Tyres for 1998 RS type 11 SE

RStype11SE · Post by **RStype11SE** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:11 pm

I have a 1998 RS type II SE which I brought with 195/50/15 tyres on the front and 205/50/15 tyres on the rear. I replaced them with Michelin MX sports in the same sizes. Recently the car was serviced by one garage and around the same time the car was put in for a rear left hand slow puncture at a tyre specialists. I then noticed that I was losing the back end even in the dry so I checked the tyres. Either the garage or the tyre specialist has rotated the tyres so the 195's are on the rear and the 205's are on the front. Neither of them are committing to whether they rotated the tyres and it certainly wasn't me. The rims are factory as far as I know and have a 6JL or least it looks like that code stamped onto the sides with a load no: of 690 Kgs.
My question is can I fit 205/50/15's to both sets of rims as the vehicle requires new tyres soon. I would like to replace them with Bridgestone RE002's, as I found that the Michelins lost their grip after a while.
The car is a Japanese import and I have owned it since 2002.
It has Bilstein shocks an under bonnet brace, a brace behind the seats and another one in the boot. No ABS however has Air con.

Mr. Shine · Post by **Mr. Shine** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:26 pm

205s on a 6" wheel is fine.

RStype11SE · Post by **RStype11SE** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:45 pm

Mr. Shine wrote:205s on a 6" wheel is fine.

Thank you for the information Mr. Shine
If the twits do rotate the wheels in future then it won't matter as the tyres will be the same size.
I will not be returning the car to the 'Tyre specialist' They have lost my custom.

Angreal · Post by **Angreal** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 1:31 pm

I find it easier to change all 4 tyres at the same time, that way things like this never happen. If some tyres still have meat in them, then it's very simple to reduce their tread prior to getting new tyres

WideOpenThrottle · Post by **WideOpenThrottle** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:07 pm

Makes me wonder now ...how does a staggered fit affect wheel alignment & could the tyre shop do one?

RStype11SE · Post by **RStype11SE** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:34 pm

Angreal wrote:I find it easier to change all 4 tyres at the same time, that way things like this never happen. If some tyres still have meat in them, then it's very simple to reduce their tread prior to getting new tyres

I will be replacing all four tyres at the same time. I have no idea why they were fitted with varying widths in the first place as the rims are the same size, however when I replaced them with the Michelins I stuck to the widths that were already on the vehicle. Maybe the car saw track days in Japan and the fronts were fitted with the 195's to quicken up the steering ?
All I have noticed after they were obviously rotated is the back lets go under fairly mild provocation.My wife (the actual owner) took the car in to get a slow puncture repaired in the rear LH tyre of the 205/50/15. She complained about a few weeks ago that it had stepped out on her but the road she was driving on was damp and a bus route so I did not think much of it until I found whilst I was driving it that it stepped out in the rear on a familiar road in the dry. That's when I checked them and discovered the discrepancy. Message to self 'don't trust tyre fitters'. Thanks for the reply though.
I personally ride a Motorbike so I consider myself quite aware of the necessity of the tyre safety factor.
When my wife returned to the tyre specialist to get it repaired as it had a puncture repair guarantee she was never informed that the tyres were rotated. When I went to them to find out what had happened they denied rotating the tyres. Hence they have lost my custom.

tomtikki · Post by **tomtikki** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 4:34 pm

Tyre shop guys should have noticed the width difference straight away if they were any good. They deserve to lose your business mate.

Speaking of weird stuff people do, the previous owner of my car had 40 profile on the front and 50's on the back. He said he liked the slightly raked look! ...Oh yeah great ... And of course it ment I couldn't really rotate the tyres.

Angreal · Post by **Angreal** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:04 pm

Previous owner of my car was an old mechanic, probably a good thing for me

tomtikki · Post by **tomtikki** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:49 pm

Angreal wrote:Previous owner of my car was an old mechanic, probably a good thing for me

Lucky bastard. -would he like what you've done to his car so far?

Mine was an electrical retard along with having weird tyre choices.

Angreal · Post by **Angreal** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 7:39 pm

He'd probably point out that the paint is rough since it was always garaged until I got my hands on it but I think he'd like the direction I've been taking - handling rather than outright power.

Would be good to track him down though - New years resolution I guess

Tyres for 1998 RS type 11 SE

Tyres for 1998 RS type 11 SE

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