Taxi tyres

[kingjohn]

Hi, I need to invest in a set of taxi tyres for my car soon and wondered which tyres are recommended?

As they will have little use I am not interested in the taxi driver's requirement for high mileage tyres. I want to know which tyres provide the best grip in wet and dry conditions, ideally with a speed rating of N or higher?

There seems to be a large range from Dunlop/ Michelins down to Costco available. Which to choose?

[kevindgas]

as you haven't said what you are fitting them too and most of us don't have a crystal ball how do you expect help?

a make / model would help those in the know to help you.

[kingjohn]

Sorry to be vague.

Its an old Bristol 403. It currently has cross ply tyres that will need replacing soon and I can't afford a couple of hundred plus for each 185 x 16 tyre

I expect to do 1 - 2,000 miles per year at best, hence wear rate is not relevent.

[Peter.N.]

Have a look on ebay, there are new ones from about £50.00 and a few good looking secondhand ones for not much at all. Presumably you want non low profile although 75s are not much smaller.

Peter

[kingjohn]

Thanks, I know there a lot out there, I was hoping to get some views on which to buy as I don't want to go sliding down the road on tyres that will last 50,000 miles.

Do Dunlops grip better than Michelins/ Austones etc?

[timtheenchanter]

wow, now thats a taxi!!

[Peter.N.]

That I don't know I'm afraid, I don't drive very fast so I would rather have the ones that last 50k

[ch427]

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/

have a look here for prices and do some comparing, stick with the well known manufacturers and you will be ok.
Ive always been impressed with kumho tyres ive had, inexspensive and get very good reviews. very grippy too

[Burnerman]

I'm shifting my allegiance from Michelin to Maxxis and Vredestein.....any tyre where the tread lasts for ever will suffer sidewall splits too. Even the prestige makes do that.
John

[JohnD]

kingjohn wrote:

185 x 16 tyre

shouldn't there be more numbers and letters? something like 225/45 R17 Y?

how old is the car? 1950's

Is it a radial tyre? Or an old-design Crossply? In which case you need a Vintage Tyre supplier (they make batches of old sizes every year or two) and the Bristol Owners club would be the best place to start. Old stock tyres deteriorate over time.



I have had my best-ever miles-per-tyre with Michelins

[Peter.N.]

I think '185 X 16' assumes that the width/height ratio is 80%

[kingjohn]

OE was 5.50 or 6.00 x 16" cross ply but the following year they switched to Michelin `X` radials. This was pre EU Empire so they didn't use metric or have profiles.

Radial equivilent is 175 (ie taxi tyres) while high speed specialist radials start at 185 x 16.

Does anyone have knowledge of the Dunlop Grandtrek AT2? it comes in 175/80 x 16 and is S rated. I think it is aimed at light weight SUVs that are mainly used on the road

[JohnD]

I still think

JohnD wrote:

the Bristol Owners club would be the best place to start.

I used to be in an old car club, I think they carried ads for "Vintage Tyre Supplies"

[kingjohn]

I ended up buying a set of Michelin taxi tyres. Had the option of King Pin remoulds at half the price but decided to go with the reputation.

Had them fitted as tubeless and so far have been very pleased with their performance (over 30 year old worn cross plies) and the rims hold the air without problems.

[Nige F]

Not surprised radials are better riding than x-plies . Only Reliants ( 3 wheeled ones) need x- plies , so they can be drifted on roundabouts - poxy new fangled radials dig in and make the inside wheel lift