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Jul 25, 2011 1:25 pm
Jul 25, 2011 1:25 pm
Subject: Re: DB 3 ltr tyres
Hi Peter,
My other "love" is RM series Rileys; I have a 1951 RMB. The standard tyre size for that is also 6.00x16, but many members prefer to fit radials, either 175/16 or 185/16. As you already appreciate, you have to put up with a lower rolling radius, and the tyres might not look quite so "right" on the car. The major benefit is a serious improvement in roadholding & handling...and that with a car that has a fine reputation for those qualities on crossplies. Tyres in these sizes are available nowadays mainly it seems as they are a standard size for taxis, so it might be worth some research to see which have the highest rolling radii. You would need to source inner tubes specifically made for radial tyres, or see if you can get away with a tubeless fitting...the wheels were not made to be airtight, but that doesn't mean they won't be.
Yes steering would be heavier, but it seems they run these at over 30 psi, whereas Riley's recommendation (for crossplies) was 24 psi. There was talk years ago that the higher loadings resulting from the increased grip & different "footprint" would result in increased wear on steering components...but I don't think that has proved true in practice.
Incidentally, you might be amazed at how much rolling radii can differ...I found that, out of the more commonly available tyres for the V12 & LG6, Michelin Conforts have far the highest. Regarding Blockleys; that brand is targeted at pre-war cars, where such tread patterns would look more in keeping.
Laurence
Hi Peter,
My other "love" is RM series Rileys; I have a 1951 RMB. The standard tyre size for that is also 6.00x16, but many members prefer to fit radials, either 175/16 or 185/16. As you already appreciate, you have to put up with a lower rolling radius, and the tyres might not look quite so "right" on the car. The major benefit is a serious improvement in roadholding & handling...and that with a car that has a fine reputation for those qualities on crossplies. Tyres in these sizes are available nowadays mainly it seems as they are a standard size for taxis, so it might be worth some research to see which have the highest rolling radii. You would need to source inner tubes specifically made for radial tyres, or see if you can get away with a tubeless fitting...the wheels were not made to be airtight, but that doesn't mean they won't be.
Yes steering would be heavier, but it seems they run these at over 30 psi, whereas Riley's recommendation (for crossplies) was 24 psi. There was talk years ago that the higher loadings resulting from the increased grip & different "footprint" would result in increased wear on steering components...but I don't think that has proved true in practice.
Incidentally, you might be amazed at how much rolling radii can differ...I found that, out of the more commonly available tyres for the V12 & LG6, Michelin Conforts have far the highest. Regarding Blockleys; that brand is targeted at pre-war cars, where such tread patterns would look more in keeping.
Laurence