Miata Mailing List: December 1997, Message #346
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From: 	"Ric Allan" <ric@interpretations.com>

Subject: RE: Snowtire position vs. tread depth

Date: 	Wed, 3 Dec 1997 21:20:01 +0000



With all due respect, SNOW tires are for LESS than ideal driving to the

limit conditions.  They're intended for SNOW and in that situation, the

advice to put the best tread on the front for directional control is right

on the money.  The fluffy white stuff 'taint for entertaining driving.  If

that's what he wants, he should go out and get four brand spanking new

ones!  ;-((



Ric Allan

Braveheart 97M

Loveland, Ohio



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> From: Werner Cassel <Cassel@post.med.uni-marburg.de>

> To: Multiple recipients of list <miata@list.miata.net>

> Subject: Re: Snowtire position vs. tread depth

> Date: Tuesday, December 02, 1997 7:04 PM

> 

> On  2 Dec 97 at 21:59, Bruce Labitt wrote:

> 

> > I recently picked up a set of used Nokia Hakka's for winter use.  I

> > have two tires with "full" tread depth and two with "half" depth. 

> > Which pair should go where and why?  FWIW, the full treads are now

> > installed in the rear.  Should they be up front?

> > 

> > Bruce

> > 94R System III

> > 175/65-14's "half and half"

> > Nashua NH

> .......

> 

> Bruce,

> 

> IMO, they should stay on the rear. Braking will be much safer this 

> way. Imagine braking on the edge of adhesion. If the front tires lock 

> up and the rear tires don't, your Miata goes straight ahead (in a 

> dynamic sense, it "hangs" on the rear wheels). This is the situation 

> for better tires in the rear.

> If the rear tires lock and the fronts don't, there is a very high 

> chance to spin. Imagine a pendulum with the weight on the top - it 

> will come down. The car pushes forward, no grip on the rear, the tail 

> comes around.

> While in virtually all cars, brake balance is set so that the front 

> locks up first (for the reasons given above), this can be changed by 

> less grippy tires on the rear. 

> 

> FWIW, YMMV

> 

> Werner

> P.S. The better tyres rear was confirmed by driving instructors in 

> last summer's driving school.

> P.P.S. Went home in the snow yesterday. The Ford in front of me was 

> doing maybe 10 mph downhill, and the tail was all over the place 

> during braking. Zero problems for us (winter tires, better tires in 

> the rear) 

> 

>