406oc.co.uk

hi guys..

just wondering my 406 hdi needs some new boots......which tryes are the best? i've heard peeps say ont his forum about xyz trye but no ones commented on the standard manufature fitted michelin energy E3A...

plus seen some really good deals on seconds but getting a 195/65.15 seems to be really hard. however i've come across a few 195/60 or 55/ 15's. what difference would a lower middle figure ( the 65) make?
thanks for your help!

The middle figure is your tyre's profile, i.e height of the wall. It's a percentage of the width, so stcking with a 195 but fitting a lower profile would reduce the circumference of the tyre, so the tyre would travel less distance for one complete revolution than the standard one would. This will affect the accuracy of your speedo and also the car's gearing, so isn't generally recommended. Choosing different tyre sizes is possible but you should try to keep the circumference within 2.5% of standard. A 195/60R15 is 3% smaller than a 195/65R15, so isn't a good idea, however a 215/60R15 is 0.79% bigger than the standard tyre so would be OK, although they may rub 'cos they're 20mm wider and you'd have to change them all (certainly the axle pair anyway!!)

For working out the different sizes have a look at this.... Tyre Size Calculator

As far as makes go, I've always liked Pirelli. Although several people on here don't rate their wet weather capabilities I've always found them quite good. Had a couple of sets of P6000s and now I have P7s, and I'm very pleased with them. My D8 used to wear 14" Michelin Energy and TBH I found them a bit hard and therefore slidey, and they were pants in the wet!

My 406 came with Pirrelli P6000 ditchfinders on,changed them this weekend for Continental Premium contacts and noticed a world of difference straight away,smoother,quieter and a lot more grip