Best street tires for early 3000?

[BoyRacer]

I've got some 6" wide alloy bolt on rims (minilite look-a-likes from New Zealand that I bought in the 1980s) that I am putting on my latest modified Healey street creation- an early 3000. I've looked in the archives and the usual talk is about price, availability, and the ride is nice, yada, yada, yada. I'd like some input from those that drive their cars hard....... into the turns. I want a nice ride too, and a good price, but I just can't help myself.....I want a performance tire 'cause I will push it hard whenever I can. That's what driving a sports car is all about, isn't it? Names that have come up are Michelin, Vredesteins, Nexen and Kumhos. I'm thinking 185/70 series, but what brand?

 

[stretchit2]

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/180hr15-michelin-xas.htm

Check out Longstone Tyres in the UK. These tires are not cheap, but they are fatastic. A couple of years ago one of the members of The So Cal Healey Assoc got a set of these tires. I had some decent Michelins (165s) on my car at the time , but ended getting a set for my 61 3000 MK II. WOW what a difference. The improvement in handling was unbelievable. I am not sure but I bet a half a dozen of our members of our group have put these tires on their Healeys.

Although they were pricey and the shipping wasn't cheap, they were on sitting on my garage floor in California in less than a week. I have done a lot to my car since I have owned but I can't think of a better improvement to the handling.

Check them, they are GREAT tires.

Cheers,

Jeff

 

[dougie]

Richard -

I've get an extra set of Avon CR6ZZ 185's used once in the rain at PRW. Best big Healey performance street tire available, just ask Reid. Lets talk.
Oh, and yes I'll be serving Grey Poupon and PBR at the new digs for all visitors.

View attachment Avon CR6ZZ 2014-2.pdf

 

[Legal Bill]

High performance, nice ride, low price. Pick two. I'm a follower of street tires and did a lot of research before I bought tires for my car. I like to autocross so grip is my number one concern followed by ride quality. Wear life is not a big deal for me as I am not going to put on many miles every year. I looked into the Avons but decided I could get the level of performance I wanted with tires available in the US. If Dougies used set is available, that may be a good way to go.

I'm on Vrederstein 185/70s and they are fine for spirited driving. My car is stock except for the 5.5 inch 72 spoke wire wheels. I think their performance exceeds the capability of a car in 100% street form like mine. You would need to do quite a bit of suspension modification before you need a wider/lower profile/better tire. The wear rating is only 160, so don't expect to get 20,000 "spirited" miles out of them. That is the trade off for grip. They look period correct with a tread pattern from the late 60s to early 70s. 185s give a heavy wheel at parking lot speeds, but when you are on the road it is fine.

For a modern tread pattern you might look into the Pirelli P6000. The wear rating is 180. These will not last more than 20,000 miles IMHO. And they are pricey for a 15 inch 70 series tire. So it all depends how serious you are about your street tires.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...hicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&tab=Survey

 

[DerekJ]

Without a doubt the best tyres for what you are describing are the Avon ZZ's. They are for road/race use. However they are expensive, almost £200 each. Just fitted a set to my car at the end of last season and the grip is fantastic. Otherwise you can try a Kuhmo or Yokohama which guys in our series also use and they are much cheaper. I personally don't want to have a modern looking tyre on my car though. Michelins are almost as expensive but more of a traditional road tyre.

Avon have just brought out a new version of the 185/15/70 as their old version, although having that description, was actually only a 65 profile. Make sure you get the new ones, or buy Dougie's if he'll give you a good deal

 

[HealeyPassion]

What Legal Bill said.... Dougie's Avons or Vredesteins . I really like my 185/70 Vredesteins... I've autocrossed on them and found them to be great all around performance street tires.... low noise, good ride, hold like crazy. FWIW

Cheers,
Steve

 

[John Turney]

I have Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Positions in 195/65-15. I bought them at Costco and had a WW specialist mount them. I like them. Maybe not as high performance as the Avons, but the cost is a lot better.

 

[Legal Bill]

I didn't want to go bigger than 185s for two reasons. A heavy steering wheel feel at low speeds and tire edges sticking way out beyond the front fender line.

 

[John Turney]

I didn't want to go bigger than 185s for two reasons. A heavy steering wheel feel at low speeds and tire edges sticking way out beyond the front fender line.

A heavy steering feel when parking - absolutely, but it was hard at 185s. Early BN4s have a quicker steering box than later cars.
Sticking way out - look and see if it's too much:

 

[Michael Oritt]

Jeff--

When I click the Longstone link I come up with a Michelin XAS. Is this the tire that you are talking about having bought and liked so much? I ask because I have had my eye on them for a while--the 175 XZX's on my 100 are pretty old and no longer available in that size. The 180 XAS has the height/profile that I want and though they are expensive I would spring for them if I knew they worked well on our cars. I had several BMW sedans back in the 1980's that were equipped with XAS's and I loved them.

Please fill me in--and if anyone else has had experience with these tires I would appreciate hearing their input.

 

[HealeyRick]

Michael,

You can get the XAS tires in the U.S. at Summit Racing: https://www.summitracing.com/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=michelin xas I thought Coker Tires had bought the rights to manufacture them in the US, but I didn't see them anymore on a quick check of their website. I had XASs on my 1972 Fiat 124 Spyder when I bought it new and on my Bugeye when I restored it in the late '80s. As you probably know, it's a nice predictable tire that wears well. I autocrossed both cars and enjoyed the smooth transitions of the tire with plenty of warning before breakaway. They were hot stuff in early '70s tire technology, but I'm sure you could find more performance in a more modern tire. I can't see why they wouldn't work well on a Healey and they have an appropriate vintage look. I wouldn't hesitate to use them.

 

[DerekJ]

Michael

The Michelin XAS are excellent tyres. I know several people that run them, and also on Jags. I went with Avons because of the Hillclimbing and Sprints. They are designed for road and race use and that is perfect for me as I drive the car to and from the events.

 

[steveg]

Here are Dennis Williams' Longstone 180 XASs. They ride really well and give enough additional ground clearance over my 185-70 Vredesteins that I think I'll soon go with them:

Apologies for the b&w - my phone had changed the style unbeknownst.

 

[stretchit2]

Michael

That is correct, my tires are the Michelin XAS.

Jeff

 

[healeyblue]

Steve,
with the cars in the background, the black and white almost seems correct.

 

[Editor_Reid]

Richard -

I've get an extra set of Avon CR6ZZ 185's used once in the rain at PRW. Best big Healey performance street tire available, just ask Reid.

I got the Avon "Zed-Zeds" - as they're often called in the UK and Australia - on the advice of Steve Pike. They are a real dual-purpose tire - road and race - and they look good, too, the way they fill the wheel arch. They come in a softer and harder compound. I have the harder option and it is plenty soft. Some observations:

1. Yes, they're expensive.

2. Yes, they wear quickly.

3. They are "more tire" than I need for my Hundred because I don't drive it "that" hard, but at the same time it's nice to know that I've got more tire than I need, not less.

I wouldn't say that they are the only way to go, but they are a good option, and since you want to drive your 3000 pretty hard, they may well be your best choice. That said, I've never done any extensive comparisons on the available tires and in making my choice relied mainly on Steve Pike's advice - he would know far more about it than I.

 

[RAC68]

I have started a complimenting thread with the question "
What modifications to Healey suspensions would allowthem to take better advantage of a high performance or competition tire todeliver improve handling and roadability?"

All the best,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[TimK]

Here are Dennis Williams' Longstone 180 XASs. They ride really well and give enough additional ground clearance over my 185-70 Vredesteins that I think I'll soon go with them:
View attachment 32994View attachment 32995
Apologies for the b&w - my phone had changed the style unbeknownst.

NO apologies needed, these are beautiful photos, especially the full car shot with the classics in the background. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Legal Bill]

A heavy steering feel when parking - absolutely, but it was hard at 185s. Early BN4s have a quicker steering box than later cars.
Sticking way out - look and see if it's too much:
View attachment 32981

Not bad John. I'm not as concerned about the look as I am about throwing sand and rocks along the paint work.

 

[AJAX50]

The 185 Avon CR6ZZ's are really only 175 section, Avon have just started rebranding them in this size. To confuse matters they have also introduced a 185 that is bigger. Both are made in in hard and soft compound. As previously mentioned the hard is not really hard but is fine for every day use wet or dry, the soft is really for wet only. Fabulous tyre though, my friends are amazed at the grip of my BJ8 with these tyres (plus a few smallish suspension mods.)