style and for the performance expectations we demand from our tires. Summer, all season, winter and the extream performance variations of these catagories are all different and we must expect different characteristics in different conditions.

ok.....so my driving style is pretty gentle.....try not to push the car too much because i want it to last.......and i want a tyre that will give me long life and a quiet comfortable ride....and can you point me in the direction of European ranges of tyre?.

 

[SoberOne]

I don't know anything about the European tyre market but I will assume that you can get the same tires that we can here in North America.

The characteristics that you would like in order of importance based on your driving style and expectations from your tires are:
- Tread life
- Ride quality (comfort and quite)
- Handling

Base on these expectations I would say think about these three tyres when doing your research and comparisons.
Kumho's Ecsta LX Platinum (KU27) --{#1 Tread life, #1 Ride quality, #3 Handling
Yokohama's AVID ENVigor --{#2 Tread life, #3 Ride quality, #2 Handling
Michelin's Pilot Sport A/S Plus --{#3 Tread life, #2 Ride quality, #1 Handling

For myself price is the least of my concerns when choosing tires; performance is number one, tread life is number two and ride quality is number three

Importantly do some research of your own so you can be happy with the choice you make since you will be the driving with them for several years.

 

[tempest]

I don't know anything about the European tyre market but I will assume that you can get the same tires that we can here in North America.

The characteristics that you would like in order of importance based on your driving style and expectations from your tires are:
- Tread life
- Ride quality (comfort and quite)
- Handling

Base on these expectations I would say think about these three tyres when doing your research and comparisons.
Kumho's Ecsta LX Platinum (KU27) --{#1 Tread life, #1 Ride quality, #3 Handling
Yokohama's AVID ENVigor --{#2 Tread life, #3 Ride quality, #2 Handling
Michelin's Pilot Sport A/S Plus --{#3 Tread life, #2 Ride quality, #1 Handling

For myself price is the least of my concerns when choosing tires; performance is number one, tread life is number two and ride quality is number three

Importantly do some research of your own so you can be happy with the choice you make since you will be the driving with them for several years.

Thanks for that. I will do my own research come tyre change time, but its always good to hear other peoples more informed opinions and experiences. Thank you.