pat

Al,

the problem with S-02s on 16" rims is the relatively high sidewall, this tends to flex when cornering leading to "wooly" handling. You need a tyre with a harder side wall, or a lower profile S-02....

205/45/16 will work, of course, you'll get better acceleration and lower top speed, and of course your speedo won't read accurately. Might be better to try something like 215/45/16, which will be closer to the original rolling diameter....

The ideal solution is, of course, to go for a 17" alloy and then you can use the fabulous 215/40/17 S-02 PP tyres, which are almost universally accepted as being the best wet weather tyre you can put on a Scoob (and not too shoddy in the dry either!).

Cheers,

Pat.

HunterB

I've missed previous threads on this and I don't know where the recommendation against fitting S-02s on 16" rims came from, but I had two sets of S-02PPs on my previous Legacy 4CAM in 205/50 VR 16 format with no problems whatsoever. The handling wasn't wooly either, but this may have been due to my running the pressures around 2psi higher than Subaru's general recommendation.

I'm now on my second set of S-02PPs on my current Legacy RS (280PS) in 215/45 ZR 17 format and the same is true. I run them at 34psi all round (as opposed to the 32/29 recommended) and I think the tyres are phenomenal, especially in the wet, and totally trustworthy. They're a bit soft for a dry track day and can go off quickly due to high temperatures, but for daily motoring, I can't fault them. OK, they're expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Brian

Alberick

Hi,

After seeing all these discussions that the Bridgestone S-02 PP are not recommended to fit on 16" wheels what about the RE720?
What is it all about?
Also, I asked my dealer if I could fit the S-02's PP in size 205/45/R16 and he said that I've absolutely had to stick with 205/50/R16.
Is that true?


Thanks,
Al

Alberick

Hi Pat,

Thanks a lot for your help! Well, to start with I want to stick with the 16" wheels. I need new tyres as my RE010 are almost dead and planning to buy a house soon so impossible for me to also go for 17" wheels!

So, since it's really true that there is a problem with S-02 PP on 16" wheels, what about the RE720's?
By the way I didn't know of the size 215/45/16!!??
Anybody has experience with RE720, suppose that I'm just the normal driver who doesn't spend his time on a track every weekend, maybe Re720 are good enough for me?! But any problems with them? Or shall I just go for S-02 PP and put more air in them like HunterB suggested!

Anyway, again thanks a lot for your help guys,

Al

Alberick

Oh, Pat,
another question , if I put 205/45/16 (no matter if S-02 P or RE720's), and my speedo reading is wrong is it like I'm going faster than the speedo shows or slower than the speedo?

Thanks,
Al

HunterB

The difference between 205/50R16 and 205/45R16 is only about 3.5%. For a given speed, the 50 section tyres will take you approx 3.5% further than the 45 section tyres. So, with 45 section tyres, your top speed would be down a bit, but your acceleration would be marginally better. Compared with the 50 section tyres, putting 45 section tyres on will mean that you'll put slightly more miles on your car than you'll actually travel, assuming that you don't have your speedo recalibrated for the new tyres.

Brian

bugwaan

I may be wrong but doesn't the wrong tyre fittment also affect the tacho as well as the speedo?
Could be expensive depending on whether or not you get everything recalibrated.

Dul

Al,

I had Goodyear F1 (205/45/16) and now I have Pzero (205/45/16) which to my opinion are much better as the F1. (I prefer dry performance) So far I had not problem at all. The only disadvantage is that they do not have any rim protector. Although since 18 months everything is OK with the 205/45/16 size, I think, next summer I’ll try some tires on 215/45/16 (P7000 or Pilot Sport).
Unfortunately, I’m currently running some winter tires (195/60/15)…Juste to mention that all the changes of the size are, at least for me, not a problem…

Hope this helps!

Aldric

rupertu

All the tyres discussed here are good in the dry - at eighty quid a corner for Eagle F1's at Micheldever there's really no contest for someone that actually uses the thing on a daily basis, rain or shine.....

Rider

Hi guys,
Thought I'd chip my 10 pence worth in. I've just bought a new set of Toyo Proxes TS-1 (on Thursday, no less) for my MY99 turbo with the standard 16" rims. All up, I paid 368 quid at Williams Tyres and Exhauts in Ipswich.
I had to do it because my Potenzas (the ones the car came with) had managed no fewer than 21000 miles before hitting the wear indicator!
Not a bad mileage, I'm sure you'll agree, but I was beginning to get a little too used to powersliding round corners. Plus, I don't know if you've noticed, but the weather's been a bit damp lately.
Anyway, so far the Toyos are OK. They step out a bit in the wet, but it seems quite predictable and well, fun. Dry use (what little there's been) have shown them to grip just as well as the Potenzas.

But the best bit? Toyos come with a bloody warranty!

If you hole one and have to get it fixed, they'll pay you a fiver towards it, and if the tyre's completely shagged, they'll measure the tread depth remaining and knock a chunk off a new tyre!

Blimey.

MarkL

No problems with S-02's on 16" wheels as far as I and many other Scooby owners are concerned.

Actually, if I recall correctly, the guy who originally discovered that S-02's weren't recommended for Imprezas later posted to say that his understanding from speaking to Bridgestone themselves was that since they hadn't tested them on the impreza they wouldn't recommend them, but they didn't say that they shouldn't be used on the Impreza.

I guess some people may not like the characteristics of the tyre, but that goes the same for any other make or model of tyre on the market. I'm very happy with them on 16" wheels.

Alberick

Thanks Marc,

So I'll go for the S-02 PP's then.

Al

DavidBrown

People say the car's no good on 16" S02's but I've been very happy with mine.

They've lasted a bloody age too.. my original RE010's lasted 7000 miles, my S02's have lasted 15,000 and have sh*tloads of tread remaining. But then.. I was a hooligan in my former years

See my other thread "New Wheels" about a good offer Tyres Northampton have on at the mo.

schuey

I've also got SO-2 PP on a 16 inch wheel.
They were nothing special for the first 1000 miles, in fact I was wondering why people praised them so highly.
Now I know, they are bloody marvellous, wet or dry.