Miata Mailing List: November 1997, Message #9
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From: 	scannon@earthnet.net (Skip Cannon)

Subject: Re: Wheels & tires question

Date: 	Sat, 1 Nov 1997 01:22:35 +0000



>Evelyn & Dennis Taylor wrote:

>>

>> Hello Netters,

>>

>> Now, however,

>> the car seems to have a fair amount of oversteer. Before the change, the

>> car had loads of understeer. I still have the stock setup (e.g., springs,

>> shocks, sways). Also, the breakaway on the SP8000's seems rather sudden

>> with little warning. Is this normal for these tires and could the switch

>> from stock to 15 X 7-inch wheels have that big of an effect on the car's

>> setup?



I have experienced a similar problem.



I recently changed from stock Bridgerocks to SP8000s in 195/55-14s on the

factory alloys.  One of the new tires was seriously out of round and was

replaced when the rest of them had about 300 miles on them.  A couple are

still a little out of round and I now have the 65 mph shake for the first

time on this car.  I hope to get that fixed this coming week.



I waited an additional 300 miles before seriously pushing the car which has

JR sways, FM springs, Illuminas, shock tower brace and RB lower front

brace.  The shocks were set on 5 on both ends and the sways were stiff in

front and middle in back.  I had set it up this way for our track day on

the original Bridgerocks and liked it well enough to leave it that way on

the street.  The car was very nearly neutral and handled great. Great combo

of braces, springs, shocks and sways.



On the way back from the Steamboat Springs trip, I entered a downhill

sweeper to the right at about 80 - 85 mph.  I had done this same turn on

the old tires earlier in the summer at about 90 mph so I didn't feel I was

really pushing it.



However, the car got very squirrely and I felt I was on the edge of losing

it to big time oversteer through the whole curve.  A gentle application of

power kept me from going over the side and down the mountain side.  The

pucker factor was very high.



Carl was right behind me at the same speed in a stock suspension '96 with 7

x 15 Panasports with 195/50-15 SP8000s.  I asked him if he had felt any

indication of being on the edge in the turn.  He said that he didn't notice

anything unusual.



Bill Cardell suggested I soften the rear end so I moved the sways to the

outer hole and set the shocks to 4 (rear only).  I haven't had a chance to

get back to the mountains, what with the blizzard and the resultant sand on

the streets, to try out these new settings.



So far, I am not impressed with the SP8000s, but I am hoping a little

suspension tuning will help the problem.  BTW. Bill C. tried to convince me

to buy the RE-71s, probably should have taken his advice.



Anybody else have different suggestions to get the oversteer out?



Thanks,



Skip Cannon