JimR123 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Hi, Looks like it's time to get a new set of tyres for my Mazda MX5 Mk3, as the rears are down to that rubber bit that sits in the tread (somebody please tell me what the proper name for that thing is!)... I can't decide which tyres to go for. I've currently got four Goodyear Eagle F1s (GSD3's, I think), and I like to have the same tyres on all four wheels, so am looking for a new set of four. I've been happy with the F1's, allthough sometimes the grip feels a bit "icy" on rough surfaces. I'm not sure whether that's down to the tyres, or the fact that the garage that fitted them appeared to do an alignment correction using a mallet of some sort. I get the impression from the MX5 forum I visit often (http://www.mx-5.com/community/forums) that the leading 2 tyres for the '5 are the F1's, or Toyo Proxes (not sure exactly which model). So I have two questions really... 1. Which tyres should I go for next? 2. How much does the design of a tyre affect the handling behaviour of a car. Presumably tyres don't just affect grip levels, do they? Many thanks for any suggestions or opinions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 The bit of rubber is called the TWI "tread wear indicator". Tyre make is very much down to flavor and quite an argumentative topic in forums.... All i can say is the F1 is going out of production and the nearest competitor is the Toyo T1R. Both makes follow the directional principle although i feel the Toyo's have a softer compound. I am an agent for Toyo, for me they are a problem free sale as a good all rounder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR123 Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 The bit of rubber is called the TWI "tread wear indicator". Tyre make is very much down to flavor and quite an argumentative topic in forums.... All i can say is the F1 is going out of production and the nearest competitor is the Toyo T1R. Both makes follow the directional principle although i feel the Toyo's have a softer compound. I am an agent for Toyo, for me they are a problem free sale as a good all rounder. Hi Tony, Thanks for the quick reply, and clearing up that TWI thing. Can tyre choice affect the handling charactaristics as well as the grip of a car? The handling of my car definitely became more "wobbly" after getting the F1's fitted. I put it down to it just feeling different because the tyres were much newer than my old Pirelli P5000's (or were they P6000s?) and assumed that's just how new tyres felt. However, they're now on their last legs, and the handling still feels wobbly. I'm thinking it's either down to the tyres being a much different design to my previous ones, or the "percussion engineering" applied by the garage that fitted them. I'll hopefully be bringing the car down to your good self sometime in the very near future for tyres and full geometry check, but I've just gotta decide on what tyres first... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Are you on the 16" or 17"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR123 Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Are you on the 16" or 17"? 16" Writing on tyres is: 205/50ZR16 87Y Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Are you on the 16" or 17"? 16" Writing on tyres is: 205/50ZR16 87Y It would help to have XL (extra load) tyres then since there's less slip angle... problem there though is they may then tramline. Have you checked out this superb site> http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR123 Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Are you on the 16" or 17"? 16" Writing on tyres is: 205/50ZR16 87Y It would help to have XL (extra load) tyres then since there's less slip angle... problem there though is they may then tramline. Have you checked out this superb site> http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/ Thanks for your help so far... www.tyrereviews.co.uk don't list the T1R's under the MX5... http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyres_For/Mazda/MX5.htm ...but I know you can get T1R's in my size. Checking the individual reviews of the Toyo TR1's, Goodyear F1's, and the Toyo CF1's, the CF1's come out on top by a long way. If I understand right, "directional" means that you get chevron look on the tread pattern, is this right? If that's right, then the CF1's are not directional, whereas the other 2 designs are. I'm wondering if my wobbliness [sp?] is due to the directional pattern, and maybe the CF1's would help matters. Do you have an opinion on the CF1's? Can you see any reason why going from the Goodyear F1's to the Toyo CF1's would be "downgrading"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 F1 to the T1R would be fine but the CF1's are a "executive" style rather than the T1R's performance style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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