185/70VR15 New Tyre

[dougal]

Very exciting. Pirelli have just reproduced their CN36 Cinturato in the size 185/70R15, as fitted to lots of TR's. what do you think

[JohnD]

Too many sipes (aka grooves) not enough rubber on the ground.
That is a very old tread pattern!
The name "Cinturato" means "belted" and was first used when radial tyres were new, in the 50s!

Consider moderns, or fairly moderns, such as Yokohamas.
Their A048R is a semi-race tyre, with minimal sipes to meet the regs for road use, but allows enormous grip, even in the wet, unless it is torrential rain.

JOhn

[piman]

Hello John,

early in the radial tyre years Pirelli produced a tyre with removable tread bands, so that just the bands could be renewed when worn. It didn't catch on.

Alec

[dougal]

Hi

The Cinturato CN36 is a 1970's low profile tyre developed in conjunction with cars of this period. It is developed to be fitted to cars that originally had a thinner full profile tyre. so the handling will be better on a TR than more modern tyres of this size.

there are no sipes in the CN36.

The more open tread of the CN36 should make it better than the A048R in the wet. But i would agree that the A048R will give more grip in the dry on a perfectly smooth race track. However the CN36 will give better handling on the road on a TR (unless the steering and geometry have been changed to suit more modern tyres)

[JohnD]

I'd beg to differ, Dougal!
Not because I've used the Cinturato, but because I race on Yokos, and except in torrential rain they grip very well indeed!

But I would agree that the more rounded tread will favour the awful camber change of Triumph suspension, when the wide flat tread of Yokos needs to be kept flat on the road.

JOhn