Hi chaps,
Some advice required please on the new Pirelli Cinturato offered by Longtone Tyres.
I fitted my car with XAS tyres circa 2012, and yes I know they are old but are “perfect in apperance and covered only 3000 ish miles”. My dilema now is do I replace them along with all the other bits needed with new XAS at a hefty cost or go for the Pirelli Cinturato CA67 at just over half the price.
I know for a fact that the XAS got rid of all my stability issues at speed back in 2012 but I have no experience of the Pirelli tyre. So it’s not an out an out financial decision but one about a good tyre that looks period and above all drives well.
I just mounted a set of the Pirelli 155/80 H rated on one of my elans - no significant mileage yet but that will be fixed in a couple of weeks as I’m planning on a 500 mile trip. So if your not in a hurry I can report back …
PS - got them from longstone - excellent service …
I was faced with a similar dilemma last year - XASs on the car when I bought it, but getting old though still legal in terms of tread, and the rubber hard. (And I know what everyone says about the tread pattern, but I always thought the asymmetric tread pattern looked a bit odd). After much deliberation I switched to the Cinturatos and haven’t been disappointed - the ride is smoother and quieter, and the handling is excellent (and the tyres just look period right). And half the price too! New tyres will always make a big difference over 10 year old tyres, but I’m very happy having made the switch.
Mark, that might be true, but I can’t comment. The Michelins are apparently made of a ‘stickier’ compound, for what that’s worth, but unless you’re really pushing the boundaries as far as your driving style is concerned, I doubt most of us would be able to tell the difference between the Michelins and the Pirellis in normal day to day driving conditions. As I said, new tyres will always make a difference over old tyres that have hardened over time, and I’ve been very happy with the Cinturatos; the price was affordable, their appearance is authentically period, and for the sort of driving I do around the backroads of Dorset within my own capabilities and those of the car, they’re great: good grip, smooth ride, predictable handling.
Ran them for 3 days , combination of back roads , state routes through the mountains and some interstate. Haven’t observed any vices after 750 miles . They felt more up on their toes than the khumos that were on before (that’s not a complaint ) I will probably play around with tire pressures to see what happens.
Ah, tyre pressures (again)! I’ve seen all the previous threads where this has come up before. When Vintage Tyres in Beaulieu fitted the new Cinturatos on my S4 last summer they set the pressures at 26psi front and rear. Having previously tried a few different settings on my old XASs (to no great effect as far as I could tell) I have stuck with 26psi all round on these new tyres and find the ride and handling and balance perfectly fine. And I know, you’ll tell me I’m just not trying hard enough, but I can live with that - I’m spending all my time dodging the ever increasing number of potholes on the UK’s rapidly deteriorating roads!
The original recommended pressures were 19/21. I found that a comfortable ride, but the tires wanted to fall over on the sidewalls when pushed. I finally settled on 21/23 psig for road use.
A bit late to the party, but remember that as you drive around and your particular driving style will affect tyre temperatures and therefore pressures. This means that pressures will increase the hotter the tyre gets, the factory settings were always a compromise for normal useage/tyre life/fuel economy/comfort etc. It is worth starting with the factory settings and keeping a pressure gauge and depth indicator to hand. Also we know different tyre manufacturers use different materials in their construction.
The factory is also sometimes having to use different manufacturers depending on availability of a certain tyre. So the pressure given in the handbooks had to cover these vagaries and were therefore the best compromise to cover the different suppliers.
Before starting a journey measure the pressure and then do the same at the end of the journey (and as quickly as possible after you stop, as tyres cool quite quickly) and write down the results. Keep a diary of the readings and the respective dates and details of the journey i.e fast highway or round town. Every three months add readings with the depth gauge in three places across the tyre.
The depth readings will show where the tyre is wearing quickest either on the outside edges or the centre.
The pressures will give an indication to support the above findings and together they will tell you if you need to adjust pressures up or down to provide even wear…By way of example if the tyre is wearing in the centre then it is likely that they are inflated too high and usually the pressure will be higher than the other tyres. Use an increase or decrease of 2lb/sq ft. to either the front or rear axle so both tyres are equal.
On my racer I used a Longacre tyre temperature gauge which enables me to make adjustments to each individual tyre depending on the nature of the track and which tyre is doing the most work. The above is a rudimentary means of finding the right pressures for your particular car (without buying expensive equipment and okay for most daily use), the type of suspension it is running and lastly the way in which it is driven.
Apologies rtthis is a bit of a commercial post. However i am not going to put links in it, which i understand is nto part of how this forum works
i just thought you might like to know that coth the Cinturato tyres for the Elan are currently available, and there are special offers on sets of 4 and 5 tyres.
