ignacio

my p zero's got so loud and rough after 11k miles that i wanted an alternative,especially with such poor wet traction that continued to deteriorate.
hard info was hard to come by
witness the minimal response to my prior posts on this question.
so i figured -- what the heck--a $1000 gamble--less than many overpriced options that have minimal effect on the driving experience

the results:

positive findings:

1)wet traction with conti's is much better even in the torrential downpours that were caused in the east by the remnants of hurricane isadore. in a parking lot with new tires i couldn't even get psm to come on in spirited skidpad maneuvers that made me feel dizzy! not even a hint of a skid! my pzero's would readily skid in the rain.

2) tire noise is significantly less with the conti's than it was when my p zero's were new. especially notieable on the freeway with the windows closed.

3)ride quality is a little better but still typical of high performance tires as it should be

negative findings:

1) dry traction is slightly diminished at the 10/10 limits but still not sufficient to actvate psm--dry or wet.


overall i'm pleased with my gamble. for a daily drivre in maryland i consider wet traction to be more important than dry traction <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" /> perhaps in s. calif. i'd feel differently the improvement in noise levels and ride quality are nice bonuses but less important to me.

my pzero's lasted 12k miles on the back before i couldn't tolerate them any more. i could have run them another 1-2k mi if necessary before reaching the wear bars. i'll update the list on the wear characteristics of the contis as they age. so far so good <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" />

DonW-Cape Cod

Ignacio, what pressure were you running in your rears? I went by the manual and will get 8K if I'm lucky and this is not heavy duty driving..(I have P-Zeros 285/18s

ignacio

don-- for the first 2k miles i ran 36/44 as specified in the manual. after reading many threads about tire pressure on this list i reduced the pressure slowly and settled on 32/36 as optimal for my p zeros i stayed with 32/36 for the next 9000 miles. my normal routine is about 40% freeway, 30% twisties and 30% ordinary roads. i get 20-22 mph in my normal routine-25mph long trips. i hope this helps

Palting

Ignacio, how was the wear on the P-Zeros at those tire pressures? How about posting a pic of your used P-Zero rears? If you still have them that is, since most people just get rid of the old tires.

The reason I'm asking, is that at 8500 miles, running at 32/40 cold, I seem to be wearing out the shoulders more than the center despite all the threads stating a 32/36 combo is better . I've checked with several gauges to make sure my prssures are accurate. Now, nobody get on my case. I'm not starting the tire pressure thread all over again . I just want to know how Ignacio's tires wore .

FixedWing

[quote]Originally posted by Palting:
<strong>... at 8500 miles, running at 32/40 cold, I seem to be wearing out the shoulders more than the center despite all the threads stating a 32/36 combo is better.</strong><hr></blockquote>

The outside 1/4th of the rear Pirelli tyre is only half depth. This will wear down very quickly.

But the ultimate limit of the tyre is going to be on the inside 1/4th of the tyre. This is because of the negative camber. You had better pay close attention to this portion of the tyre as it will wear through to the cord well before the wear bars at the centre of the tyre are at the minimum.

S.

DonW-Cape Cod

This is 8K miles Pirelli Pzero 285/18 using 36/44lbs...no hard driving (well, almost none)Would I have gotten more mileage with different pressures?

buckdr1

Greetings, FYI- I've just hit 9k on my P-Zero's.
On my '02 C-2, been running them @ factory 36/44 all the way, w/ 6 Hrs @ watkins glenn & 2 auto/x's. They are down a bit more than Don's- especially in the centers. Will be getting 18" Mich/ pilot cups shortly for my '91 C-2 " track baby. <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

O. Red '02 C-2
G. red '91 C2

Palting

Yup, mine is simillar to Dons. Maybe a little bit less wear in the middle. Thanks for the pic, Don. I tried to get a pic of mine, but I just could'nt get it parked right so that the bars showed <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> . Supposedly, one can get the highest mileage with the factory pressures (36/44), but better performance with lower pressures. Looks like you still have some life in those tires, Don.

ignacio

my wear patterns were quite even at 12 k mi with about 9k mi at 32/36. i had a little bit more tread left than don's but i got tired of the noise. i drove another 120mi today. the conti2's are getting stickier in the dry. i'll push them to their limits later this week and report back. on the highway at 80 mph the conti's are MUCH more quiet. i am an even happier camper! <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" /> and believe me i was plenty happy before! <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" /> <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" /> <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" />

sorry i cant post pictures off the old rear tires--they are gone--they looked very similiar to don's pics above.