i need tire brand recommendations from those with experience. have 225/50/17 on all 4 at the moment because i bought the car used. need to put 235/50/17s on the rear. also, what damage could ensue from having the 225s on all four wheels? i do city and highway driving on wet and dry roads...no need for snow/ice capacity...would appreciate any advice!

one other question, tire blew out this weekend and inner side wall separated from tread...to the point i can see threads...with some uneven wear on the inner part of the tread...thought initially low pressure, but would have expected to see (and didn't) some indication on inner and outer sidewall of riding on tire with low pressure. ideas??

thanks for the help!

 

Get ready for the "search" flamings...

But seriously, I have an 04 coupe which came with the 17" wheels. The deal with the Z's and tire sizes is mostly the traction control will freak out on you in certain situations if they aren't staggered correctly. Some drive without it on to compensate for this. When I got mine it had 225/50/17's on front and 225/45/17's on the rear (??? why??? NO IDEA)... anyway it wasn't a big deal except on a few curves to and from work on the interstate. The slip light would come on if I hit either of these curves at anything over 70mph. Changed tire sizes and all's well. I actually went with a 245/45/17 on all four corners and never had an issue. I think if you maintain a margin of no more than +/- 3% difference between the front and rears you will be ok in just about all situations.
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

As far as the wear - the 2003-04's were notorious for the "tire feathering" issue (search it here) and seems like most Z's I have encountered have the propensity to need to be aligned/check toe and camber more often than other cars.

hope this helps.

 

If you don't have TCS or VDC in your car, then it doesn't really matter if all four tires are the same size. If you do have TCS/VDC, then you should stick with the OEM sized tires to maintain the proper F/R stagger.

Look at your owners manual and get the proper sizes for your car, on use any of the on-line sites like TireRack and plug in your make/model/year and it should be able to tell you what goes on it.


BTW - all this is covered in the Top 100 Questions thread.

 

Well even with a base model the ABS also depends on having the proper stagger. If you want your ABS to function properly, you need a stagger.

 

very helpful...thanks! i'm planning to get new 235s on the rear. have discontinued bridgestone turanza ls v on all 4 wheels now. planning to get potenza 960as although reviews are mixed for potenza handling on wet roads. thoughts on that...and also whether the 960as or re040 is a better choice?

i've read a little about the feathering issue...my rear tire that blew out actually looks like a picture posted with excessive camber....did you get aftermarket camber kit to get back into alignment? i have yet to look at my front tires to see if there are signs of feathering...

thanks again!

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DavesZ#3
If you don't have TCS or VDC in your car, then it doesn't really matter if all four tires are the same size. If you do have TCS/VDC, then you should stick with the OEM sized tires to maintain the proper F/R stagger.
Well even with a base model the ABS also depends on having the proper stag

thanks for the advice...plan on putting 235s on the back to have proper stagger.

 

960AS are better rain tires than the RE-040, which are superior in the dry and wear out more quickly treadwear-wise than the 960AS.
HTH,
ChinaClipper

 

Not to sound like a jerk but it isn't covered. Nothing about the tire sizes for the stock 17" wheels (I know this because I had them on my car at first and looked for weeks and read HUNDREDS of posts until I had enough info to make an informed decision on variable tire sizes for the stock 17's. Just sayin'... If it's there and I just missed it the 50 times I read it I apologize - and I am a dumba$$ ha.)

OP I think when you get your new tires just have a reputable shop that can do a good 4 wheel alignment get the camber correct and that should be fine (unless it's been wrecked and there is some other issue there?) I live in Mississippi - our roads are notorious for being terrible. Basically I get it checked twice a year for camber, toe and alignment issues. The Z's are notorious for camber issues in the rear (I had an 88 Shiro Special Z31 that was baaaadd about it) especially if they haven't been properly taken care of etc. of time and miles.

hope this helps -

also a good tire size "in your head formulator" for every 20 you increase with the first number go down 5 in the 2nd... a 245/45/17 is the same diameter (=/- 1% depending on brand) as the stock 225/50/17 but its about 1/2-1" wider. Good luck, get that alignment checked! ;D

As far as brand that is up to you. I have had Potenza's, Nitto's, Goodyears and Falcons on my car since I have had it. Potenza was the quietest - slickest in the wet but overall not bad for a stock tire. Nitto's were LOUD, but a pretty great tire if you could stand the roar. Now I have Goodyear's on the rear and the Falcons on the front (with the v1 Ray's Track Wheels I got) and both are pretty good so far. More aggressive tread ='s more roar/better performance... and vice versa.