Miata Mailing List: May 1993, Message #151
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   From: (none)
Subject: Re: newbie tire question
   Date: (none)


On Wed, 19 May 1993, Jamie Zawinski wrote:

> I don't know anything about tires, but I think mine are wearing out, and
> browsing through the archive hasn't really shed a whole lot of light on the
> whole subject for me, so could someone give me an idiot-level overview of
> what I should know about Miata tires?

That's easy. The tires Mazda supplies on the Miata are dangerous in wet
conditions, and worse than that in the snow. This is only my opinion, but
it's based on the experiences of many Miata owners I've talked to.

> 
> I don't race or autocross, but I do a lot of cruising around on twisty roads,
> and lately I've been sliding more often than I expect.  I've got about 50k
> miles on the car, with the original Bridgestone tires.  I gather that's a
> lot, but the manual says that the tires are only worn out when the tires have
> worn down to the level that you can see a solid band across the tire, which
> they haven't (in fact, I can't even really tell where it would be.)

There are two things that determine when your tires need replacement.
First, there's wear, determined by the amount of tread left. Second, and
not usually considered, there's the age of the tire. Rubber left exposed
to ozone and UV light will deteriorate and harden with time, and in the
case of tires, this leaves the tread pretty slick. So, you slide. This
sounds like your problem, considering the miles you've put on the tires,
and the fact that they aren't worn out yet.

> So: how do I know if my tires are dying, or if it's just my imagination; and
> if I need new tires (here it is!), which ones should I get?  I know that
> question gets asked here about once a week, but it usually gets asked by
> people who know what they're talking about, and so the answers don't tell me
> much.  Am I going to be able to tell the difference between various models,
> having never driven on a track?  How much do "good" tires cost, and how much
> better do they get when the price goes up?  What else should I care about?

Don't worry about whether they're dying or not. If they're that old, it's
worth replacing them. For the type of driving you say you do, I'd
recommend any of the following, all in the stock 185/60R14 size: Yokohama
A-509, Bridgestone HP41 Potenza, Pirelli P6, Dunlop D60A2 (not sure of the
designation, but it's the D60). These are all good performance tires, in
the $60-$80 range from Tire Rack. For a premium performance tire, try the
Yokohama AVS-I or the Dunlop SP-8000 (in 195/55R14). The AVS-I is
currently around $90, and the SP-800 is around $120 (I haven't priced them
in the past month or two).

As for your other questions, yes, you'll be able to tell the difference,
if you're sliding now. You would probably also be able to tell the
difference between the various tires I've mentioned. Generally, the more
expensive a tire is in a particular size, the more roadholding it
provides, and the shorter the life of the tire. All of these tires have
sidewalls that are stiffer than the OEM tires you're replacing, which
means a slightly harsher ride.

I hope that helps.

--
Ken

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  Ken Warren             |"Nothing good has ever been reported about the
                         | full rotation of a race car about either its
  E-Mail: kenw@netaxs.com| pitch or roll axis."            Carroll Smith
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