tires and wheels 205 / 50 / 15

[COOP]

I'm on my second set of Bridgestone RE-11s with my M2 2.5L and I absolutely love them: Incredible grip, predictable, progressive behavior and surprisingly long-wearing. I run 205-50-15s on the rear and 195-50-15s on the front and the car handles incredibly. The front fenders are rolled and the rear inner lips shaved down...no rubbing whatsoever.

 

COOP

[burndog]

14 hours ago, mlytle said:

If performance is the goal and not a look,  then buy the best tire in a 195.  Width is a secondary consideration to tread compound.  Eg...205 federals may be cheap and wide,  but they suck compared to real performance tires in 195. 

 

And always check the specs on a site like tirerack.com.  tires marked the same by different manufacturers are not the same size. 

Thanks Marshall,

 

I have noticed all of the differences in tire shape / widths between MFG's on the TireRack.com spec's pages. I am running 195/50/15 SDrives all the way around. And it is just ridiculously simple to slip these in the rear. I have a very steep driveway from the garage and then onto a steep hill leaving the house. I literally spin the tires just getting up the driveway and then spin again just to get going up the hill.

 

So yes, I am looking to go a little wider and a stickier compound. 195/50 in the front and 205/50 in the rear and going to go with Direzza ZII Star Specs. I will update you all on the difference between the SDrives and StarSpecs.

 

Thanks for all of the positive input herein!

[roadhog0]

10 hours ago, cda951 said:

 

Not sure which Direzzas are on your dad's Miata, but there are "lesser" Direzzas such as the DZ101, which are the equivalent of the Yoko S-Drive (not to mention, 6 years old is getting up there, regardless of tire type/compound). The track-worthy, "extreme summer" Direzzas that are referenced in this thread are Star Specs, which have a pictogram of a star shape on the sidewall. The difference in grip between the Z1 or ZII Star Specs and the DZ101 is night and day . . . . . but you will pay for it terms of the rate of treadwear!

 

Chris

 

Yah, at 6 years they slip all over and are dry rotted. Talking him into new tires this summer I hope! I need to look and see which ones he has, probably the lesser ones because they're just lightly worn at 15k miles.

[burndog]

NEW SHOES ON!!! Dunlop Direzza ZII StarSpecs and couldn't be happier. 195/50/15 front and 205/50/15 rear. I still have >1/4" clearance in the rear.

 

 

[jrhone]

21 minutes ago, burndog said:

NEW SHOES ON!!! Dunlop Direzza ZII StarSpecs and couldn't be happier. 195/50/15 front and 205/50/15 rear. I still have >1/4" clearance in the rear.

 

 

 

 

Doesn't exist if there are no pics.....

 

 

[burndog]

You ask, you shall receive...

[jrhone]

Nice!  Congrats!  I'm wondering if I should go with 205's in the rear when I move up to 15's later this year.

[M3M3]

Personally I am not a fan of staggered setups.  These cars understeer by default.   Staggered setups make it worse.  They are nose heavy, they aren`t 911's. They also do not have lot of power.   Staggered prevents tire rotation.  Same size front and rear is the way to go for performance.  But what the heck do I know? ;-)

 

I guess it is just for a "look".

 

[jrhone]

1 hour ago, mlytle said:

Personally I am not a fan of staggered setups.  These cars understeer by default.   Staggered setups make it worse.  They are nose heavy, they aren`t 911's. They also do not have lot of power.   Staggered prevents tire rotation.  Same size front and rear is the way to go for performance.  But what the heck do I know? ;-)

 

I guess it is just for a "look".

 

 

Good info. One would think more width in the back would equate to more grip back there and when is more grip a bad thing? Well I guess when there isn't as much grip in front lol. Great info. 

[COOP]

13 hours ago, mlytle said:

Personally I am not a fan of staggered setups.  These cars understeer by default.   Staggered setups make it worse.  They are nose heavy, they aren`t 911's. They also do not have lot of power.   Staggered prevents tire rotation.  Same size front and rear is the way to go for performance.  But what the heck do I know? ;-)

 

I guess it is just for a "look".

 

 

I went with a staggered setup on my M2 years ago (195/205 with RE11s) and I love the way the car handles. I initially did it because I couldn't escape rubbing issues with the 205s, not so much for a "look." I drive the car hard on back roads and have never had an issue with understeer in the slightest. It's extremely neutral, even if I bungle a corner entry and go in too hot...and I can literally feel the area of rotation with the accelerator, which is really sweet. I don't believe that a staggered setup automatically equates to a pushing tendency, although I agree that it can if your setup isn't right. It's more a function of your overall package (tire choice, suspension components/tuning, ride height, etc). I also think the fact that my car has a full cage tying the chassis together is a major determinant in how neutral it is.

 

COOP

Edited July 1, 2016 by COOP

[burndog]

14 hours ago, mlytle said:

Personally I am not a fan of staggered setups.  These cars understeer by default.   Staggered setups make it worse.  They are nose heavy, they aren`t 911's. They also do not have lot of power.   Staggered prevents tire rotation.  Same size front and rear is the way to go for performance.  But what the heck do I know? ;-)

 

I guess it is just for a "look".

 

Thanks for the tip Marshall,

 

Per what COOP stated above... I had to get more grip in the back and a 205 just wouldn't fit without significant rubbing. This car will never see any competitive track time except for for an autocross here or there and some club lap time. As I dig into the front suspension and rebuild my Tii struts / brakes it may give me the opportunity to get a 205 back into the mix up front.

 

Cheers everyone, have a safe holiday weekend!