Tire Issues

[ron94566]

OK, so the Dunlop Sport A2's are backordered for 5 weeks. I have a 2001 SLE that needs 205/60/16's. What do you guys recommend I do? I can get Yoko's for 60 bucks @ on the 'net, or 90 bucks @ local. I guess my question is, can I get a 215/60/16 in the wheelwheel or not, or should I just go for the Yoko's. Thanks in advance for your reply.

Thanks,

Ronster

[Optimus]

215 will fit just fine. however, you want to make sure the rolling diameter is similar to stock (tirerack.com has these under specs), otherwise your speedometer/mileage will be off. Personally, I would wait for the Dunlops, those are very nice all-seasons.

Have you tried other tire vendors?

[Flipside909]

I personally recommend Michelin or Yokohama hands down.

[droomyster]

i think tire vendors really like those dunlop sp-a2's. i just got a set put on a few weeks ago. they are supposed to last 50k miles which is great. the michelin tires from the factory lasted about 32k. the dunlops are a bit rougher on the road but still has good traction. i liked the michelin's better but i didn't want to spend 50% more on them, plus the dunlop has received a lot of great reviews where the michelins aren't really getting that great of a review, mostly because they wear out quickly. good thing i got my dunlop's when i did if you are saying it is backordered for that long. i almost got the 215/55/16's but would have had to wait a day, and with the weather we had, i couldn't wait.

[Ron94566]

OK,

If I hear you right the 215's will fit and it sounds like 55's are ok too. So now the questions are:

1. With the 215/55/16's can I still fit a cable-type set of chains between the front tire and the coil-over strut spring? If I remember right I think the owners manual says cable-type snow chains only.
2. Same question with 215/60/16's ?
3. What is the speedo offset? What about the speedo gear in the tranny? Do they make different sizes to compensate for tire changes?

Yeah, the weather in NorCal is forcing this issue on me too, I've got 36k on my original Potenza's

Thanks Again,


Ronster

[Yanks0114]

OK,

If I hear you right the 215's will fit and it sounds like 55's are ok too. So now the questions are:

1. With the 215/55/16's can I still fit a cable-type set of chains between the front tire and the coil-over strut spring? If I remember right I think the owners manual says cable-type snow chains only.
2. Same question with 215/60/16's ?
3. What is the speedo offset? What about the speedo gear in the tranny? Do they make different sizes to compensate for tire changes?

Yeah, the weather in NorCal is forcing this issue on me too, I've got 36k on my original Potenza's

Thanks Again,


Ronster

What model car is yours and what engine size. My car was a SE v6 and it came with the 16" rims. The stock tires were 205/55/16 which is what the speedo was set for. 205/60/16s would make the speedo off a little bit, not much, but noticable at high speeds.

[Optimus]

In regards to the speedometer offset:
1) Look at the Revs per mile of the OEM tires. The OEM is around 815 (i think 813 to be exact). Forget using 215/60 versus 205/50 for speedometer effect. It is not going to give you an accurate reflection of rolling diameter as each brand and tire tread is somewhat different.

2) Look at RPM for the tires you are considering. so for the 215/55/16 Dunlop A2's it is 823 rpm. So 10 more revs per mile is not going to throw it too far off. If it is more than +/-25 RPM, I would look at another size.

try looking at the specs for the tires you are considering at http://www.tirerack.com
Revs per mile is the last column. Look for your size and the RPM.

while tirerack says 205/60/16 for the Solara you can vary from that for wider tires. the 2nd number is just a ratio of the sidewall to the width. This is why the RPM is a better gauge of what can work with the vehicle.


The chains should work because if you get remotely similar RPMs, as the outer diameter will be almost exactly what you had as OEM. And a 10 mm width increase is not severe enough to cause problems.

[cdssolara]

As for tire size, I think the 215/55/16 would be a better option than the 215/60/16. If your car is not lowered, it won't make any difference. However, if you think you might lower your car in the future, keep in mind that the 60 profile will be a larger diameter than stock. Depending on how much your car is, or will be lowered, this might cause a problem. Personally, if your going to go for wider tires but stay with 16" rims, another option would be 225/55/16. The diameter of those tires is almost exactly that of stock. I think it's a relatively common size, so prices are usually pretty good. The only problem might be that if you want to keep your stock rims, which are only 6" wide, they will pinch the tires a bit.

By the way, for a reall good tire size guide, check out www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html. Just plug in different sizes versus your stock size, and you can see the relative diameters, sidewall heights, revolutions per mile, etc.

[Ron94566]

Wow,

Don't know about anybody else, but I bought my '01 Indigo Blue SLE Coupe w/ V6 in July of 2001 in Palo Alto California, and it came with 205/60/16's stock, so I'm glad to hear some came with 215/55/16's. I think that size has a way better availability. Will let you know tomorrow.

You all have been a great help. So now I have to find the 215/55/16's and realize that my speedo offset is really nill, and my chains will still fit. That Rocks!!

Ronster

[Optimus]

Ronster -

since you are in the bay area, my recommendation would be to just get high performance tires. you really don't need all-season around here - especially since chains would be required for most of those tahoe trips. And chains work just fine on them, as the tread doesn't mean a whole lot with them on.

Or what I did was upgrade rims and tires then used stock rims for the all-seasons. it all depends on what you are looking to do (and your budget).


also - register and join the site.

[cdssolara]

I thought all Solaras with 16" rims came with 205/60/16's.

If you're prepared to spend a little more money, try Michelin Pilot All Season tires. I bought a set of them a few months ago, and they handle very well and are great in rainy, sloppy weather. They aren't the quietest tires, however.

[Ron94566]

Well it's a done deal. My 215/55/16 Dunlop SP A2's will be sliding under the SLE on Thursday at the local Big-O. They even gave them to me at the same price as the 205's I wanted, which saved me 40 bucks.

I hear you Optimus about the weather conditions out here being light enough for straight performance tires, but I put some serious miles on the SLE (2k/month) and I like the extra peace of mind.

I tried your tire link cdssolara, but it's 404 (aka dead). Thanks anyway, the tirerack spec page gave me what I needed to get through the comparison process.

As you can see, I registered and plan to hang out when I can, and hope to see some local Solara events someday soon.

For the curious, yes it's all stock and will probably stay pretty much that way for the next year at least. Will try to get some pic's here soon.

Thanks to all of you for all your time and input

[Optimus]

Welcome.

I think the Dunlop A2s are an excellent choice, especially with that kind of mileage. As high performance tread wear is low.

BTW, I love the indigo ink pearl color. wish they offered it in 2000 model.

best of luck.

[Fairlite]

OK,

If I hear you right the 215's will fit and it sounds like 55's are ok too. So now the questions are:

1. With the 215/55/16's can I still fit a cable-type set of chains between the front tire and the coil-over strut spring? If I remember right I think the owners manual says cable-type snow chains only.
2. Same question with 215/60/16's ?
3. What is the speedo offset? What about the speedo gear in the tranny? Do they make different sizes to compensate for tire changes?

Yeah, the weather in NorCal is forcing this issue on me too, I've got 36k on my original Potenza's

Thanks Again,


Ronster

What model car is yours and what engine size. My car was a SE v6 and it came with the 16" rims. The stock tires were 205/55/16 which is what the speedo was set for. 205/60/16s would make the speedo off a little bit, not much, but noticable at high speeds.

Ah No 205 60 16 is the Stock size. look it up in the manual. I had my Potenza replaced with Yoko Avid H4's and I made sure I had the size right.

[Ron94566]

Yup,

Mine came with that size too, but since the 215/55/60's have .6 inches more sectional width, 1.4 inches more tread width, and .4 inches less outer diameter, who could say no. My speedo and odo will be off by + 1.2%, and my cable chains will still fit to boot! Besides I got the same price as the 205's, and don't have to wait 5 weeks!! That's bargain city to me.

Ronster