Recommend me a tyre [Dublin shops]

ba_barabus

Right folks,

I need to get two tyres for my car. The size is 225/50/17.

They must be non-directional.

The best price I have so far from a tyre shop is €160 for Kumhos.

I don't want to order online.

George Dalton

Directional tyres would be ok for you. If you want to be able to turn them around on the rims then you can do so.

What you need to avoid are asymmetric tyres as you can't turn those around.

ba_barabus

George Dalton wrote: »

Directional tyres would be ok for you. If you want to be able to turn them around on the rims then you can do so.

What you need to avoid are asymmetric tyres as you can't turn those around.

Asymmetric are the tyres that have an inside and outside marking. Is that correct?

Directional I could swap left to right and vice versa. I must have consider that.

George Dalton

Yes that is correct. Pretty much every tyre in that size will be either asymmetric or directional.

Directional tyres are becoming less common these days. The only directional tyres I can think of in your size (excluding Chinese rubbish) are:

Kumho KU31
Hankook V12 Evo
Semperit Speedlife

ba_barabus

George Dalton wrote: »

Yes that is correct. Pretty much every tyre in that size will be either asymmetric or directional.

Directional tyres are becoming less common these days. The only directional tyres I can think of in your size (excluding Chinese rubbish) are:

Kumho KU31
Hankook V12 Evo
Semperit Speedlife

That seems to be the issue. There's just not much choice. I'm not fitting rubbish and the few places I tried wouldn't recommend them strangely. Normally they try and push the cheap shyte on you.

George Dalton

Where are you based these days?

ba_barabus

George Dalton wrote: »

Where are you based these days?

Currently in Dublin near Sundrive/Harolds Cross.

I'm up and down the M7 to Nenagh regularly enough also and north to Newry.

I'll be passing you Friday or Saturday next week. Just looking at the tyre's now and I reckon they need to be changed.

ba_barabus

My OH also needs 4 185/65/14's for her Avensis. Although I reckon part worn is the way forward there as the car is worn and due an MOT in late December.

Anjobe

I've had the Semperits before and found them to be a decent tyre. I got them from a place on the Belgard Road in Tallaght.

I wonder if tyre fitters make a bigger margin on the budget tyres?

George Dalton

Try Keith in Discount Tyres in Blanch. He can certainly get you the Hankooks and may be able to suggest something else as well.

Tell him you want tsomething decent and he won't try sell you sh1te.

ba_barabus

George Dalton wrote: »

Try Keith in Discount Tyres in Blanch. He can certainly get you the Hankooks and may be able to suggest something else as well.

Tell him you want tsomething decent and he won't try sell you sh1te.

Perfect, will do

pred racer

ba_barabus wrote: »

Perfect, will do

Don't buy the hankooks
They are not worth the price. And didn't last pissing time on mine.
If it was me I'd buy Goodyear efficient grip, (+100km for a tank for me, and good grip and wear)

I'd also consider changing from 225/50/17 to 225/45/17, they are quite a bit cheaper (mine is on 45s)

Bridgestones are the best all rounder I have come across for the 159 but they are a tad noisey.

ba_barabus

pred racer wrote: »

I'd also consider changing from 225/50/17 to 225/45/17, they are quite a bit cheaper (mine is on 45s).

It's actually on 45s but I find it is too low on anything other than a motorway. I thought the correct profile might actually help.

What price are the Goodyears?

debabyjesus

Dave mc cann in clonsilla was doing the speedlifes on a deal recently. I got 2 of them 205/55/16 for €75 each. Not sure if its a great deal or not as I didnt price them elsewhere but I had them a few years back too and was impressed so just went for them again.

George Dalton

ba_barabus wrote: »

It's actually on 45s but I find it is too low on anything other than a motorway. I thought the correct profile might actually help.

What price are the Goodyears?

The Goodyears are asymmetric.

225/45 around €135
225/50 around €180

IMO the 5mm in height you will gain with the 225/50 isn't worth the extra outlay.

ba_barabus

George Dalton wrote: »

The Goodyears are asymmetric.

That's them out then.

George Dalton wrote: »

IMO the 5mm in height you will gain with the 225/50 isn't worth the extra outlay.

If that's the case I'll stick with whats on it. I was hoping to give it a small lift.

pred racer

ba_barabus wrote: »

It's actually on 45s but I find it is too low on anything other than a motorway. I thought the correct profile might actually help.

What price are the Goodyears?

It depends on they tyre, what have you got on now? On acceleras, bridgestones, semperits and goodyears it's fine, on nangkangs and hankooks it was bottoming out all over the place even though they were all the same profile.

The goodyears were €130 each

The correct profile will help, but they are a bit of a strange size and more expensive, also (and this may be in my head) the handling is not as sharp on the 50's. A friend of mine has a 159 sw with the proper tyres and mine is better

ba_barabus

pred racer wrote: »

It depends on they tyre, what have you got on now? On acceleras, bridgestones, semperits and goodyears it's fine, on nangkangs and hankooks it was bottoming out all over the place even though they were all the same profile.

Currently on Firestone SZ90's. I've found them great tbh but I can't swap them around.

pred racer wrote: »

The goodyears were €130 each

That's fair enough.

pred racer wrote: »

The correct profile will help, but they are a bit of a strange size and more expensive, also (and this may be in my head) the handling is not as sharp on the 50's. A friend of mine has a 159 sw with the proper tyres and mine is better

They would certainly soften the ride........I prefer handling but grounding out scraes the shyte out of me..

George Dalton

ba_barabus wrote: »

If that's the case I'll stick with whats on it. I was hoping to give it a small lift.

You will gain 5.625mm in ride height It's up to you whether it is worth the extra money. I personally wouldn't bother.

pred racer

ba_barabus wrote: »

Currently on Firestone SZ90's. I've found them great tbh but I can't swap them around.



That's fair enough.



They would certainly soften the ride........I prefer handling but grounding out scraes the shyte out of me..

How long did the firestones last?
Btw if you are buying 4, you can put anything on the back, unless you are a lunatic you won't get the arse to step out;)
Don't worry about the grounding, mines been hopping off the road for 2.5 yrs now and I doubt 5mm is going to change that.
Michelin primacy's seem to be good too, but I haven't tried them yet.

ba_barabus

George Dalton wrote: »

You will gain 5.625mm in ride height It's up to you whether it is worth the extra money. I personally wouldn't bother.

It seems petty but it literally drags itself over some roads. TBH seeing it written down it's not worth it.

I can get Kumho's at 225/45/17's for about €110 fitted. Anyone any comment on Kumhos?

George Dalton

pred racer wrote: »

Don't worry about the grounding, mines been hopping off the road for 2.5 yrs now and I doubt 5mm is going to change that

Your subframe is practically worn through at this stage :pac:

ba_barabus

pred racer wrote: »

Btw if you are buying 4, you can put anything on the back, unless you are a lunatic you won't get the arse to step out;)

Just going to stick two new ones on the front and leave the rears alone. If I get directional fronts I can swap them around. I'm not sure how many miles they've given as the previous owner fitted them. Could be about 15k kms....

Rears have lots of thread left.

George Dalton

ba_barabus wrote: »

I can get Kumho's at 225/45/17's for about €110 fitted. Anyone any comment on Kumhos?

They are decent but you should be able to get the Semperits for the same money and they are better IMO.

ba_barabus

George Dalton wrote: »

They are decent but you should be able to get the Semperits for the same money and they are better IMO.

I know what I'm going to treat myself to for my 30th birthday next week

pred racer

George Dalton wrote: »

Your subframe is practically worn through at this stage :pac:

I know someone who'll trade it in for a C5 :P

ba_barabus wrote: »

Just going to stick two new ones on the front and leave the rears alone. If I get directional fronts I can swap them around. I'm not sure how many miles they've given as the previous owner fitted them. Could be about 15k kms....

Rears have lots of thread left.

I have heard good reports about kumhos but I haven't tried them.

George Dalton wrote: »

They are decent but you should be able to get the Semperits for the same money and they are better IMO.

Semperit were the quietest and the most pliant (nice soft ride, less grounding)
Tyres I have had, I wasn't happy with the grip they gave, but not everybody drives like me :pac:

H3llR4iser

pred racer wrote: »

Btw if you are buying 4, you can put anything on the back, unless you are a lunatic you won't get the arse to step out;)

Oh, it is quite easy to get the rear end of the 159 to step out with crappy tires, believe me. Or at least, Accelera PHIs at the back seem to be very prone to that

Oh and the way Alfa intends VDC is more or less "Won't do anything unless you do something outwordly silly". Which I can't complain about

How do you reckon the Avon ZV5s? They're 100 or so on Oponeo...tempted to try them. Can't bring myself to spend more than the necessary in the local tyre places (Cork), as they all seem to only stock cr@p and, if you ask for something a bit better, start singing the praise of Triangle or GreenMax tires

ba_barabus

Just bumping this a little bit. I have to look at reviews of these tyres but these are what I've been recommended locally. George I haven't had time to get to Blanch yet.

If anyone has an opinion on the following let me know (I'm not ordering online). All prices are per tyre and include fitting and fitting. Sizes are all 225/45/17

Dayton D320 @ €115-125
Nankang NF20 @ €105
Sava Intenza UHP @ €125
Avon ZV5 @ €125

Also I was advised to fit a tyre with a higher load rating (no effect on price) to help the handling. True or false?

H3llR4iser

Higher than 98? I am not sure how easy it would be to find them...I think I stumbled upon one or two tire types rated 101 at 225/50/17 in my research!

ba_barabus

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Higher than 98? I am not sure how easy it would be to find them...I think I stumbled upon one or two tire types rated 101 at 225/50/17 in my research!

Opps I should note these are now 225/45/17's and I think the ratings were 91 or the higher 94.

H3llR4iser

ba_barabus wrote: »

Opps I should note these are now 225/45/17's and I think the ratings were 91 or the higher 94.

Ah ok...I don't think I would put 45s on the 159; Plenty of places the front splitter bottoms out already on the 50s to be honest. Yeah they cost considerably less, and probably the smaller shoulder can have better dynamic characteristics (not that it's lacking anyway!)...just my view.

Also, the wheel arches already look a bit "empty" with the 50s on 17 wheels, not sure what the visual effect of 45s could be :eek:

That said, I think somebody here did use the ZV5s a while ago...I'd be curious to know how they performed, because they seem a good balance.