I have Blockley 185 16 radials on my XK140. Does anyone have recommendations for tyre pressure for these? The Longstone website suggests 30psi front and 36psi rear for Pirelli Cinturato radials - would this work, or maybe start with 32f 34r?
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I donāt know why Longstone would have such a big differenceā¦ask them. On my 120ā¦almost no matter which modern radial tires. I like 32F, and 34 Rearā¦cold ( ambient air temp about 70F). Driving feel seems about right.
Old style ādriftingā on modern radial tires is almost impossible and damn scaryā¦back then on hard bias tires it was doable and the cars seemed to oversteer a bit anywayā¦so tire pressure was same front and rear. Nowā¦slightly lower front gives a less harsh feeling to front end.
Nick
Hi Rogerā¦good question as i have a set of the same tyres sitting here waiting to fitā¦something is telling me that Blockleys like a lower pressureā¦i could well be wrong. ā¦a call to Blockley would be bestā¦Steve
Just rang Blockley, who said that on the 185VR16 they recommend around 30psi all round. I suspect a bit more on the back might be a good idea given what the other suggestions are, so once itās running I think I will start with Nickās suggestion of 32/34 and see how it goes from there.
I have Blockleys on the front of the Mustang, and they do seem to give heavier steering (390 lump up front with no p/s and a āhigh ratioā steering box doesnāt exactly help) than the previous Firestones. The problem with that car is its wide stance, which causes it to follow the ātruck rutsā all over British roads these days. If the Jag is heavy on steering Iāll see if pressure changes help. Iām only prepared to fit the same power steering system as Jaguar offered as an option.
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I have had Blockley tyres on my 140 for 9 years and about 10,000 miles. Last year I experienced a vibration at 50mph which I could drive through. Car was in the garage over winter and recently took the fronts to be balanced. The fitter pointed out they were both out of shape due to wire banding protruding through the sidewalls.
I attempted to contact Blockley for advice via email - no response. I called them to establish if this is normal and was asked to resend the email - no response.
I have subsequently checked the rear tyres to find the same problem. The car is not raced, rallied or rolled. I now have to change 4 tyres and suspect I will not be using Blockley.
Check your Blockley tyres carefully!
Oh, thatās a bit worrying!
KEY wordsā¦NINE YEARSā¦that is the outer outer limit of age. Little to do with tread, or sidewall cracks or not, or how stored or weather. The internal bonding agents and vulcanizing DRIES OUTā¦think of old masking tape that has sat for 9 yearsā¦pretty much not stickyā¦just dusty powderā¦LUCKY you felt the bump when driving.: .instead of tire tread coming off or blow outā¦that will usually happen at SPEEDā¦with bad results. Donāt blame Blockleyā¦blame not changing tires at 6 to 8 years. (some places have laws about tire ageā6-8 year max, most shops will not work on them at all. ALSOādonāt drive āthroughā a vibrationāit might just be the only quick warning one gets before half the tread rips offāhalf still attachedā¦at 50-60 mph.
Nick
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Nick, thanks for that. I am not really blaming the tyres but would just have liked an explanation from the manufacturer. I didnāt request any form of rebate from Blockley when I tried to make contact and I find it disappointing they couldnāt be bothered to respond.
After many years in business my mantra has always been that it is easier to keep a customer than to find a new one.
Roger - sorry if Iāve hijacked your post!
Ian
Not a problem - all useful info. I agree, some response would have been welcome. Structural failure of tyres at just nine years old is not good enough. Ideal situations aside, there is no law in the UK regarding tyre age, just advice that tyres should be replaced at ten years old. Whether that is sensible or not, it is the guideline, so people will, at best, follow it.
Edit - just checked the UK regs and was reminded of the five-year rule - a UK tyre supplier can sell you tyres that are up to 5 yrs old if they have been stored according to guidelines.
I had Michelin X Course on my 140 for 22 years the tread had 50% remaining but I noticed while cleaning my wheels there was an area on one where the tread transitions into the sidewall that was beginning to separate, no vibration while driving to raise suspicion but I am certainly glad I noticed it. I was pushing it with the age of the tires which were radials so I began researching what was out there for replacement. I got Avon TurboSteel 650R16, yes I know wrong size but If you are familiar with the old cross ply such as Dunlop Roadspeeds the O/D on those were ~28+ā (~712mm) which is what the Avons are. They are H rated and are considerably better than the Michelins for lateral stability on cornering without having a harsh ride, plus they have a vintage look and are made in England so appropriate for the car. They balanced out with minimal weight (two required weights only on one side) and they were perfectly true, no hop or lateral runout and the road force variation was in single digits. I heard rumors that Goodyear? is buying out Avon so I got 5 so I have a matching wheel/tire in the boot in the event Goodyear decides to drop speciality tires due to profit margins. XK owners and others need to get these tires so they will continue to produce them.
Avon tyres is now owned by Cooper Tire (sic) Co - think Cooper Cobra. I donāt think any car tyres are made in Melksham any more, just motorcycle fitments, and those are moving to mainland Europe imminently.
Iāve no idea what the quality is like now, but Iām not a fan of Cooper Cobras.
Edit - yes, Iām afraid itās too late - according to the website, Avon car and SUV tyre production moved to āmainland Europeā* in 2018.
- for which read, eastern Europe.
Thanks for that information. I guess time will tell if they are any good. Date code of 49 22. Perhaps some Eastern European country has a city named England.
Well, I have Avons on my wifeās DD and theyāre fine. Iād guess yours are āEā marked so will conform to European requirements.
It may be that the āclassicā sizes are indeed still produced at Melksham as work there hasnāt stopped yet, but itās hard to find detailed information. However I suspect that āMade in Englandā may not necessarily mean physically manufactured here!
āMade inā in these times is who knows whatā¦some thingys sayā¦Made in (wherever) from materials and parts sourced from other placesā¦
Nick
āMade inā can even mean āImported from anywhere and stuck in a box inā, I suspect!
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On tyre age there is a limit in the UK on vans and caravans of10 years - if you have a problem on old tyres the insurance might not stump up claiming poor maintenanceā¦ that was the advice I was given when I put new Cinturatos on mine last month. My old ones were 14 years old and the car was skipping on tight cornersā¦ there is a manufacturing date on the side wall if you know how to interpret the markings. Re pressures Iām following Longstones advice for now. Car feels ok but worth a play.