TYRES

[kitchens]

I need to replace the rears on my Boxster. Continental Conti Sport 2 235x50xZR 17 96Y NO rating I cannot get them anywhere does anyone have a contact for them been to all the national distributors and been told they are no longer available even contacted Continental .Have been offered the new Sport 3 but they are N1 and say are not compatable .have been on to Porsche customer services to see if they can help but say you cannot mix NO and N1 and asked if they will help in some sort of financial way as they have in the past when tyres have been not available but are not interested even though the car is under an exstended warranty and has full OPC service ,the ones on the front are new well at least another 6k mls left I would even consider part worn by the time they wear down all 4 will be required HELP PLEASE

 

[911sse]

Brian Have you contacted the OPC regarding the issue, I believe they have been helping customers out in certain circumstances. ie. you pay for 2No, they pay for the other 2No tyres and change the brand in the process.

 

[spyderman]

can't think "not compatible" can really be the case, but if you want to keep them happy, you might have to replace the whole lot. As you probably know, the lower the 'N' number, the older the approval - and after a while, they simply run out.

 

[kitchens]

I contacted Reading direct and they said it was not there problem as they did not make tyres and it was Continental who stopped producing that model ,as to getting a allowance that was because of a shortage some time back when tyres where on back order due to a manufacturing problem that they then gave people the option to change manufacturer and that is how they gave a good will jesture..I am going to contact both parties to see if they can do more ,does anyone know why you cannot mix the types ie NO and N1 they are still N rates tyres

 

[Ian Mills]

I have no technical expertise on tyres and ratings, but simple logic suggests a con. Obviously N0 tyres were approved, N1 tyres are approved, presumably as an improvement, so providing they are not mixed on the same axle what is the real problem? Continental simply want your money and Porsche, rightly, say they don't make the tyres.

 

[911sse]

I have seen posts on here where OPC's have contributed towards tyres......

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: kitchens I contacted Reading direct and they said it was not there problem as they did not make tyres and it was Continental who stopped producing that model ,as to getting a allowance that was because of a shortage some time back when tyres where on back order due to a manufacturing problem that they then gave people the option to change manufacturer and that is how they gave a good will jesture..I am going to contact both parties to see if they can do more ,does anyone know why you cannot mix the types ie NO and N1 they are still N rates tyres

I have an email from Continental from about 5 years ago stating that there is no reason why you can not use N0. N1 etc as long as you do not mix on the same axle. I'll see if I can dig it out. (Checked this morning and it looks like I've binned it. []) I've run different makes before now, Pilot's on the front and Sport Contacts on the rear - even done track days with them. No issues whatsoever. Unless you run day in day out at 10/10 around a race circuit I doubt most people would notice any difference. I would expect running with uneven presures is more an issue than the 'N' rating of your tyres. IMHO The whole N rating scheme is load of cobblers! [8D]

 

[Black80XSA]

Would have to agree with John - its always been debatable whether N rated tyres make that much difference to ordinary tyres of the same make and model. Yes there are differences, but how big ?? The difference between N0 and N1 i suspect is even smaller - i wouldn't worry at all about mixing N0 on the front and N1 on the back, especially with 6k miles of life left on the fronts. Just make sure you only fit the same N number on each axle.

 

[kitchens]

[link=http://www.tyresite.com/tyrearticle.asp?page=14intersting]http://www.tyresite.com/tyrearticle.asp?page=14intersting[/link] article I have been on to the OPC and he is contacting Porsche to get there take on the reasons for not allowing the mix ,in the meantime have located a set of rears part worn 5ml over all tread for£110 each not all that far from the £155 for new N1 so if this is the last resort might go down this route ,I just do not want to replace all 4 as the fronts are ok for a good 6k miles or so .I agree there is no reason why you cannot have NO and N1 on the car ,but as someone pointed out god forgive you have a shunt and the insurance come along and spot the different rating on the tyres and bang goes your claim Will keep you informed Sorry link not working just search on the site www.tyresite.com

 

[mik_ok]

Brian - as others have said - different N numbers on each axle is acceptable ~ across the axle is not. FYI - I have seen salesmen from the Glasgow OPC taking cars into Performance Tyres in Anniesland (0141-954-9344) for new boots.

 

[John H]

I too think the whole N thing is cobblers, and I cannot imagine any harm from using a mix of N0 and N1 from the same manufacturer, albeit I would not put them on the same axle either. []

 

[ScottishSpyder]

I don't know a lot about tyres but I would suspect mixing N0 and N1 is a better option than part worns of a different car and no history.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Going from N0 to N1 means there are minor variations in the design of the tyre. It is re-tested by Porsche and approved and given the new N - number. N0 -> N1, N1 -> N2, N2 -> N3 etc... However if there is a bigger design change then when the tyre is re-tested and approved it goes back to N0 and it all starts over again. Hope that helps...

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: kitchens .I agree there is no reason why you cannot have NO and N1 on the car ,but as someone pointed out god forgive you have a shunt and the insurance come along and spot the different rating on the tyres and bang goes your claim Will keep you informed

There is nothing in my insurance documents, and I doubt in anyone else's, that states I must use four N rated tyres yet alone four of the same designation.

 

[gdavison]

John - Dont they invoke the "modified from original Manufacturers specification" clause, which of course is always an option for the Insurance Companies..I'd take a wild stab that if say the 3.4 Boxster S was "released" on N1 and some one went back to N0 they have a possible "out" ..I think for older models originally available on N0's, when the N0's are obsoleted, Porsche re-issues a "approval" I think we all agree its silly.. [&:]

 

[John H]

In my experience of insurance companies, they would probably revoke your claim anyway on the "was not wearing an appropriate hat" clause, buried in the extended list of conditions they don't issue you with anyway!! [] To suggest that a Porsche cannot run on a non N rated tyre is to suggest that all the non N tyres fitted to AMG Mercs, BMW M series and every other performance car are somehow dubious unsafe tyres, which is plainly nonsense. []

 

[Rodney Naghar]

ORIGINAL: John H To suggest that a Porsche cannot run on a non N rated tyre is to suggest that all the non N tyres fitted to AMG Mercs, BMW M series and every other performance car are somehow dubious unsafe tyres, which is plainly nonsense. []

Not quite. The 'N' rating is Porsche specific. Ie Porsche work in conjunction with the tyre manufacturers to make tyres specific to Porsche's requirements - once approved they get the 'N'-rating. That is why non-'N' rated tyres are not specifically approved for use on modern Porsche's. Other car manufacturers may not care, but Porsche do. I agree with the others saying that mixing 'N's across an axle isn't a good idea, but not a problem otherwise.

 

[pattersonoxford]

Pirelli P Zero Rossos are a better tyre than those Conti things. Buy two of those for the back now and replace the fronts with Rossos after 6000 miles, then stick with the Pirellis. And the red "P Zero" on the sidewalls matches the red brake caliphers. Silver 986 Boxster S

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: Rodney Naghar

ORIGINAL: John H To suggest that a Porsche cannot run on a non N rated tyre is to suggest that all the non N tyres fitted to AMG Mercs, BMW M series and every other performance car are somehow dubious unsafe tyres, which is plainly nonsense. []

Not quite. The 'N' rating is Porsche specific. Ie Porsche work in conjunction with the tyre manufacturers to make tyres specific to Porsche's requirements - once approved they get the 'N'-rating. That is why non-'N' rated tyres are not specifically approved for use on modern Porsche's. Other car manufacturers may not care, but Porsche do. I agree with the others saying that mixing 'N's across an axle isn't a good idea, but not a problem otherwise.

I think you are being a tad romantic there Rodney in suggesting Porsche "care". Is that why their factory warranty is so short and the extended warranty so expensive?

 

[Rodney Naghar]

ORIGINAL: JCB..

ORIGINAL: Rodney Naghar

ORIGINAL: John H To suggest that a Porsche cannot run on a non N rated tyre is to suggest that all the non N tyres fitted to AMG Mercs, BMW M series and every other performance car are somehow dubious unsafe tyres, which is plainly nonsense. []

Not quite. The 'N' rating is Porsche specific. Ie Porsche work in conjunction with the tyre manufacturers to make tyres specific to Porsche's requirements - once approved they get the 'N'-rating. That is why non-'N' rated tyres are not specifically approved for use on modern Porsche's. Other car manufacturers may not care, but Porsche do. I agree with the others saying that mixing 'N's across an axle isn't a good idea, but not a problem otherwise.

I think you are being a tad romantic there Rodney in suggesting Porsche "care". Is that why their factory warranty is so short and the extended warranty so expensive?

Lol I'm with you on that John, what I meant was Porsche care/get antsy about the whole 'N' rating thing, whearas other manufacturers will just let you get on with it.