Lanes/Targa Rallies

[Liam Shaw]

Ah!!.. makes sense now with a few numbers threw in (cheers @Liam Shaw ) and I think I recognise the car in the 2nd batch of pics.. AEZ ----?.. Belonged to a top notch autotester, and big gentleman of a bloke?

If those wilwoods have 1.72" pistons (43mm?) then they're huge compared to OEM MX5 ones... a surface area increase of 92% for caliper piston.. lol. You'd need a .625" or .7" to work with them. @swervygerdy , that reassures me that a .5" would be best suited for our 31-33mm MX calipers. Regarding 'pad knock back' that Pete mentioned, your handbrake adjuster within the OEM caliper can prevent excess play. You adjust them to leave just enough clearance to avoid binding when the brakes warm up as per normal servicing (nipped up to firm, then off 1/4 turn is nice). You just need to check adjustment every now and again (literally a 2 minute job).

We've turned this into a 'check out my wand' thread...

So is anyone else out for Cookstown or is it an RMS no show?.. It's with great regret that we wont be out! (Stupid holidays ffs!)

Not sure what mx5 it is or who owns it but the pics were given to me by Ashley Lamont (who is like you discribed) to help with the bracket fitting so it's likely his. And I must say you have a fair sharp eye to recognise exactly what car it was lol. I assume the clue was the grey wheels in the last picture?

Yea I realised 1.72" was way off shortly after I posted it when I went back to work lol.

I'm not for cookstown either. Would like to but a couple of bills need paid and I start uni 2 days later so it's a bit of a busy time. But the entry is in for Larne. Hope it's as good as everyone says it is although there's apparently only 5 different tests (19 in total). Probably be like dungannon were 4 of the tests are run twice in each direct or maybe tweeked a little and the other run 3 times in the one direction, but it's hard to know and not really that important. This is my first year in the lanes so every event in new

 

[DavyC]

..Aye, the very man. The wheel, grey paint and bilstein give it away... and you're maybe spot on with the diameter.. couple of ones available at 1.75".
Wilwood High-Performance Disc Brakes - Dynapro Calipers Single

We'll see you at Larne then. I'd be a little biased towards the wee home event, but it was great last year. There may only have been 5 or 6 tests but they were really good lanes with plenty of bends and a few 360's and chicanes... then they reversed a few to change things a little too.

 

[Liam Shaw]

@DavyC This is them if you can learn anything from the diagram.

Don't think they were designed to do what we used them for lol but they work well

 

[FM155]

Ive an entry in for cookstown but not for me driving. Chris wants to give it a whirl so i'll be the one screaming from the passenger seat...
Entry in for larne too..

 

[OZ10]

Larne was always the best event of the year for me personally hence why it's the only event I'm doing this year

 

[swervygerdy]

Thanks lads, thats some great info. I actually have a set of those brackets from Ashley but figured I'd try the standard calipers first off.

Hopefully picking up a 0.5 m/c tomorrow, get it plumbed in tomorrow night and report back.

 

[PeteMoore]

Larne is always a fantastic event.

At least this year you won't have to worry about the cocky rooster - we milled it last time

 

[peespeed]

Unseeded entry list for Cookstown MC A29 Targa Raly

Andrew Harkness Stephen Ferguson saxo 5
Gerard Hughes Paul Hughes MX5 4
Steven Cromie TBA MX5 6
Phillip McCrea Mark Stewart mx5 6
Stuart Annesley Stephen Jess MX5 4
Robert Woodside David Allen Escort 2
Allan Harryman Aaron Martin MX5 2
Simon Woodside Steven Dowds Mx5 2
Mark Woodside Andy Blair MX5 2
Robert Woodside Suz Graham MX5 2
Tim Woodside TBA MX5 4
Kevin McNamee Hohnny McNamee MX5 6
Darren Fleck Gary Wilson 318ti 6
Frank Lenehan Olwen Blair Starlet 1
Raymond Kelly Stephen Armstrong Personna gti 5
Gilmore Magee Mervyn Gregg MX5 4
Richard Pender Mark McLoughlin MG ZR 5
Norman Ferguson Brendan Mooney 106
Chris Mallon Fergus Mallon MG ZR 5
Alan Reid TBA 206 5
Paul Mooney Kevin McKinless Nova 3
Neil Fletcher Aynsley Johnson Escort 4
John Convery Brendan Convery Polo 5
John O'Kane Grainne O'Kane MX5 4
Anthony McGuckin Fergal McEldowney MX5 4
Mark Bradley Patrick McKenna MX5 6
Karl Negly James McKeefry MX5 6
Mel McKeefry Calum McKeefry MX5 6
Colin Telford Michael Dawson Micra 5
Harry Barr Malcolm McQueen MX5 6
Peter Faulkner Anne Smyth MX5 6
Marshall Kennedy Jim Allen 106 5
Chris Henry TBA MX5 6
Damien Mooney Tony Anderson Saxo 3
Dermot Carnegie Mark Fitzsimon Escort 2
John Adams Sam Adams Escort 6
Conn Williamson TBA 318Ti 4
Craig McCullough William Kirkpatrick 205 5
Joe Mullan James Mullan MX5 6
Kenny Anderson Peter Anderson Clio 5
Michael Workman June Burgess Escort 4
Davy Young Richard Nelson Mini Cooper 3
Sean Delvin John Nicholl
Dougie Millar Simon Millar Golf Gti 5
Alan Annesley Richard Sloan Clio 5
Kenny Martin Philip Coote MX5 6
Michael O'Hara Gary Gates Micra 5
Sean McElhennon Jason Fullen MX5 6
Gareth Badger Alan Badger Saxo 5
Daniel Henderson John Henderson Micra 3
Fintan McGrady Drew Wylie MX5
Rodney McCready Shiralee McCready MX5 6
Ross Neill Ivor Neill corsa 5
Craig Glasgow Gary Thompson Demio 5
Richard Nesbitt Alyson Nesbitt Polo 5
Robert Allingham Thomas Maxwell Golf 5
Iain McKeown Rex Wilson Celica 5
Mal Haveron Aaron McCalmont MX5 4
Michael Salt Richard Allen Yaris 5
Michael Hutchinson Simon Bryson MX5 6
Sam Coulter Andy Black Corsa 5
Scott McBurney TBA MX5

 

[swervygerdy]

Handbrake now working perfectly delighted! - may thanks for the advice @DavyC @PeteMoore @cauld1 @KevM

The position of the lever isn't just right but I can fine tune that over the year.

 

[Liam Shaw]

Bit indecisive on what rubber to stick on the back of the MX5 for the lanes. I want a good value soft tire costing less than £40 each. Have my mind set on Toyo's but if theres something better available for similar money I'd like to know. Have been using part worns but sorta getting fed up with them. What do you's recommend?

 

[DavyC]

Despite their really thin side walls, I really like Uniroyal Rainsport 3's. They're about as good as a Toyo T1R in every way bar wet conditions where the Rainsport really is brilliant (T1R's were a bit wick in wet conditions). 195 50 15 Rainsport 3's are about £37 dilivered on tyres-pneus.com. They are very soft tho so generally get about 2 or 3 events from a rear pair depending on surfaces.

 

[cauld1]

I had avon winter tyres on for 2 events plus using the car regularly on the road and they held up ok. Quite liked that they were grippy enough in muddy bits. Didn't give any bother with punctures either which is a bonus!

 

[Liam Shaw]

Despite their really thin side walls, I really like Uniroyal Rainsport 3's. They're about as good as a Toyo T1R in every way bar wet conditions where the Rainsport really is brilliant (T1R's were a bit wick in wet conditions). 195 50 15 Rainsport 3's are about £37 dilivered on tyres-pneus.com. They are very soft tho so generally get about 2 or 3 events from a rear pair depending on surfaces.

Yea these were the two tyres I was looking at. Either one should hold up fine in Larne but it was the next rally (magherafelt) I plan on doing that had me thinking. If magherafelts is like previous years where it's more that 50% pure forest gravel, I wasn't sure how well the tyres ware on the really rough stuff. Would I be better using another old cheaper set for that event if there only going to get destroyed?

 

[Liam Shaw]

I had avon winter tyres on for 2 events plus using the car regularly on the road and they held up ok. Quite liked that they were grippy enough in muddy bits. Didn't give any bother with punctures either which is a bonus!

Yea I was always a bit courious with how well winter or snow tyres gripped in the mud and gravel but in the meantime for me I'll use the cheap stuff until the results start to pick up. Pace hasn't been too bad so far but 3 or 4 fails each event plus a few other wee errors gave us no chance.

 

[FM155]

I noticed (by noticed I mean squatting down and staring at the sidewalls with my glasses on..) that the leading MX5's are running 195/55 x 15 Toyo R1R's at the last few events. TBH it's hard to say how much better one tyre is than another because in most of the lanes, the conditions are so varied that you'll never have a perfect choice in any case. The rainsports take a real battering on the rough stuff because they are so soft and the summer lanes killed off the last pair after 3 events which is probably only around 75 miles of tests and a few road miles in between. Good value tyre though in my opinion for the lanes. The R1R's are going to be £125 or so delivered for a pair in 195/50 or nearly £200 for 195/55. If you can rotate them around a bit you might get more out of a set but it all becomes a bit expensive. Each to their own though and fair play to those that can kit theirs out with whatever they want, I know I would if I had the option.

 

[Liam Shaw]

I noticed (by noticed I mean squatting down and staring at the sidewalls with my glasses on..) that the leading MX5's are running 195/55 x 15 Toyo R1R's at the last few events. TBH it's hard to say how much better one tyre is than another because in most of the lanes, the conditions are so varied that you'll never have a perfect choice in any case. The rainsports take a real battering on the rough stuff because they are so soft and the summer lanes killed off the last pair after 3 events which is probably only around 75 miles of tests and a few road miles in between. Good value tyre though in my opinion for the lanes. The R1R's are going to be £125 or so delivered for a pair in 195/50 or nearly £200 for 195/55. If you can rotate them around a bit you might get more out of a set but it all becomes a bit expensive. Each to their own though and fair play to those that can kit theirs out with whatever they want, I know I would if I had the option.

I'd be looking for something closer to £60 a pair compared to £60 a tire.

 

[OZ10]

You will be lucky to get any kind of half decent competitive tyres for £30

 

[FM155]

Me too and it's worth noting that not everyone who is up at the sharp end is running fancy stuff so it's not the end of the world if you just shove on what you can afford and point it down the road. Other than the sumpguard and the tyres, the ZR has had nothing spent on it other than time.

 

[Liam Shaw]

Well it was a slight exaggeration but as DavyC said Uniroyal RS3's delivered for £37 and I can get Toyo T1R for a similar price. Can't afford to be spending £100+ on a pair of tires when I've only done a couple of events and am just about to start uni. I'll gain more time failing less tests than I ever will gain on any sort of tyre. And I'll also likely gain more (more fun atleast) from doing an extra event from money that I've saved on tyres throughout the year. And I also have a strong interest on modifing the car (very minor stuff at this stage bar the handbrake and not for result purposes but for an interest and eagerness to learn) and cheaper tyres allows me to do this from time to time.

Maybe if a few years time when I've a steady wage coming in I might up m tyre budget but the priority is fun not results (not to say I don't want good results, I'm as eager for them as anybody).

 

[OZ10]

Jeez if u can get toyos for £37 let me know where. I was getting CF1's and they were £45-50 in 13". Unless the 15" are more popular and cheaper

 

[Liam Shaw]

@earney I'll let you know the exact price when I'm talking to the man again. Might be a little extra. He wasn't sure what model it was of the top of his head but he said it was the one all the stock car boys used and he has autotesters in as well for them.

EDIT: I checked there £37 is pretty average online for T1R's. I was quoted £30+VAT including fitting for them in JB Tyres in Kilrea (also shop in Tobermore).

 

[OZ10]

Ah the CF1 are dearer then they are around £53 online

Just looked online there the t1r don't go down to 13". Probably the reason we got the CF1. Now we have moved up to 14" to get a bit extra out of 1st gear.

As far as I know the autotesters also went up to 14" but most now run the rainsports as it's all sealed surface

 

[DavyC]

I must confess that there were two R1R's on the back of our MX at rathfriland and there's two more ordered (£54 each delivered) to make a set of four. A couple of ones were claiming they get 3 to 4 events out of a rear pair so I wanted to try them to see if they'be be much more expensive in the long run. Initial impressions are that they've great sidewall stiffness, are brilliant on clean, sealed surfaces, about the same as uniroyals on the loose, but not as good in the wet.

I've four uniroyals on one set of rims, and this will make 4 R1R's on another set (so thats it for tyre buying for a long time hopefully!) I had a theory of sticking the uniroyals if it was to be wet, and R1R's if it were to be dry, but already thats flawed with our mixed weather and when you see how wrong the weather forecasts can be... Ballynahinch last year, and queens this year were supposed to be dry according to the forecast the day before... following day - Monsoon!

I share the frustrations around tyre choices too and would support the introduction of a 'permitted tyre list' listing a range of low cost options only, but I know it could be difficult enough to set up and govern.

 

[OZ10]

Can we not just ban MX5's[emoji1]

Ps you out tomorrow @DavyC?

 

[Liam Shaw]

I share the frustrations around tyre choices too and would support the introduction of a 'permitted tyre list' listing a range of low cost options only, but I know it could be difficult enough to set up and govern.

Funny I was thinking about a permitted tyres list yesterday. It would keep things a little tighter and a bit more consistant. For example there were a few scrutineers at queens and i know two of them quite well and was talking to them and one was just finished having an arguement with a competitor that snow/winter tyres weren't aloud and are forbiddded (not sure if he aloud them to run with them or not, but i'd say he did and just told them not to use them in the future) and the other said that snow/winter tyres were completely fine since they are a road legal tyre.