2.0 / 2.5 Roadster / Roadster Sport Tire Thread

[strider]

I'd really go with the 235's in the rear, I have the find the thread on the Lotus where that works out in the same ratio aspect of the stock front/back tire sizes. Also going wider in the rear will give you more grip up front. If you have too much you can dial out the negative camber up there to help balance it out. Lastly the wider tires will look right, and would possibly look a little silly if you looked close. Front tire will be a little wider than the rim where the rear would be flush with the 225's back there. This would be the way I'd personally go if I had tire learning, so with the 1.5, I'm out of this option's possibility due to the change in revs.

But I should go down in aspect ratio to keep the tire roughly the same height?

Based on the Lotus forum comments on the tires being "squishy" I'm leaning towards the shorter sidewall but welcome comments. The 205/45-16 Front is 5mm shorter than stock, 205/50-16 is 5mm taller than stock. For the rear looks like 235/40 is 7mm shorter than stock and 235/45 is 4mm taller than stock.

 

[smorgasbord]

From information wiztecy provided

Here's a summary of AD08 front sizes:

Size	RPM	Diff
175/55 - 16 AD07	882	0 (Stock)
205/45 - 16 AD08	899	17
205/50 - 16 AD08	835	47
205/55 - 16 AD08	859	23

So, for those of us with V2 and V2.5 Roadsters that have Tire Learning, can we use the 205/45 size (only 17 off)? Would there be any issues with clearance or minimum rim width? If we have AD08Rs on the rears, would that be the best choice, even compared to the AD07 stock size?


BTW, I couldn't find the AD08Rs in the 205/45-16 size in the US - only in the UK.

 

[smorgasbord]

Went hunting for 205/45-16s and came across these Hoosiers at TireRack.

What does "Wet Racetrack & Autocross Only" really mean, and if these tires are DOT approved, why not run them on the street? Can they be any more dangerous than Yoko 048s?

BTW, in this size the minimum rim width is 7" and I believe the Tesla stock rims are only 6" across - so not suitable anyway.

 

[strider]

Ok, so here's my thinking. For the front R1R in 205/45-16 size Toyo states a 6.5"-7.5" rim width and IIRC the Roadster is 6" so that's a no-go. So that would mean 205/50-16 (5.5"-7.5" rim width) which has an 856RPM and 102.5mm sidewall height.

For the rear R1R in 235/40-17 size Toyo states an 8"-9.4" rim width and IIRC the Roadster is 7.5" so that's a no-go. So that would mean the 235/45-17 (7.5"-9" rim width) which has an 820RPM and 106mm sidewall height.

This would mean taller tires front and rear which will hurt acceleration but in theory give better mileage (using my now-outdated ICE reasoning so could be wrong but as I understand it our motors are more efficient at lower RPMs so I believe I am correct). Do we know if tire learning also recalcs the speedo? With taller tires the speedo would then read low which is bad when facing the fuzz.

 

[ibcs]

I've read through the last 10 pages of this thread. My take away is that Telsa only puts on the Yokohoma AD07 tires for the rear.

Comparing to the Michelin Super Sport

AD07 - Weight - 25 lbs versus 22 lbs for the Michelin
AD07 - RPM - 835 versus 833
AD07 - Tread life - 80 versus 300
AD07 - $372 from Tesla - Michelin - $148

Currently my Tire sensor does not work properly, so that is not an issue.

I already have winter tires, so why would I not choose the Michelin instead of the AD07 for the rear tires.

Thanks for any input. This is my first set of rear tires since purchasing the roadster last November.

 

[thefortunes]

I have gone through AD08's and Michelin Super Sports on my Roadster. My $0.02:


The AD08's seemed significantly grippier, but the Super Sports seemed much quieter. In addition, the SS's have a treadwear warranty, so i got a 2nd set for a significantly reduced (prorated) price.

If I were to only want performance, I would go with the AD08's. For a little more comfort and a quieter ride (as well as a lower cost) I will probably go with SS's again in a few thousand miles.

 

[strider]

I agree. The AD07/AD08 do have more grip but the MPSS's last longer and still have plenty of grip for my use as a daily driver. And as thefortunes mentioned they have a 15k mile warranty. I'm on my second set of MPSS's and am happy w/ them.

 

[ibcs]

I have gone through AD08's and Michelin Super Sports on my Roadster. My $0.02:


The AD08's seemed significantly grippier, but the Super Sports seemed much quieter. In addition, the SS's have a treadwear warranty, so i got a 2nd set for a significantly reduced (prorated) price.

If I were to only want performance, I would go with the AD08's. For a little more comfort and a quieter ride (as well as a lower cost) I will probably go with SS's again in a few thousand miles.

Thank you for reply. I think the SS's will be perfect for me. Since I don't have the adjustable suspension I'll take a little more comfort and quieter ride as my primary reasons. Obviously, I don't mind saving some money too.

 

[AltPowr]

Kind of a bit back in the thread, but I have one of the following in my toolbox in case there are stubborn lug bolts since I had a similar problem and twisted by stock lug bolt tool:

MWR Lug Bolt Tool - Lotus Elise Exige Evora - MWR-412401 van Monkeywrench Racing - Monkeywrench

 

[Perrin21]

what tyres do you use on your roadster?

So I'm thinking of changing the stock AD07 tyres on my roadster 16/17in. I am wondering what tyres others are using and what sizes? Also has anyone tried using a sticky tyre on the front and a less sticky on the rear to reduce the understeer?

 

[Doug_G]

I think mixing tires front/back is the wrong way to deal with the understeer. Better to improve the grip on the front than reduce it on the back. I've changed the camber shims on the front. Adding a degree of negative camber has really helped a lot.

 

[dsm363]

This place appears to sell the correct front tire size in the AD08 but at a very inflated price. I e-mailed them to find out more
http://www.carid.com/yokohama-tires/advan-neova-ad08-175-55r16-18361379.html

 

[hcsharp]

This place appears to sell the correct front tire size in the AD08 but at a very inflated price. I e-mailed them to find out more
http://www.carid.com/yokohama-tires/advan-neova-ad08-175-55r16-18361379.html

Not sure I believe it. They're showing the weight to be 33 lbs which is almost double the AD07. I know that Yokohama makes the AD08 in that size because I've seen it listed for sale in other countries, but never in the US (until this).

 

[dsm363]

Not sure I believe it. They're showing the weight to be 33 lbs which is almost double the AD07. I know that Yokohama makes the AD08 in that size because I've seen it listed for sale in other countries, but never in the US (until this).

I'm doubtful as well but figured I'd ask them. Still don't see why Yoko just doesn't sell them in US since they came out 5 years ago.

 

[dsm363]

I confirmed it with the sales person. They do have the AD08s in the proper tire size for the Roadster front rims (175/55R16 W) and have them in stock. I'm not ready for new fronts yet so don't want them sitting in my garage forever. I asked how they got them since no one else seems to be able to get them in the US but he didn't reply to that part of the e-mail. They seem legit but you never know.
http://www.carid.com/yokohama-tires/advan-neova-ad08-1226116.html

 

[supersnoop]

What's the difference between AD07's and AD08's? I'm finding more and more AD07's in stock at reasonable prices these days.

 

[Doug_G]

They're pretty comparable - AD08 is the new version. The AD08 might wear a little better, but that is highly subjective.

 

[strider]

I just had R888s installed and while I was going from bald AD07 rears to brand new tires, the difference is amazing. The new tires seem grippier than I ever remember and acceleration feels faster as well. At $250 vs $400 installed, they seem to be a better deal.

I have 54k miles right now so i'm curious to see how long these last. My read AD07 only lasted 8k miles.

Hey jbadger, how have the R888's been handling the recent rainy weather?

 

[wiztecy]

Here's one user's experience running them on a 1.5 (from 1.5 tire thread) in the rain:

-------------
It started raining around here and my 1.5 is unhappy on the freeway.

Currently running Toyo Proxy R888 tires all round - 195 on the front with 4/32 tread left and 225 on the rear with 3/32 tread left.

The R888 tires have much better grip in the wet at lowish speeds compared to the factory tires but give up at freeway speeds. Car was unhappy doing 65 in the rain. When new I have had the R888s aquaplane once.

I have a second set of rims and a pair of AD07 175 tires with about a month of driving on them.

Thinking I should put the AD07 tires on the front for the rainy months.

Looking for advice for the rear.
-------------

Granted in this example they're worn down pretty well, but with my Yoko's I never felt uncomfortable in the rain when the tread was low.

As for the AD07 vs. AD08, the AD08 appears to be stickier since Yoko said it shaved .587 seconds on their lap times. Would like to see more data on this. I've personally found the 8's to last longer than the rear 7's. I'm curious about these fronts, price is insane but if they're shipping them from overseas in small batches then that makes sense. I don't think they're DOT certified in the front Roadster tire size. That's something to ask them.

From Yokohama's website (ADVAN Sport Performance Tires | Yokohama Tire Corp.
+++++++++

Every bit as sensational as the legendary Neova AD07, but now even faster, even more agile and even more responsive.

Fast Just Got Faster. Introducing the ADVAN Neova AD08…built for speed from the inside out to outperform its legendary predecessor, the ADVAN Neova AD07, known since 2006 as the "fastest street tire in the world." The Neova AD08's lap times average .587 seconds faster than the Neova AD07 and features superior advancements in four areas: dry grip, wet grip, ride comfort and noise level.

Contact Patch and Compound
"Micro Silica Compound with Hyper Density Carbon." Yep, it's a tongue twister. But, this revolutionary compound provides unprecedented grip on wet and dry roads. The ADVAN Neova AD08's Optimized Contact Patch puts ultimate control in your hands.

+++++++++

 

[Timothy]

I think I just lost a post. This may be a duplicate.

Are AD08s still available? I called the Tire Rack and was told they were replaced by AD08Rs.

I had AD07s and two sets of AD08s for my rear tires and got 6000 miles on each set. My last set was AD08Rs and I only got 4000 miles. No difference in handling I could tell. I thought they all performed great--really didn't perceive any difference between them.