Tyres

[vigoro]

I am in need of some new tyres, as 2 of mine on the front have got a bit low and are starting to effect the handling.

I have currently got Kumho KU31's on, which seemed to be good, however they don't seem to be all that common now, and i would prefer to try something new.

Are there any tyres which are good on MX5's?

I have seen some R1R's, however i am unsure how these will cope in wet/cold conditions.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Oh and tyre size is 195/50/15!

[MX-5 Lazza]

Are you looking for road, road & track or pure track use?

[vigoro]

At the minute it is just road, however earlyish next year i am hoping to start doing a few track days.

[S Works]

Personally I'm not a fan of mixing tyres across axles, especially when you're considering compounds that could be very different (R1R are very soft). I run T1R's because a) they're cheap and b) they're pretty versatile for mainly road use. On track they're very progressive, but will go off after 2-3 laps of most tracks. I rather like that, because it means that you can get into the gooning zone very quickly and the car's very predictable before/on/over the limit of grip.

[vigoro]

If i was to go with the R1R's i would probably replace all 4 tyres, due to the difference in how the tyres will feel to my ku31's. However if i am to get some normal tyres(say t1-r's) i would more than likely just replace the two that are low, as the other two tyres still have quite a bit of tread left.

[Riknos]

vigoro said:

I am in need of some new tyres, as 2 of mine on the front have got a bit low and are starting to effect the handling.

If your front tyres are wearing lower than your rears, then you are clearly not going sideways enough

[Gorilla Boy]

I will happily reccomend pirelli p zero neros as i drive rather spiritedly and they grip whenever you want them to and are great in the wet

[MX-5 Lazza]

R1R are way over spec and very expensive for what you need. They are basically road legal track tyres. Not quite as track focused as R888 but not really designed as road tyres so will be poor in very wet or cold conditions. Any track biased tyre will be a liability in winter conditions.

As said above, I'd stick with T1R. Cheap and they work.

I know someone else who tried P Zero Nero and wasn't impressed at all. Not as good as T1R on his MX5. They are made for heavier cars - 3 Series BMW for example.

[jazzybee]

Another Toyo T1R fan here. Great for fast road use, nice and progressive, if not quite as good as the old Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3s

got my last set from Camskills for £28 each delivered. Looks like they have gone up a little.

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m53b0s99p1667/TOYO_TYRES...

[Simbu]

Getting some T1Rs from WiM next weekend if they're in stock

Looking forward to fresh rubber and a good geo setup!

I'm sure i'll report back on results.

[vigoro]

T1R's seem to be the way to go then!

I'll have a look round i think see where i can get them cheapest

[snotrag]

Im currently looking for the same thing, as im fitting my 15" wheels back on.

I've had loads of T1's before, in fact I've got a pair in the garage still - however im tempted to go for these -

http://camskill.co.uk/m53b0s99p60615/UNIROYAL_TYRE...

Rainsport 2's - read good things. Theres a few alternatives too - and bizarrely - the prices of most of them have dropped a touch recenlty, toyos were up to 45+ earlier in the year, now £36.40 on camskill, which is stunning value really!

[vigoro]

I would get them from camskill but a garage near me seem to be doing T1-R's for 48 a corner fitted, so works out just as cheap to go there

[The Tea Boy]

Sorry, slightly on topic but a little off it as such!!

What tyres would anyone recomend in 16" size? as i currently have a mk2.5 vt Sport and will be needing new tyres after only a month of ownership
nearly all road use and mainly sprited drives
all the usual suspects appear to be £80+ even on camskill, advise please


Matt

[JQ]

In 16" you can still get Goodyear Eagle F1's, yum yum. A bit on the pricey side though.

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m62b0s94p78856/GOODYEAR_...

[jazzybee]

JQ said:

In 16" you can still get Goodyear Eagle F1's, yum yum. A bit on the pricey side though.

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m62b0s94p78856/GOODYEAR_...

Theses look a little narrow - surely you would be looking for 205s or 215s for 16", would'nt you?

[feef]

I'll need to have a look. I've got Eagle F1s on the back of my Mk 2.5, and I thought they were a little lacking in grip, especially in the wet. Maybe it's just that the MX5 is my first rear-drive car

I've got Toyos on the Alfa, and I'd probably go with something from them again.

[MX-5 Lazza]

Or it could be that the alignment needs looking at

[JQ]

jazzybee said:

Theses look a little narrow - surely you would be looking for 205s or 215s for 16", would'nt you?

Well that's the tyre size on my 16" Rota's and they seem to fit fine.

[Trefy5]

If i might piggy-back on this topic~
I am on the verge of buying winter tyres - i shall put them on a spare set of steelies i have acquired
Size is standard for the OP mk3 - 205/50-16s
Does anyone know if there would be an insurance issue if i opted for 205-55-16s?
i asked my local Mazda guys and the answer was pretty unconvincing
"Mazda chose the best size so that's probably the one which you should stay with..."
And, my local tyre people are trying to prompt me in to buying Apollos.
I am, at the very least, reticent since i may only be going gently thro ice and snow but in dry, sub-zero temps. the roads are pretty good around here so won't be going 30 everywhere.

HELP! and
Thanks in advance