46 replies to this topic

[TangoAlpha]

Will be needing a need set of tyres soon. After phoning round, the best price I have found is from Bracknell Tyres @ £385.40 for all four (fitted). Anyone know where I can do better? (Preferably not too far from Reading).

[garyk220]

Sounds like a good price to me. Make sure they are quoting for the VX-specific rear tyre though. Bridgestone supply 3 types of 225/45 rears... VX, Elise S2 and standard. They all appear on their system with the same code which can make it confusing. I have the code at home and can post it later, if necessary.

[TangoAlpha]

I have the code at home and can post it later, if necessary.

If you could please.

[garyk220]

All 3 types are listed at Bridgestone under E040 code. The VX tyre has a BZ suffix. If you get your supplier to ask for E040BZ, you'll get the correct tyre according to the garage that fitted mine. You will know it's the correct tyre if it has the code CJC**** stamped in the side wall. If it doesn't, you've either got the Elise tyre or the standard tyre fitted to Scooby's/Evo's, etc. I'm not sure how much difference it makes which tyre you get in the end, but if Lotus went to the trouble of speccing 2 different rear tyres for the Elise and VX, there must be some difference in performance. Hope that helps

[R3D VX]

Anyone heard of using the newish Bridgestone 050 as fitted to the Enzo? (the Enzo has a specific spec but i know the tyre can be bought in general form)

[Jamie K]

Have a look on the Bridgestone site, you can get RE050's, S03's and all kinds of winter tyres for the VX, you've got to be in mainland europe though it appears.

http://www.bridgesto...2&fuel=unleaded

You could try and get someone to import them for you ?

Jamie

[Ricky2772]

I guess anything would be better than those lame 040 in the front.....today I swapped back tyres to the original setup.....geeez....what a difference....

[Jamie K]

Ricky, Can you see if you can get S03's over there ? Apparently they aren't in the UK yet cheers Jamie

[Ricky2772]

2003 bridgestone catalog did not show anything else than the usual 040.

[R1 nur]

S0 3's been around for ages!
Try Micheldever.

http://www.micheldever.co.uk/

Or was that just in VX sizes sorry?!

[Jamie K]

Or was that just in VX sizes sorry?!

[Ricky2772]

S0 3's been around for ages!
Try Micheldever.

http://www.micheldever.co.uk/

Or was that just in VX sizes sorry?!

...another one indulging today? ....

[Beergut]

Just booked in for the 20,000 mile service at Inchcape Exeter, asked about 2 new rear tyres and quoted 115 quid which I thought was pretty good from a main dealer. Now , my nearside front is wearing on the outside otherwise I've got a load of miles left on the fronts, is this likely to just be the tracking out ? Can I swap the fronts around to try and even the wear up ? I do live on a hill with a few lovely " chicanes " which may well not help the wear pattern. Also requested the ABS upgrade and gonna try and get them to sort the knocking from the rear which appears after about 30 miles but I'm not holding my breath . Nigel

[TangoAlpha]

Can I swap the fronts around to try and even the wear up ?

No, if you've got the standard tyres then they are "uni-directional", i.e. they have different tread patterns on the left & right.

[Ricky2772]

yes, you can swap the fronts, but you have to take'em off the rim first. left tyre goes on the right rim and viceversa.

[Beergut]

Thanks Ricky, I won't let the dealer touch them though, for that job I'll go to my local tyre centre as the guy knows what he's doing and is a font of rubber information :ph34r: Nigel

[CALYPSO_VXT]

Last time I got a tyre fitted at a local tyre centre the grease monkey put a deep gouge all the way around the alloy in a perfect circle when he was taking the old tyre off. He just threw it around and didn't give a sh1t that it was a expensive wheel. When I complaind they wern't interested and said it's nearly impossible to change a tyre without some damage being done. Cost me £50 to get it repaired.

[Ricky2772]

When I complaind they wern't interested and said it's nearly impossible to change a tyre without some damage being done. Cost me £50 to get it repaired.

what a load of shite....
this kind of folk should be taken out of business hammered by lawsuits....

any DECENT tyre shop will leave any rim unscathed, but it's best to be present while they are working on it......

[Dave T-S]

All 3 types are listed at Bridgestone under E040 code. The VX tyre has a BZ suffix. If you get your supplier to ask for E040BZ, you'll get the correct tyre according to the garage that fitted mine.

You will know it's the correct tyre if it has the code CJC**** stamped in the side wall. If it doesn't, you've either got the Elise tyre or the standard tyre fitted to Scooby's/Evo's, etc.

I'm not sure how much difference it makes which tyre you get in the end, but if Lotus went to the trouble of speccing 2 different rear tyres for the Elise and VX, there must be some difference in performance.

Gary
For the sake of accuracy, not picking a fight, i'm not sure I agree with you on this.

The tyres on my VXT are stamped E040BZ. BUT, so are the RE040 tyres on my wife's Seat Leon Cupra.

Also, I believe the CJC**** code is actually the tyre plant/mould they are made in/the tyre itself batch identifier, not the tyre type. You will note that the CJC**** type mark is a sequential mark like a date stamp that changes from tyre to tyre, not a uniform one like the "RE040" mark.

For info, the front tyre on my VXT is CAD5102, the rear CFE5002, and both offside tyres on the Leon CFE3702.

There is also another mark next to the "E040BZ" mark:

K00001 on the VXT front
T9806 on the VXT rear
K00004 on the Leon front
K00001 on the Leon rear

Note the Leon has 225/40x17 all round, same as the VX rear.

Confused now?!

[Ricky2772]

Note the Leon has 225/40x17 all round, same as the VX rear.

Confused now?!

225/40 or /45 ?
VX is /45-17......