NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
Moderator: Mike Simanyi
- Mako Koiwai
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
Miata's like low unsprung weight and the SS's have stiff sidewalks, so I would try your 14's with those tires. Work on your driving, but rather then just repeating what you're doing, make sure you get rides whenever you can and have more experienced drivers do a lap in your car and then try to get down to their time.
- John Stimson
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
There are several people over at the miata.net forums who seem to have a fetish for light weight tires & wheels, to the exclusion of thinking about how any other parameter might have some influence. Maybe that's what you came across? I'm still not clear on what a "Miata record" is though.Curt Thompson wrote:I read this (or similar) in a couple other forums discussing the best tire sizes for NBs.
Just get the Dunlops that KJ linked you to. They're good tires, and that's a fine size to get. But there's nothing magical about the size, it's just what's available that fits a 14" wheel. If you had some 15" stock wheels for free, I'd say go with a 205/50-15 but I know that's not in the budget.
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
Yeah, the mini-game I play in Autocross is "chase the instructor's time." At the first event I was more than 10 seconds behind, I think. The next time it was about 7 seconds. This time, it was somewhere around 1-1.5 seconds (in an x-run) =)Mako Koiwai wrote:Miata's like low unsprung weight and the SS's have stiff sidewalks, so I would try your 14's with those tires. Work on your driving, but rather then just repeating what you're doing, make sure you get rides whenever you can and have more experienced drivers do a lap in your car and then try to get down to their time.
1999 Mazda Miata
- Curt Thompson
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
Yeah, that was probably one of them. I think I came across another within the reviews for some tires, though I forget which. That person was probably just quoting miata.net anyway. I got the car a couple years ago used and in really bad shape, so rims were pretty far down the list. In general, though, I'm pretty sure that for a while yet it will be my driving that determines my times more than whatever difference there is between 185s, 195s, 205s, and whether they're on 14s or 15s.John Stimson wrote:There are several people over at the miata.net forums who seem to have a fetish for light weight tires & wheels, to the exclusion of thinking about how any other parameter might have some influence. Maybe that's what you came across?Curt Thompson wrote:I read this (or similar) in a couple other forums discussing the best tire sizes for NBs.
1999 Mazda Miata
- Curt Thompson
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
They went on a closeout sale today so...
Only bad thing is I'll probably have to skip the 11/25 event, but I'm sure I'll see you guys early next year.
In a few days I'll have some junk tires if you want to make tire swings or something
Thanks again for all the advice, I'm sure I'll love 'em. They'll be my first true performance tiresYou will receive an order confirmation with an order number by email. You will also be notified once your order has been shipped.
UPS GroundEstimated Delivery Date: 11/09/2012
185/60R14 Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
for 1999 Mazda Miata
In Stock 4 $122.00 $488.00
Shipping Sub-Total: $50.68
Order Total: $538.68
Only bad thing is I'll probably have to skip the 11/25 event, but I'm sure I'll see you guys early next year.
In a few days I'll have some junk tires if you want to make tire swings or something
1999 Mazda Miata
- Jayson Woodruff
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
Out of a 14" Miata tire? For who, my miniture poodle?Curt Thompson wrote:In a few days I'll have some junk tires if you want to make tire swings or something
Parent's tip; use trailer tires for tire swings, no steel wire in them.
Jay W
- Curt Thompson
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
Haha, yeah I knew they were too small -- part of my joke I didn't think about the wires though. Where I'm from (rural Wisconsin) they're usually made from huge used tractor tires.Jayson Woodruff wrote:Out of a 14" Miata tire? For who, my miniture poodle?Curt Thompson wrote:In a few days I'll have some junk tires if you want to make tire swings or something
Parent's tip; use trailer tires for tire swings, no steel wire in them.
Jay W
1999 Mazda Miata
Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
That's the right mindset. A lot of people just starting out the sport obsess over the car. The thing to focus on is your driving for a year or two. Anything you spend on the car is pretty much wasted until driving basics are under control.Curt Thompson wrote:In general, though, I'm pretty sure that for a while yet it will be my driving that determines my times more than whatever difference there is between 185s, 195s, 205s, and whether they're on 14s or 15s.
==============
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
- Curt Thompson
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
I just go to have fun anyway. I'd drive anything out there.Kurt Rahn wrote: A lot of people just starting out the sport obsess over the car. The thing to focus on is your driving for a year or two. Anything you spend on the car is pretty much wasted until driving basics are under control.
I'm trying to get my friend to bring his '89 VW Scirocco or '88 VW Cabriolet one of these days...
1999 Mazda Miata
- Curt Thompson
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
I ordered them from TireRack Wednesday night and they arrived at the installer in Pasadena today (Friday). Can't get much better than that from an online retailer.Ed Holley wrote:I pretty much do all my tire shopping using Tire Rack whether for Autocross or DD...their prices are quite competitive and they ship immediately in most cases out of Reno.
Believe it or not, I 'sold' my old tires (for the price of a dinner) to my neighbor, so in the extremely unlikely event they were wanted, they're no longer available.
1999 Mazda Miata
- Craig Naylor
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
He will enjoy the former much more than the latter. The Rabbits (Golfs) of that age are known for lifting their inside rear tire fairly high. Without the extra rigidity of a full body, that cabriolet could be pretty harry.Curt Thompson wrote:I'm trying to get my friend to bring his '89 VW Scirocco or '88 VW Cabriolet one of these days...
- Curt Thompson
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Re: NB Miata Tires Recommendations for DD/AX
I said I'd let everyone know what I thought of them, so here's a little review:
The Star Specs are really nice. I was surprised how comfortable they were.. I guess because they're so much softer than my old tires. Even with my suspension set at full stiff it's more comfortable than mid-stiff settings with the old tires. Often, comfort is compromised for performance, so it was really nice to get improvements in both categories. They seem to stick in the dry extremely well, though I'm not apt to try to find their limit on the street. I am looking forward to having some turning ability in the wet, though. They are relatively expensive compared with some of the other summer tires, but probably worth the cost if you want a mix of daily driver and autocross tire -- cheaper than buying an extra set of rims and r-comps, at least. I'm definitely looking forward to testing them out around the cones.
The Star Specs are really nice. I was surprised how comfortable they were.. I guess because they're so much softer than my old tires. Even with my suspension set at full stiff it's more comfortable than mid-stiff settings with the old tires. Often, comfort is compromised for performance, so it was really nice to get improvements in both categories. They seem to stick in the dry extremely well, though I'm not apt to try to find their limit on the street. I am looking forward to having some turning ability in the wet, though. They are relatively expensive compared with some of the other summer tires, but probably worth the cost if you want a mix of daily driver and autocross tire -- cheaper than buying an extra set of rims and r-comps, at least. I'm definitely looking forward to testing them out around the cones.
1999 Mazda Miata