Mixing H and V rated tires | FerrariChat

Mixing H and V rated tires

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by moysiuan, May 4, 2021.

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  1. moysiuan

    moysiuan F1 Rookie
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    The 16 inch staggered 205/225/55/16 tire choices for my 1988 Mondial are getting limited, there are some remaining stock available locally being suitable Pirelli's but the fronts are V rated and the rears are H rated. Does not seem possible to get the matched ratings in these sizes anymore.

    Any handling issues with this set up?
     
  2. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Tirerack has several z rated sets of 205/55 16 and 225/50 16 tires. Search by tire size.
     
  3. wmuno

    wmuno Formula Junior
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    The old rule of thumb is that as long as the tires match on the same axle, there should not be a problem.
     
  4. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
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    Looking on Tire Rack, they show 22 tires available in the staggered size 205/55-16 and 225/55-16 combination (28 in 205/55 and 225/50, which they think is the right combination for an 88 Mondial) - all would be with matched speed rating front and rear. Not so limited in choices, though availability in pandemic times can be the issue. I sure wouldn't mix V and H ratings, an H rating doesn't belong on a Ferrari - Tire Rack doesn't list anything less than V for the Mondial 16" combination.

    I just put new tires on my 308 QV in Calgary last week, same 205/55-16 and 225/50-16 tire sizes. I went with the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 - still more grip than anything available in 1984/88, and can handle cold temperatures better than a summer tire for those cold mornings in April and October. In stock across Canada.

    If you look at 1010tires.com, a Canadian online retailer, you can input mixed front and rear sizes in the search - your 205/55-16 and 225/55-16 combination shows 19 tires available in that combo - 8 in stock ("Limited stock"), 11 sold out. Of the in-stock choices, I'd suggest the Goodrich G-Force Comp-2 or a Pirelli P-7.

    Are you sure you're supposed to run 225/55-16 on the rear? I have a 308, not a Mondial, but a few searches show as many listings for the rear using 225/50-16 like the 308. If you were to change your rear tires to 225/50-16, 1010Tires.com offers 66 fitting tires - 38 all season, 23 summer. For Michelin, they have stock of the Pilot Sport All Season 4 that I just purchased locally; stock of the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus (all-season) and summer ExtremeContact Sport; no stock of Pirellis in that sizing.

    Cheers,
    Gordon
     
  5. moysiuan

    moysiuan F1 Rookie
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    #5 moysiuan, May 6, 2021
    Last edited: May 6, 2021
    Thank you for all the data. A couple of points, I am running Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus and was trying to replace with same. The only ones available in Canada are the mixed H and V set up noted. They looked great, are quiet and handle as well as I need for road use. My concern about mixing H and V is that the H have a softer sidewall, and some say the V has a stickier compound. The fronts having stiffer sidewalls and more grip sounds like a recipe for oversteering, so that rules that out. I was hoping to hear someone did this and it worked out fine, but frankly mid engine cars need proper tires and air pressures to handle as intended.

    I drive in the early spring and late fall when temperatures are at freezing. So I wanted an all season tire, rather than the summer rated which go rock hard at these cold temps. I had a bad experience with ultra high performance summer tires in the freezing cold years ago on another car, and I will not do that again. I was tempted by the vintage reproduction Pirelli P7's offered by Longstone and Tirerack, but they specifically note the rubber can crumble if stored or driven below freezing temperatures, so that isn't going to work for me. Too bad, they would look great, although they are not actually available in the correct rear size.

    My tire sizes are 205/225/55R16, these are correct per my owners manual. The car has ABS brakes, and I recall that keeping the specified tire heights front to rear is important, a slight rake to the front is the correct ABS equipped Mondial stance. The 225/55 R16 is the one with the most limited sizes. Going to 225/50 does open up choices, but I don't like the height difference for the ABS (and would probably not fill the wheel well and look a bit odd), so I am not going to go there. Non ABS cars probably can without performance consequence.

    Some of the all season choices are not performance/luxury tires and rate poorly, and/or are only H rated (although I am ok with that, a softer ride would be fine even if the feel is likely more mushy) Some suitable tires that could work and show up online eg. Michelin Premier A/S are discontinued and not actually available despite some sites saying they are.

    The main choices of recognized quality brands that are V or higher rated which are actually available are the Yokohama Advan Sport AS Plus (W), and the Goodyear Eagel Sport A/S (V). The Yoko ratings seem very mixed.

    So I am going with the Goodyear Eagle Sport A/S's.

    The OEM tires per my manual were Goodyear Eagle VR's (or Michelin TRX's 220/240/55 VR390), both are specified as fitments options in the manual) long out of production, but I suppose the current Goodyears are actually in keeping with the OEM spirit. Not sure how the sidewall and tread design will look, maybe they will look "correct", we shall see.

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  6. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
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    Thanks for clarifying the sizing, I was surprised by the rear 225/55-16 size but did find some sites that quoted it. As you say, it's a shame that there is much less selection due to that less common size; and I fully agree about running a performance all-season tire. The Eagle Sport A/S is a good choice!

    Gordon
     
  7. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Yup, OM definitely shows rear Goodyears in 225/55 16 for the rears. Just assumed they were the same as the 16s on my Euro 308 GTS, which were set up so the diameters were the same for the spare tire to work. Need to look it up the next time.
     

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