The new to me car needs two rear tyres. The stack of invoices show that previous owners have been buying original fit Bridgstones from Toyota at £190 a corner for every change since the day it was registered. I am not a fan of the Bridgestones to be fair so I will change all four. I have two questions having done some looking online yesterday -
The car currently has 185/55r15 on the front and 215/45r16 on the rear - are they the right size?
If they are the right size im struggling to find a matching set of anything at any of the major fitters or mobile fitters. I can find Yokohama AD08RS and Avon ZV7 (yuk) in matching pairs but struggling for anything else.
What do you have fitted and where did you get them?
:) the big question and a can of worms,
there is tyre thread with lots of advice and different choices on it.
the size is std size and Bridgestone was from new factory fit.
the problem now is finding the full set in that size
i went for falkens eco 310 others are listed on tyre thread.
enjoy shopping around for the best price and deal i love that as well :)) :))
Quote from: puma2 on October 23, 2022, 11:23:) the big question and a can of worms,
there is tyre thread with lots of advice and different choices on it.
the size is std size and Bridgestone was from new factory fit.
the problem now is finding the full set in that size
i went for falkens eco 310 others are listed on tyre thread.
enjoy shopping around for the best price and deal i love that as well :)) :))
on top of this page tyre thread :))
Nankang NS20. 215 15 16 rear ad 195 55 15 front. Next time I'll put 195 50 on the front, the 55s are a bit tall..
It's not manufacturer spec for the front. but they do seem to work very well.
Very affordable, quite sticky, and good in the wet.
More will be along in a 'mo with their recomendations.
Its matching sets that I am finding quite hard to find. I always fit Michelin Pilot Sport or Goodyear Eagles on my other cars depending on what they are but neither seem to be available as a full set for the MR2 I guess because the 15 inch fronts are tiny by todays standards.
195/50/15s up front works perfectly well and should open a few more options.
Michelin do them in the PS3 in that size, i have them on mine. Pricey tyre but worth it, been very happy with mine and still going strong after numerous track days on them.
Whatever your budget and planned use, theres a tyre out there that'll do the job, and people will have good and bad reviews about pretty much all of them.
@Craigjm This may be of some help
https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=71747.0
Quote from: Iain on October 23, 2022, 11:54195/50/15s up front works perfectly well and should open a few more options.
Michelin do them in the PS3 in that size, i have them on mine. Pricey tyre but worth it, been very happy with mine and still going strong after numerous track days on them.
Whatever your budget and planned use, theres a tyre out there that'll do the job, and people will have good and bad reviews about pretty much all of them.
OK so that opens up Michelin MPS3 for £410 a set all round. Im good with that. Have you got any other suspension mods on yours? I am thinking at some point I might drop mine with Tien springs. So you dont get any rubbing with the 10mm wider width? rides OK with the shorter tyre wall?
Quote from: Craigjm on October 23, 2022, 14:29OK so that opens up Michelin MPS3 for £410 a set all round. Im good with that. Have you got any other suspension mods on yours? I am thinking at some point I might drop mine with Tien springs. So you dont get any rubbing with the 10mm wider width? rides OK with the shorter tyre wall?
Ive been lowered on eibach springs and now on coilovers, zero issues with rubbing, still plenty of room. Shorter tyre wall is fine aswell.
Usually cheapest for Hankook k125 Prime 3 is Camskill, £370 delivered for FL sizes. There is a newer Prime 4, but not made in the 15" size.
Quote from: Iain on October 23, 2022, 16:34Ive been lowered on eibach springs and now on coilovers, zero issues with rubbing, still plenty of room. Shorter tyre wall is fine aswell.
Great that's decision made then. I have MPS4S on another car I have and they are excellent so slight change to front size and MPS3 all round. Happy with that.
Thanks everyone
@Craigjm Did not take long to discover the joys of trying to finding a matching set of tyres.
For reference, you should find a small sticker in the bottom of the glove box. That will give you what the wheel and tyre sizes should be. The good news, you will not be able to obtain Bridgestones even if you wanted to. Long ceased production.
I have had the falkens that
@puma2 refers to and I think
@Chilli Girl is on them now.
I am currently running Rainsports as they where to closest match to OEM as I could find at the time.
Next time, intend to go for Yoko Fleva's.
Quote from: Ardent on October 23, 2022, 22:18Next time, intend to go for Yoko Fleva's.
Be aware they have softer sidewalls for more comfort, the down side (for some) being just that wee bit less responsiveness/feedback.
You've seemed to have made up your mind quickly which is good.
I've no idea what I would buy these days tbh since my favourite yoko was discontinued.
Quote from: 1979scotte on October 24, 2022, 10:35I've no idea what I would buy these days tbh since my favourite yoko was discontinued.
I find the ´S´ not different on the road. The new rear one have more grip than the used front ´originals´. Even though they still have half the thread depth may replace them for the ´inferior´ successor.
The imo best property, the predictability, has not changed.
Quote from: Craigjm on October 23, 2022, 11:14I am not a fan of the Bridgestones
Bridgestones tires are like any other brand where you can have a bad experience with one model but on the whole they are a top tier tire brand. It is possible that you have tires that have already expired well past their date as these tires were discontinued a good while back and therefore the rubber has hardened.
The original tires for this car was in my opinion the best. They had stiff sidewalls and good characteristics.
Quote from: Petrus on October 24, 2022, 08:34Be aware they have softer sidewalls for more comfort, the down side (for some) being just that wee bit less responsiveness/feedback.
Here we go again. Sidewall stiffness. The missing piece of info on a tyre wall.
Softer compared to what?
Compared to ad08r no doubt. Compared to other brands ?????
Given the fleva is part of the advan range, I am going with, they have something in there, more than the ordinary.
I have the fleva on my daily and very happy with them.
Very different cars granted, but I am the common denominator and I'm happy, which is only the bit that matters.
Which is the same for all of us.
Comes back to, will they be available in oem 15" 185 205 when I need them. ????
Quote from: Dev on October 24, 2022, 19:59Bridgestones tires are like any other brand where you can have a bad experience with one model but on the whole they are a top tier tire brand. It is possible that you have tires that have already expired well past their date as these tires were discontinued a good while back and therefore the rubber has hardened.
The original tires for this car was in my opinion the best. They had stiff sidewalls and good characteristics.
I have had Bridgestone Potenza as OEM on a Porsche 911 Turbo and on Maserati Quattroporte and had failures on both that were not down to punctures when the tyres were sent back. I'm not saying they are bad tyres they clearly are not. I am just not a fan
Quote from: Ardent on October 24, 2022, 21:10Here we go again. Sidewall stiffness. The missing piece of info on a tyre wall.
Hence my remark.
QuoteSofter compared to what?
The OEM tyres.
QuoteCompared to ad08r no doubt.
Those come close to the OEMs in that aspect yes.
QuoteVery different cars granted, but I am the common denominator and I'm happy, which is only the bit that matters.
Which is the same for all of us.
Hence my observation that the softer Flevas may actually suit some better.
It is a more affordably priced one too and should give way better mileage. Yes, thus less ultimate grip. Which may actually be more fun as correctly observed in a different thread. See the OEM fitted rubbers to the original GT86.
The Flevas should be quite predictable.
I expect the Flevas to be available in the current sizes for some time yet as it is a fairly new tyre.
Apart from predictability I am a sukkuh for stopping distance and the AD08R(S) is very good there. Even at surprisingly low temps. That said I would not go for them as the first winter choice if I lived in the UK...
Quote from: Craigjm on October 24, 2022, 21:54I have had Bridgestone Potenza as OEM on a Porsche 911 Turbo and on Maserati Quattroporte and had failures on both that were not down to punctures when the tyres were sent back. I'm not saying they are bad tyres they clearly are not. I am just not a fan
If you had failures on both they are clearly horrible tires and I would not be a fan either. Clearly a manufacturing defect if they cant last. A lot of times tire failures especially with low profile tires are due to a lack of air pressure for the load which is not what the tire pressure monitor system will tell you especially if the tires are reinforced. Also alignment issues inherent to the cars poor design that is often blamed on the tires.
However as I mentioned there are some model of tire from every good brand that can be off putting even if they were the factory OEM because it depends on the manufacture of the car that works with the manufacture of the tire and I have noticed that most European brands come with factory tires that are not that great including the Michelin tires that came on my BILs Porsche which were recalled and a set of OEM Continental on a BMW that I owned. I had a less than stellar Bridgestone potenza tires that I bought for my Lexus that were not very good but the replacement I bought and currently have are also Bridgestone are excellent living up to the reputation that I have come to love. When you start looking at bottom tier tire brands that is when you see a pattern of where you get what you pay for.
Such a frustrating subject as without any actual numbers, completely subjective.
Ardent. Softer compare to what?
Petrus. OEM
So what was the stiffness of the bridgestone RE040 vs the fleva.
What is the measurement/criteria used? Where is that documented? What are the respective values of each?
Without numbers, means jack all. Even though I agree with you.
I had the RE040 when I bought the car. If available, I would have put back on and avoided the abyss known as tyre choice.
Was happy with the falkens, shifted no end of water when required. Where they as stiff sidewalled? No idea. No number to compare against.
Had a set of AD08R. Stonking comical levels of grip. Cartoon driving on the ceiling and 8g of lateral grip. Comical.
When they were new and part worn.
Towards the end of their life had a childs tri-cycle solid plastic wheels level of grip. But by god the sidewalls were stiff.
Replaced with the Rainsports. Subjective comparison on sidewalls as I have no sidewall stiffness data to go on.
They are softer, do they have as much grip as the AD08r when they were new? Nowhere near. Way more than the tired AD08r though. Esp. in a damp cold UK.
Grip vs feel. I will freely admit the rainsports lack the precision and feed back I got from the AD08r when new.
But non of this brings me any closer to a consistent/comparison/measureable value of sidewall stiffness.
There are shure ratings for rubber stiffness bushes etc, surely there must be some dark corner of the tyre world that can provide a value of sorts.
I choose tyres as close to OEM as possible load rating speed rating everything.
But even so, a load rating of 81 on a choice of tyres does not equate to the same "feel" in terms of side wall stiffness.
Frustrating.
Quote from: Ardent on October 24, 2022, 23:54Such a frustrating subject as without any actual numbers, completely subjective.
There is indeed no criterium for the sidewall stiffness.
Also we in generally have no proper comparison ourselves either because we do not go in/out of the tyre shop and test ceteris paribus.
In my previous life in the previous century I did on racing bikes. One ´test´ factor was how precise you could choose and keep a line. Same thing car tyres on the road albeit without the opportunity to go in swap and repeat.
If we could we would find that ´comfort´ as to factors apart from tyre pressure. The compliance of the tread and ditto sidewall. The directional stability mainly the sidewall.
The tread compliance also has a lot to do with how loud/silent the tyre is.
Back to ´but hów´?! it is again aiming for a target/line on the road.
You can emulate that with too low and too high tyre pressure.
The difference will be akin concrete in the frump and empty.
As I have written before, I use the local industrial estate for simple Q&D comparisons. Tarmac joints, sewage covers, specific cracks etc. are useful markers. Same gear same revs and try do the same line. Does not need to be all thát fast*, not ón the limit, just fast enough to need an effort. Makes for comparisons of bracings too.
Back to tyres it all depends on the use and what you expect. For mé in the MR2 the stopping distance has the most weight. Though I try to behave like a gentleman in traffic (and where there´s houses) I do like to push the thing when there is none. Regardless of traffic/none there are and will be the unexpected and extra grip is extra margin.
With the mileage I do and the satisfaction I expect I am prepared to spend the money on the best rubber.
Yes, as we discussed earlier, you are totally spot on with the AD08Rs heat cycling out. The used fronts on mine ´slide´ where the rears used to first.
Anyway, the ´testing/comparing´ I mention is part of the fun for me.
* even at surprisingly low speeds the rubber deforms in corners. Like in underground parking garages the surface can cause squeeling at almost walking pace! The squeeling is deformation/slip. Tyres will deform and slip; have a slip angle at any speed. This is a function of the stiffness of tread/sidewall and grip of the compound.
As such the comparison speed does not need be all thát high. Obviously the higher the speed, the lager the difference but the load on everything may mask the difference of what you want to notice.
Quote from: Ardent on October 24, 2022, 21:10Here we go again. Sidewall stiffness. The missing piece of info on a tyre wall.
Softer compared to what?
Compared to ad08r no doubt. Compared to other brands ?????
Given the fleva is part of the advan range, I am going with, they have something in there, more than the ordinary.
I have the fleva on my daily and very happy with them.
Very different cars granted, but I am the common denominator and I'm happy, which is only the bit that matters.
Which is the same for all of us.
Comes back to, will they be available in oem 15" 185 205 when I need them. ????
Most newer owners do not have a bases of comparison. Some think all seasons are good enough. Some think their tire choice is the best one based on nothing more than the feel of new tires over the old ones that are replaced.
I am not a racer but I know what I like as a hardcore focused enthusiast that loves to push my car and enjoy all of its aspects particularly feel. My bases of comparison is OEM and how much of it Toyota got it right.
I can tell you the best way to know which tire has stiffer side walls is to do a deep search. I used Grassroots motorsports which is a forum for AutoX event people and they talk incessantly about tire sidewall stiffness.
I made a few mistakes choosing the wrong tires until one tire has an overwhelming consensus of having stiff side walls even by professional reviewers. This was a set of relabeled Bridgestone RE003 that is only available in Asia and Australia for some reason. If they introduced them to your market It would be a hit.
These tires feel exactly like OEM but with a little more grip and feel. I could be driving straight and still feel the suspension working which is very gokart like.
Regarding the Flevas. If they are anything like the S drive they don't have stiff side walls like the OEM however they are not so soft to complain about and make it up in having very good road feel. I actually liked them and could live with them which is saying a lot compared to many other tires I have gone though.
Re003 are well thought of in Aus no idea why they are region specific
Quote from: 1979scotte on October 25, 2022, 17:42Re003 are well thought of in Aus no idea why they are region specific
Most likely marketing; the´green´labeling. Same reason the AD08R went AD08RS.
Quote from: Dev on October 25, 2022, 16:48Regarding the Flevas. If they are anything like the S drive they don't have stiff side walls like the OEM however they are not so soft to complain about and make it up in having very good road feel. I actually liked them and could live with them which is saying a lot compared to many other tires I have gone though.
There are no Tests of 15" or 16" Fleva on the site I look at, only 17". The highest the Fleva is placed in a test is 9th.
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2018-Auto-Review-225-45-R17-Tyre-Test.htm
Quote from: 1979scotte on October 25, 2022, 17:42Re003 are well thought of in Aus no idea why they are region specific
The relabeled versions over here are one of the most popular. At first enthusiasts picked them because they were a cheap budgeted option but it very quickly had a large cult following from word of mouth and became one of the best selling tires.
It is believed that the large shoulder blocks adds to the stiffness.
Quote from: Gaz mr-s on October 25, 2022, 18:35There are no Tests of 15" or 16" Fleva on the site I look at, only 17". The highest the Fleva is placed in a test is 9th.
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2018-Auto-Review-225-45-R17-Tyre-Test.htm
This is why I don't trust tire reviews or ratings. This one has mixed in various categories of tires and ranked them based on customer reviews. One of them being the Bridgestone Turanza which is a grand touring tire that is ranked 5th. I have these tires on my Lexus and they are excellent for a boat but if you put them on the Spyder they would do poorly.
Some tires suit some cars better than others so its hard to compare from reviews however there are some exceptions like the RE003 which are universally liked. Its also very hard to know what a good paring would be, but to hear them from our peers although not perfect is the best bet. Sometimes there are obvious tires to avoid especially ones with mushy sidewalls like the Toyo Proxy but some people prefer them for reasons I cant understand except that they have no bases of comparison.
Quote from: Dev on October 25, 2022, 19:27This is why I don't trust tire reviews or ratings.
The link didn't work properly. It's not indvidual's opinions I look for, but tests carried out by Magazines, for instance, in controlled conditions.
Not ideal, but best method available here, IMO.
Quote from: Gaz mr-s on October 25, 2022, 20:04The link didn't work properly. It's not indvidual's opinions I look for, but tests carried out by Magazines, for instance, in controlled conditions.
Not ideal, but best method available here, IMO.
I have also looked at professional reviews from those that know tires. It impressed me with their findings but once I got the tires I was back to square one. I will say that the relabeled RE003 got favorable ratings from a professional tire reviews but when they are all mixed with so many other tires having very good reviews its still very hard to pick one. Its even harder when the tires were tested on a different car and not ours.
These days we are lucky if they actually make the sizes we need as everything that is good is plus sized.
I thought with my 16/17 wheel combo I would have more options but its very hard to find the profiles I need. I can finally say I am lucky I found tires that I really like.
@Dev Yep, it's becoming more difficult as the manufacturers are not making new tyres in 15", or not in a profile suitable. A few months ago I bought 16" front wheels because of this.
Have you read anything in the US re Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 2?
Bridgestone make a poor tyre in my experience.
But thats life, everyone has their own opinion on stuff and tyres are no excepetion.
What suits one person wont always suit the next, even when it comes to taking about the little MR2.
Someone who enjoys the daily drive, steady pace, roof down will welcome the comfort a soft sidewall tyre brings, whilst still bringing excellent grip. Next person who only takes it out on a weekend for a spirited blast may want the responses only a stiff tyre can bring.
Quote from: Gaz mr-s on October 25, 2022, 20:29@Dev
Yep, it's becoming more difficult as the manufacturers are not making new tyres in 15", or not in a profile suitable. A few months ago I bought 16" front wheels because of this.
Have you read anything in the US re Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 2?
I haven't heard of those particular Goodyear but I did have a set of Goodyear eagle GSD3.
Those got great reviews from the professional reviewers and thats why I purchased them when they first came out. They also got good user reviews as well. Worst set of tires that I ever owned with mushy sidewalls and no feel. I came to find out that autoX racers called them Novocaines for good reason and would make fun of how bad they were which put myself at ease knowing that I wasn't delusional.
I could easily say that Goodyear tires are not my taste or that they are a bad brand of tire but that is not necessarily true. As I mentioned every tire company can make a bad model tire or a series of bad tires. They can also make an excellent tire that has a cult following. Its very hard to know but one thing is for sure and that is the original OEM Bridgestone tires along with the Yoko were excellent tires for this car and remembered fondly by most legacy owners. Toyota did a good job with tire selection.
Yokohama are a very good top brand but they also made some bad tires like the ES100. Once the SDrive replaced them they were favorable and popular for our car at least on my side. I thought they did well as an allrounder which makes a good street tire.
Quote from: Iain on October 25, 2022, 20:35Bridgestone make a poor tyre in my experience.
But thats life, everyone has their own opinion on stuff and tyres are no excepetion.
What suits one person wont always suit the next, even when it comes to taking about the little MR2.
Someone who enjoys the daily drive, steady pace, roof down will welcome the comfort a soft sidewall tyre brings, whilst still bringing excellent grip. Next person who only takes it out on a weekend for a spirited blast may want the responses only a stiff tyre can bring.
True however I judge the tires back to a base line of what I remember from the OEM.
If someone wanted less responsiveness from this base line then it is a choice. Often times its overlooked based on limited tire choices and there are those that don't appreciate the difference which is ok as everyone has a preference or lack thereof.
I have found that the car seems to like the base line as the suspension seems to time its self well.
On the flip side I bought tires for my Lexus that had stiffer sidewalls than the factory tires with more grip. It felt odd especially with soft suspension. Once I changed them out for the appropriate touring tires the car felt good. Not sloppy just better timed for the bumps and a better overall ride quality.
Hmmm tyre reviews.
In another review the fleva comes in 4th.
And yet the OEM re040 with it's stiff sidewall which we are all (mostly) after,
are way down the list in 16th place.
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyres_For/Toyota/MK3-MR2-Roaster.htm
Quote from: Ardent on October 25, 2022, 21:58Hmmm tyre reviews.
In another review the fleva comes in 4th.
And yet the OEM re040 with it's stiff sidewall which we are all (mostly) after,
are way down the list in 16th place.
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyres_For/Toyota/MK3-MR2-Roaster.htm
I can see why it is in 16th place. Tire grip has improved year over year including wet performance. Those are the key metrics that people obsess over. Tire reviewers also rate old tires poorly especially when they age compared to their new set and they complain about tire wear which is inherent to performance tires in general which they are not use to. I would say most tire reviews are akin to self proclaimed entitled restaurant critics particularly the way they read. It's fine if taking advice solves problems from like minded that are in the market for tires but I would not trust them for my needs. I would trust like minded people on enthusiast forums that I think have some bases of comparison. The first thing I ask is how are the sidewalls.
Quote from: Dev on October 25, 2022, 23:03The first thing I ask is how are the sidewalls.
...and off in limbo you are sent O:-)
p.s. there is a 500, or rather weird number, Abarth in front of the watering hole. As many light up front as a jumping spider has eyes and FOUR exhaust tips. Front spoiler 10 cm off the tarmac and thus even less wheel travel. Überlarge wheels and either central lock system or something emulating that véry neatly. No worries about the sidewall stiffness there, It has none. The tread seems glued directly onto the rims like on racing bicycles.
Ah and a rear wing of course
...and red door straps.