FF1600 Tyres

[jminsh]

Quiet Mr Jones, more like roundish pieces of wood !!
Your showing us all your age again.

[spearce]

For 'modern' FF1600's the regs say ACB10's, so no choice.

Both ACB9 and 10's are allowed in Classic FF and not much to choose between them, people have won races on both types of tyre (wet and dry !!). Personally, I prefer the feel of the car on 9's, and they seem to last longer.

[darcym]

so the 10's where for the zetec's then, I am guessing they are the zetec "wet" tyre ?

If so the point is still valid. Bring the cost down on the tyres.

[spearce]

No the zetec's have slicks and a proper 'wet' racing tyre, which are much better than 9 or 10's in the wet.

[JohnMiller]

The ACB10s were used by Zetecs in 93 only and given up as 'unsuitable' I think.

[StephenRae]

Darcym.......your right it's the profit that makes them expensive. I wonder how the control tyre is chosen and who does the choosing. Without doing the sums it must be a massive contract, with all of the advantages of a guarranteed monopoly

[JNWRF01]

When the Zetec's were intro'd in 93 they ran the Dunlops, they then shifted to the ACB10 tyre for wet and dry and then shifted to where we are now in terms of a standard slick and wet. FF should run on ACB9 - the same as the old Dunlops, as this was the best tyre for all conditions - and they did not fade during its wear life.

It seems stupid for a runners in a local clubbie series to be throwing new tyres at a FF1600 - surely these people would be better off in something faster that suits the larger wallet. Also, why not introduce a set number of tyres per meeting then everyone is level.

It does beg the question, that running with a professional team, new tyres every time you leave the pits - exactly how much is a budget for leading NWFF??

[darcym]

I just think that the problem as Redracer pointed out is the budget of some people. The bottom line is "if you can't afford it - don't do it" but thats not really the attitude I enjoy seeing. I would rarther be beat by someone and come second, for example, than win because the better guy doesn't have the budget. Others feel differently.

As the ACB 10's (I thought we where on 9's) do not get developed any further, in that we have been using the same rubber compound for years (or so I am told) then there should be no further need for development/testing funding included in the price. This is a club sport and I am sure that by now using this tyre in the pro series (national formula ford) for a couple of years will have re-couped the initial development costs. Therefore we as club racers should see the benifits of being club racers. eg: second hand car parts from the national series, pre developed / tested tyres from the club series. With this in mind I cannot accept that it costs Avon almost £400 to make a set of these tyres, therefore I can only assume that Avon are making a MASSIVE profit on the tyres, and while they have the monopoly (I am not saying the shouldn't have the monopoly) they can charge what they want. Running on controled tyres is supposed to be safer and cheaper....I have no doubt it is cheaper than the national series, but as I said earlier this is club racing, not professional.

[spearce]

I think FoMoCo do the choosing, and include in their regs. But no 'choosing' has been done for about 10 years now!

[Redracer77]

The ACB10 were only given up for slicks as Vauxhall Jr was faster so they wanted to make the Zetec compete so they went to slicks

[spearce]

OK - how about this for a rule for a club series - only 2 new tyres per meeting. Anything which involves marking tyres or recording serial nos every meeting will be a nightmare for the scrutes ???

[kickstart]

Policing any tyre limiting rule will be difficult and time consuming. Given the reliability and consistency of the ACB9 over its life surely it would make sense to change they official tyre and there reduce costs for all competitors.

[spearce]

..... provided people don't moan about needing new gear ratios, revised susp geometry, etc. There is quite a big difference in diameter, ACB10's being smaller.

[JohnMiller]

ACB10s 'look' better too!

My old primary school headteacher had a 1910 Riley and, thinking back, his tyres (like 28 inch) remind me of ACB9s/Dunlops.

[jminsh]

till your in gravel trap cos u got no grip in the wet maybe.

[jminsh]

come on Diz lets have your 2 peneth you must have woken up by now it's about the time the scousers go owt on the prowl likkkke.

[spearce]

With ACB10's is it legal to use 4 fronts in the wet ???
Would need to raise the ride height a little at the back first !

[jminsh]

And mess with your ratios again stick with 9's

[StephenRae]

I just heard a reportedly true story that the bomb squad were about to blow up Diz' car in Toxteth. Just in time he returned and asked what was suspicious about it...........it had a current tax disc!!!

[jminsh]

As well as bits of icing and marzipan scattered around the driver area thinking it was full of semtex.!!LOL

[diz]

Originally posted by kartingdad
How about banning 'pro' run teams? That should save some folk a few quid. LOL

I don't recall Ralph turning up to help any Van Diemen driver.

[diz]

Originally posted by StephenRae
Hi Jason...wasn't your car designed for Firestone Torinos?

You swine Jonesey. Just got home from work and find you have already put young Minshaw in his place.

[diz]

Originally posted by spearce
OK - how about this for a rule for a club series - only 2 new tyres per meeting. Anything which involves marking tyres or recording serial nos every meeting will be a nightmare for the scrutes ???

How would you police this one Steve?

[diz]

Originally posted by jminsh
come on Diz lets have your 2 peneth you must have woken up by now it's about the time the scousers go owt on the prowl likkkke.

I'm up very early, I've got a "proper job"

[jminsh]

Originally posted by diz
Just got home from work.

Chief taster at Mr Kipling's i take it

Only joking have a brill Christmas J.