Non N Rated tyres

four months into ownership, and i've lost my second rear tyre to a screw... this time i found the puncture before the wheel completely deflated (unlike the first one, which came off the rim on the m20). problem was- i was in Southport on a Sunday afternoon, and had to drive back to London that evening, so it asnt easy to find a new tyre. i managed to find a pair of Bridgstones that fitted, but they are not N rated. no choice, so had them fitted. some questions: 1. should i be concerned about them being non N rated? 2. bridgstones on the back, contis on the front- any issues? 3. i kept the one good conti i had on the back- should i sell it (if so whats it worth- 1000 miles of wear?) or should i take the bridgestones off and get a replacement Conti... then sell the Bridgestones? 4. when porsches get flat tures- what on earth do people normally do... the place I got the bridgestones from only had them by chance, not as a stock item... otherwise i would have been very stuffed... in other circustnaces do people really just have to sit around until a garage can get them in stock?

I suppose you are meant to use the space-saver spare and keep below 50 mph until you can get the right tyre... Personally I wouldn't mix brands even on different axles, so I would get another Conti and put the other one back on. I'm sure someone with a car other than a Porsche will be grateful for two almost new Bridgestones at a bit of a discount... Find out what they fit and go on their forums, or EBay...

HTH

What a pain in the arse. Can of worms debate. OC is right to an extent but IMHO its the back end that really is the debate here, and there are few cars which you can compare to a 911 with the engine slung over the back ..no engine weight taken by front at all like a mide engined car...it really does ask a lot more of the rear tyres especially during acceleration...hence why 911s are so quick. But OC has had a fair few cars iirc and is a bit more experienced than me! I don't know what difference an N rated Conti to a non N-rated Conti is but assume a stiffer sidewall or construction? Also depends on if you drive it as a sports car or a tourer. Just my 2p, not sure it helps but do not throw the good Conti if you decide to stick with Bridgestones, pls post up in Parts Sales & Wants...it could be a bit of life saver for someone here. Is it 285/30/18?

and that's the point. Nowhere do Porsche, Michelin, Continental, or Bridgestone state that their n-rated versions are stiffer or constructed differently from the normal equivalent tyre. It's implied everywhere, and that's what the majority of Porsche owners think, but no-one states it. The nearest we ever got was a senior Michelin man (ho ho) stating that "...exact design specifics are considered proprietary and confidential. Therefore, Michelin was unable to provide any details on the functional differences ...". I know nothing, but for instance Norwich Union don't consider them as a requirement for valid insurance - what does that imply?

Some tyres are very different in the N- and non-N-rated forms. Some of the Michelins have a different tread pattern and compound for example. But the N-rating only means they have either been approved, or have been optimised to become approved by Porsche - you could well find that a non-N tyre performs perfectly okay, then again... But mixing tyres anywhere on a 911 - like the two brands front to rear - often makes them behave really oddly. It's not the sort of thing you have to be very sensitive to, or only comes out at high loads - I've seen more than one example personally where the car just refuses to go in a straight line, or is very twitchy as you change direction. Whatever anyone decides regarding N-rating, I certainly wouldn't ever suggest risking anything other than four matching tyres.

Oh - and remember N-rating means 'approved by Porsche', it doesn't mean 'approved by Porsche for any model' - you'd need to check Porsche's current recommendations for you particular car to know that. You can't just find a right-size tyre, see that it's N-rated and consider that 'jobe done'.

Goodyears F1's - best tyres ever fitted to any 911/Porsche that I have had(always my 1st choice). Not "n" rated but just totally brilliant in every way/road condition......never found anything better for general use and a really good tyre for the track also. I tad louder than most but not really an issue when such good grip is available :thumb: Just wish they had them in 315 size for my GT2 :sad :sad: :sad:

Blimey... I agree with Wizard on something :thumb: Goodyears rock :thumbs: I had GSD3s on my 996 for a while (until I couldn't get new rears anywhere in the UK and changed to Contis) and they were flippin awesome! Wet grip was astonishing and no aquaplaning whatsoever. They clear water faster than a fireman's hose... :lol: (But no Goodyears have been 'N-Rated' for a long, long time - if you're worried about that)

I've had three sets of GSD3s (on other 'performance' cars) and as above they are excellent - nothing else comes close in the wet. However - Goodyear don't make GSD3s in large sizes anymore - they have been replaced by the F1 Asymmetrics, which have won both 2007 EVO and Autocar tests.... http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2007-evo-tyre-test.htm 1) Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2) Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta 3) Continental Contisport Contact 3 4) Bridgestone Potenza RE050-A 5) Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 6) Pirelli PZero Nero (Autocar didn't test the Vredesteins) http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2007-autocar-tyre-test.htm 1) Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2) Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 3) Bridgestone Potenza RE050-A 4) Continental Contisport Contact 3 5) Pirelli PZero Nero / Rosso

That probably explains why I couldn't get new rears then in 2007 :wack: Had to change all 4 as a result and got an unbeatable offer (less than £500 fitted) on N-Rated Conti SC2s. Have to say I've been pleased with the SC2s, and apart from a bit of aquaplaning when they were nearly illegal (which would happen with any tyre) they've been very good in both wet and dry conditions.