[96 Blue]

I'm looking at replacing the tyres on my S4s as they have become dry and cracked. According to the tyre guy this happens when they are parked for extended periods on concrete. Something about absorbing the oils from the rubber :/

But anyway, I digress, The Michelin Pilot Sport's it currently wears no longer come in the 235/40/17 for the front. Has anyone had experience with alternative tyres? There are Yokohama, Continental and a few others that make this size tyre.

Is it an option to go with a Michelin Pilot Sport size 235/35/17?

[andecorp]

I'd search high and low for Michelin's. I used Pirelli and Yokohoma on my S4s and they were terrible. The S4s suspension settings were designed around the Pilot Sport.

[96 Blue]

Thought that might be the case :/

I've tracked down a pair on EBay and will be in my hands in a couple of weeks. Not sure how we will go about getting tyres in the longer term though. Will cross that bridge when we come to it.

[james280779]

Dunlop SP9000 are a good tyre choice- alot of UK owners use them, they do need a little wearing in to make the car handle like it should. They are approved by Lotus for the V8 but not the four cylinder but alot of the four pot boys still use them, come in sizes suitable for front and rear so matching all round.

Might have to order them from the UK but probably worth it.

 

[BigD]

I had to replace my original 235/40/17 front's with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 215/45/17
The 235/40/17 were no longer available. The 225/45/17's (available locally) were too close to the cooling piles under the front wheels.
The 215/45/17 (available locally) were the best fit.

[benjaminc]

Im running BF Goodrich Radial Ta on my 89 turbo, the only tires you can buy new right now which match original spec sizes front and rear, matching axels.  They are fine, but are speed limited to 180, which of course I never go over so I dont worry about it.  the white lettering looks great too..

[anotherforumuser]

Im running BF Goodrich Radial Ta on my 89 turbo, the only tires you can buy new right now which match original spec sizes front and rear, matching axels.  They are fine, but are speed limited to 180, which of course I never go over so I dont worry about it.  the white lettering looks great too..

American Tyre. You sure thats not 180 MPH? I would have thought they were rated well above 180kmh.

I wonder if there is a limit in the US that they can rate them at.

[benjaminc]

Yea they are only S rated.  I got them from the USA.  180 is it....but really, even with the occasional blast, i would never exceed 180, the esprit turbo is really geared for max fun up to 180, it really trails off after that, if you want max fun to 200 you need an SE.  Even the V8 starts trailing off at around 230.  But for normal use, up to 160 is all you need, so im happy : )

[andecorp]

Even the V8 starts trailing off at around 230.

No it doesn't. V8 has more torque/bhp than the S4s and my S4s only starts trailing off at 260.

[benjaminc]

Maybe trailing off is the wrong word - its implies the acceleration drops away completely, it doesnt, i mean more its kinda of winding up, its the rate of acceleration which decreases (as opposed to a murcielago which nearly gives you same stupid rate of acceleration from 100-200 as it did 0-100!  of course it would though with the extra power).  I based that off this:  http://www.zeperfs.com/en/match205-1911.htm
This website average all the verified magazine tests (hence the green and red bars shows the large differences at times with magazine tests...) but it would seem that the V8 starts no notch up increasingly larger gaps between the 220, 230, 240, 250 times, even more so the S4S.  That said...it is just a website and these figures could be wrong :/