[Mk2] [Turbo] Toyo T1-R Tyres

[Red Devil]

For normal road use, any difference in dry grip is marginal at best. It only takes one excursion in the wet and the cost is far far greater than any differential in the cost of tyres!
Fortunately for me I run 17" wheels which means a much wider range to choose from. My 2 is my daily drive so AFAIAC the two most important considerations are

Wet weather grip
Wear rate

Price is way down the list. How much is your life worth to you and your loved ones?

So for me its Eagle F1 GS-D3 every time.

Regarding tyre pressures, I would never EVER trust the gauge on the air line in a petrol station. I always over inflate the tyres and use my own properly calibrated gauge to check the true reading. I simply then let air out until the desired pressure is obtained. The extra time taken is negligible. Trust me, it's well worth it.

[zebidi]

sorry to drag up an old post but i am now running 225/40/16 on front with 34psi and 245/45/16 on the rear toyo t1Rs am i insane?

[Vindezal]

Seriously - I have looked at the prices of many tyres from many places. I have read many reviews, and the Toyo T1-R is *not* cheap and since it gives this wierd handling issue, it's NOT a good choice for the MR2.

I just don't want people to think they are getting any value for money, because honestly, it's expensive AND it feels skittish. It's NOT a good tyre in THAT size on my car.

I will recommend the Kumho ECSTA which is considerably cheaper, and MUCH more stable.

One thing I will concede is that the Toyo offers good levels of grip before breakaway in the wet. That's all.

I'm not being argumentative, it's just not a cheap tyre - at £326 a set it's top whack and not many tyres for the 15" Mk2 rim are more expensive, and not many places are considerably cheaper than Micheldever Tyres.



EDIT: Trackday tyres are more expensive, obviously...

AY? I can Get the fronts on T1-Rs and the rears on T1-S's all for £200 is this good?

Oh and factory standard is 29psi at front and 33psi at rear.

.......or shall i order falkens?

[zebidi]

i've found the sidewall on the toyos for my rear one 245/45/16 is soft, so thats why i am running 37 psi. i find with the soft sidewall i am able to feel the rear end more.

its weird, its a firm wallowy feeling. i feel when the back is on the limit more such as to not push it any further.

[MattMR2]

I've never had any trouble with my Toyo tyres.

I've had both the T1-S and T1-R breeds and found the grip to be great in the dry and wet.

That is more than I could say for the Goodyear Eagle F1s I used to fit which have caused me to spin 180 on roundabouts twice in the past at very low speeds in the wet.

Matt

[jont]

Has no-one else other than me tried the Dunlop SP9000s? Yes, they cost more than the Toyo's, but they're available in the standard sizes for the Mk2, and they are so much better than the Toyo's - and none of that horrible sidewall flex that gave me no confidence at all when using the Toyos. Don't know how long they will last, but TBH, I'm not really that bothered.

[shibby!]

I have the Toyo's and found as suggested....

That increasing the pressure in the tyre, maybe just 2psi over the standard makes a great difference.

Give it shot! Feels completely different!

Nick

[MartinP]

I was thinking of going for either the Dunlops or the Toyos next. I'm on standard rims so choices are limited.

I take it you thnk the Dunlops are a good tyre?

Have you tried them in the wet yet? What is the tyre noise like compared to the Toyos?

[Leon.]

If you are running a MK2 MR2 Turbo with a 195 55 15 front tyre with a Toyo T1-R on it, then 26 psi will be hideously underinflated!!

I have these tyres on my car, and believe me when I say this, not only will you enjoy your car more if you inflate then to 31/32 front 34/35 rear but you will gain about 20-30 miles per tank of fuel.

I used to run T1-Rs and I think they're pretty pants, esp. in stock sizes. I had to run my fronts at 27/28 psi to prevent them locking up under harsh ish braking or going over any bump in the road

At the limit they were like ice skates, and no that wasn't my driving style

I've tried T1-Rs anf F1s in stock size and F1s are miles better. More grip in the wet and more grip in the dry. Felt much better on the limit too IMO.

I also couldn't put down even 260-70 bhp with the T1-Rs, but I can now.

I now run F1s on my 17s and haven't even found the limit yet!

[Leon.]

That is more than I could say for the Goodyear Eagle F1s I used to fit which have caused me to spin 180 on roundabouts twice in the past at very low speeds in the wet.

Then I think you had the direction of the tyres around the wrong way or something because that simply shouldn't happen! They have incredib;e wet grip - I've never lost grip once in the wet in 2 years of running F1s.

[FizzyBlueMr2]

I recently needed new rear tyres on my stock 15" rear wheels - the choice these days is severely limited for the rears...

Used to have bridgestones before they stopped making them so have been using T1-R's last few rear sets..

Using SO2's on the front, and T1r's on the back...

...I have noticed that the back is rather wollowy at the moment, compared to the old t1r's that were on the limit. Guess its tread depth/bedding in. They certainly have reduced the road noise/smoothed the ride out though.

Perhaps they've updated/changed their composition recently?

As for the dunlops 9000's - heard that they are odd tyres in that they are a silicon compound, and don't like the cold - varying handling depending on the ambient temp? Very bad in the snow for a number of reasons.

Going to try getting 16"" wheels soon, and try Eagle F1's, or SO3's again if I can find a good size...

[zebidi]

At the limit they were like ice skates, and no that wasn't my driving style

I've tried T1-Rs anf F1s in stock size and F1s are miles better. More grip in the wet and more grip in the dry. Felt much better on the limit too IMO.

I also couldn't put down even 260-70 bhp with the T1-Rs, but I can now.

I now run F1s on my 17s and haven't even found the limit yet!

i never had trouble, increasing psi is awesome increase in performance, i had t1rs on my bbs 17s and they were super good!

i average about 40 on each roundabout let it be 1st exit or all the way round and the t1rs were perfect in creating the best slip angle.

do not buy dunlops 9000 they were rubbish, i had them on the car when i first got them. yuck! rubbish!

i think i will get some bridges for the next tyre change.

[MRV6]

Having tried these on a friends Lotus, I was utterly gobsmacked by the amount of grip they generated. Pretty crap in the wet though as they are a semi slick, so that really speaks for itself.


I will, however, be fitting a set of R888's for the summer.


EarL.

My mate Jay fitted a set of R888's on his deuce last year. In my opinion it's one of the best mods you can do to your car they are a cracking tyre. He was running coilovers, had the bushes replaced. But that car handled awesome. Def on my shopping list.

[HighwayStar]

Well, so whats the conclusion then? Just been told I now cant get my Yoko AO22's and I need to replace all 4 tyres NOW. Is it the case that the only real choice then in standard sizes are toyo proxy T1-Rs?
(At least I can go to a 205/50 on the front to hopefully reduce understeer and make it a bit more neutral at the same price as the 195/55s... anyone done this?)
Is the concensus with 50 profile toyos that you just need to be more careful with pressures and perhaps inflate a little higher than others to combat a soft sidewall?
Also advice wanted....
Current rears lasted 20,500 and fronts have done 33,000 (all AO22's). All pretty good I reckon.
My question is... both fronts remaining treads vary identically from 2mm (outer) to 1mm (inner) with 1.6 (middle). Is this slightly higher inner wear usual for fronts due to the standard toe in I'm running? Rears are wearing consistently across the whole tyre but at different rates.. o/s (2mm everywhere) to n/s (1.6mm everywhere). Is this front wear normal with normal geometry and why the difference in the rears? (new shock on o/s rear just after the new rears were fitted...)
Any thoughts/info much appreciated.
Thanks guys,
R

[zebidi]

pump up more yes, but play with pressures and find what you like.

i would get some bigger wheels as i think on the 15s they can get a bit touchy, espec with the toyos because the sidewall is a bit soft.

im looking at some rear R888s for the summer, maybe the front too, but not sure.

[Quigonjay]

the dunlops sp9000 are not meant to be used in near freezing weather or snow because they are marketed as a SPORT tyre
i find the survey results on tirerack to be a good guide as to what sort of tyres are in which category

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/index.jsp

[MattMR2]

I've always run had my tyres at comparatively low pressures, 25 psi at the front and 30 psi at the back.

I tried 30 psi at the front with 35 psi at the back for a couple of weeks once.
The ride seemed more responsive and perkier but the increased vibrations through the car over every bump was considerable.

I remember feeling the bangs as I went over the odd pothole and thinking "Blimey that's gonna work something loose and cause some damage".

Well I'm not a racer and usually prefer a more comfortable ride and with the car getting older I don't want it to throw a hip out

[jont]

the dunlops sp9000 are not meant to be used in near freezing weather or snow because they are marketed as a SPORT tyre

Interesting. I've never had any problems with mine (they were fitted at the beginning of January). I know it's not been so cold this year, but still...

Certainly not noticed any difference in handling with temp variation. Maybe it's my driving style?

Maybe tyres are just one of those things that objective performance is hard to quantify as driving styles/roads/tyre profile etc all contribute so everyone has their own opinion.

Jon

[zebidi]

i always like to feel the road compared to ride comfort, there is a limited amount i can bear though. Got harnesses to stop me bouncing off the seat lol.

But yes, it is to preference most important of all is that.

Hips flying out, get some damping adjustment

[monkeyra]

where have you guys got this impression that the Toyo T1R is a budget tyre??

They are more expensive than nankang, hancook, champion, kumho, they are the same price as the S03 and are within a couple of pounds of the Yoko A-022 and maybe a fiver cheaper than Dunlops.

Not being funny, but they are not budget!!

Ditto, £100/tyre (for my size) isn't budget territory.