Tyres

[NiceCupOfTea]

I know people always harp on about getting decent tyres on your MX, and how alignment is critical - but they're right!

My car had some Michelin Pilot SX tyres on it when I bought it earlier in the year - bags of tread but been on 8 or 9 years and starting to crack. Losing 3 PSI every week

Even after alignment I felt it was pulling to one side, and the ride was still crashy (put that down to the Bilsteins).

Well, had a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3s on Friday morning, and what a difference! Ride is much better, less tyre noise, car tracks nice and straight, much more confidence in corners as they seem to be much more consistent when turning the wheel. Very grippy, but I reckon you can still have fun on a wet roundabout - on a bone dry one today I planted my foot leaving and felt that "assistance" from the rear that you get when you press on round a corner, but before the tail starts hanging

It really has transformed the car - so if you're not happy with the drive of your MX at the mo - tyre pressures, tyres and alignment!

• tyre pressures cost nothing (got mine on 28PSI)
• tyres were 200 quid fitted on my drive by etyres
• alignment was 100 quid by Tony Bones (used to be at Wheels In Motion in Watford, still around there but set up on his own now I think)

Well worth it

[skinny]

a lot of people really rate the F1's - i had them in 15's on my mk1 and they were ok on the twisty stuff, you could lean on them nicely especially in teh dry, but they seemed very busy and susceptible (sp?!) to tramlining on motorways, and overheated badly on track...

for my next set of 15's i want to try the michelin PE 2's - also, i think F1's in the 'current' style are now pretty much obselete?

[MX-5 Lazza]

skinny said:

a lot of people really rate the F1's - i had them in 15's on my mk1 and they were ok on the twisty stuff, you could lean on them nicely especially in teh dry, but they seemed very busy and susceptible (sp?!) to tramlining on motorways, and overheated badly on track...

for my next set of 15's i want to try the Michelin PE 2's - also, I think F1's in the 'current' style are now pretty much obsolete?

Don't do it John. I had PE2's before. I hated them. The side walls are too soft making the ride too roly-poly and destroying turn-in. I'd say they felt softer than Toyo T1S.

What you need is a spare set of wheels so you can have separate road & track tyres

It'll be interesting to see what the first people who try the F1 Asymmetric think of them.

[skinny]

really? and you can't make that up with pressures? hmmm

back to the drawing board then (actually, in reality i think i'll be keeping my 14's for the road and leave 15's for the track, and i'm not even sure they do PE2's in 14...)

[MX-5 Lazza]

skinny said:

really? and you can't make that up with pressures? hmmm

Probably but that's not the best way to run tyres on the road. I know some people do like them but from my experience they wouldn't suit your "style of driving"

[MattOz]

I fitted some Toyo T1-R's to my wifes MX-5 Anniversary and they're very good. Worth giving them a go as they're not too expensive either.

Matt

[PROPOP]

Had the T1s and Fitted some KUMHO KU31 ECSTA SPORT 195/50/15 v s around 3 months ago a was really surprised at grip at spirited driving levels and at £30 quid a corner a bargin too. Highly reccommend

[otolith]

MattOz said:

I fitted some Toyo T1-R's to my wifes MX-5 Anniversary and they're very good. Worth giving them a go as they're not too expensive either.

Same here. Just completed the changeover from the nasty Firestones that were fitted when we bought it; the rears were changed in September, the fronts were taking forever to wear down, so eventually we just binned 'em. Much, much better, and fantastic to have proper tyres at both ends. Fuel saver rubbish at the front and sticky Toyos at the back = loads of understeer. It's nice and neutral again now.