New tires for #MR2sday

"SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie" (sidewaysondirt) 03/31/2015 at 19:27 • Filed to: MR2sday, aw11, mr2

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Wouldn't normally post about new tires, but it's #MR2sday! Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Specs 195/50R15s all around. I quite liked the last set. Alignment monkeys fucked up again, but hopefully I can get them to get the camber back where it should be before autocross this weekend.

D > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/31/2015 at 19:36

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What wheel width are you pairing with the tire? Aparently this tire size is good for miatas too, and there are plenty of high-performance offerings in this size.

If I upgraded from stock stuff I'd have to decide between this size and the go-to: 205/50/15

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > D 03/31/2015 at 19:39

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The rims are 15x7. You should be able to fit a 205 on it, but I have enough trouble finding shops willing to install tires they didn't sell as it, so went with the recommended size for the rim instead of the max I can stuff on it. Direzzas have hard sidewalls if that matters.

D > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/31/2015 at 19:44

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okay. Yeah plenty of people put 205s on the 7s. I'm beginning to think though that 195 is plenty wide for a stock power 1.6 miata, especially if it's an aggressive compound. Smaller tire diameter and less rotational mass at the expense of a cm of tread sounds good lol

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > D 03/31/2015 at 20:00

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Yeah, my MR2 is putting maaaaybe 90hp to the wheels on a good day. If you're running a stock 1.6 Miata, a aggressive compound of any diameter should be plenty. I have to be careful with my starts to prevent it from bogging down because I don't have enough power to overcome the grip fwiw.

D > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/31/2015 at 20:24

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My main reason for upgrading would be to expand my tire selection, but since ZIIs and ZII Star Specs (and RT615Ks) are all available in my size, I may just stick with stock and finally upgrade the compound from all-seasons. Time will tell. My wheels are light as sin so them with some good 185 rubber could actually be just fine.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > D 03/31/2015 at 20:32

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I don't think an extra cm or two is going to make a difference. It will if you can push it, but the tires wear pretty quickly. I made the mistake of putting some on my daily and now I can't go back to normal tires, so I'm stuck replacing them every year. I'd say it's probably best to just get tires for the wheels you have and go from there. After a few events you'll have a better idea about whether you want or need a tad more grip or not.

Stephen the Canuck > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 04/02/2015 at 08:41

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My car came stock with 215s on a 16x6.5 rim, so 205 on a 7" wide rim will be fine.