TYRE TROUBLES
A new pair of Pirellis sorts the RS out
QUICK SPEC Mountune m400R ■ Revo RV019 alloys ■ H&R lowering springs ■ 3M wrap ■ Mountune axle-back and sports cat ■ H&R anti-roll bars ■ Tarox brakes ■ Mishimoto intercooler, intake kit, and oil cooler kits ■ Quaife ATB
Bloody tyres. I’ve been through five sets already and the RS hasn’t even turned six years old yet. Fair enough, I’ve never actually worn a set completely out, more the fact that I keep changing my mind, or wheels.
But now I need another one. During the faffing around removing and refitting the last set, the fitter damaged the bead of the tyres going back on. Thankfully, the guys at First Stop in Weston Super Mare came to the rescue. First, it was their inspection of the mystery slow puncture that revealed a slight tear in the tyre bead (along with a load of sticky black crap that the previous bodging fitter had used to try to mask the damage). But when the diagnosis revealed that it wasn’t salvageable, they would be my new go-to guys for fitting any replacements.
But what would those replacements be?
I had one legal tyre, two that were showing heavy signs of wear on the inside edges, and one that was fit for the bin. So, the Velgen Classic5 alloys needed four new tyres, again.
But I still had my Revo RV019 alloys safely stored away. And when I fitted one temporarily while the puncture was being investigated, I remembered how much I liked them. So, I’m changing things up a bit and running the RV019s for now. Plus, as two of the Falkens fitted still had plenty of life left, I’d only need to buy two new tyres.
I hit the internet and quickly got drawn into the ‘which tyre’ debate that rages in Mk3 RS circles. Having tried most of them already, I thought I’d give something different a go this time. Then, randomly, I got a call from my mate Paul Swift (to discuss Ford Fair stuff) and I mentioned the troubles I was having. He then told me about the Pirelli PZeros he runs on his stunt cars, including the Mk3 Focus RS he’d had on the fleet for a few years. When a man who knows as much about car control and tyre grip as Paul tells you that they are a great tyre, you’d be daft not to listen.
So, a few days later a pair of 235/35x19 PZeros rocked up at my house, and I popped down to see the guys at First Stop to get them fitted. First impressions are brilliant; they are fantastic in the dry, inspire confidence in the damp, and even have low road noise.
The only downside was the tyre pressure warning lamp on the dash. The RV019s have sensors fitted (I bought another set when I swapped wheels last time), but because they have been sat in my garage for the last four years I can’t remember which corner each wheel is programmed to. Rather than the aggro and expense of having a main dealer reprogramme them, I read somewhere that the sensors will self-learn if you just reset the warning the light and drive for a few miles. So I thought I’d give that a try.
The RS has been used for everything from shopping runs to taking the kids to the seafront at the weekend. I even joined Mark from Ford Parts R Us at a local Bristol RSOC meet for a tasty BBQ one evening.
It seems to have done the trick, and the light hasn’t come on again since. Even if it does, the MOT is due soon, so I’ll get the garage to do it at the same time.
Next up, the Focus will be at RS Combe where the possibility of more track time beckons, and I can see what the Pirellis are like when used in anger.