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I don't want to inundate this thread with tire chat if you guys are tired of it, but I am always happy to receive recommendations and advice, particularly given the financial investment. I do appreciate everyone's input.Sadi posted:Yeah if you're not doing racing or anything you'll ruin the feel of the car with tires like the star spec. Too sticky for street driving. Get something like the s drive or the sport comp 2 (a lot of tire for the money). Also the reason tire rack is concerned is because they want to sell OEM size. I ordered tires for my M3 that had 10 lower profile and they wouldn't process the order till they had me confirm I wanted the non OE size via phone or email. I've had to set aside the possibility of Extreme Performance Summer tires for now (it's the end of April and it's slightly above freezing right now! Hooray!) Out of curiosity, how would tires like the Star Specs be too sticky for the street and ruin the feel? Keep in mind my driving style is, "take curves as fast as I can while barely staying on the road." I don't think they'd be that inappropriate for the car & driving style although the climate kind of precludes their use, but I'm still interested in how you'd describe the change that I'd feel. I don't get the impression that Tirerack just wants to sell OEM sizes, they probably just want to minimize returns from customers ordering products that don't fit. I don't think they really care what wheels their customers buy, but they do apparently test vehicles & wheels and keep data: Tirerack posted:Julian: 16" I see would be fine but I don't list anything in a 15" that woudl clear your brakes. So that's where I'm at right now. Phone says the rims will fit, which is fine, but I'm at least going to chat with Rudy (who asked me to call him after my initial e-mail) to see what he has to say; it's the least I can do before dropping a grand on a new set of wheels. You mentioned the Comp-2s, which look like they get very good reviews but are only available in 195 width, not 205; otherwise, they seem highly regarded. Do you have a preference for the S.Drives or the DZ102s in 205/50-15? They both have very similar specs, reviews, and price. The Dunlops are a bit cheaper and lighter but have much fewer user reviews, so less confidence in the survey results. I'm guessing either one will be fine, I should probably just flip a coin. 
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Apr 22, 2015 08:47
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When i ordered C1M's for a 2003 LS (Hard S big brakes) they both emailed and called to say it wouldnt fit. I said to ship it anyway and it was fine.
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Apr 22, 2015 13:07
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Fatcow has Sport Brakes on his NB. He was running the Kosei K1-TS with Hoosiers on them.
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Apr 22, 2015 13:21
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They will fit. Also, the weather doesn't preclude the use of tires like star specs or rs3's - I live in Ontario and I'm running RS3's. There's a chance of flurries tomorrow and a track day scheduled for Sunday... If you're careful you'll be fine. I also daily'd mine for 2 years before I bought a winter beater. Snow tires and you'd be just fine through the winter. Plus if you have snows you can swap on the summer tires when it warms up. As for ruining the feel of the car, with a tire like star specs or RS3's you will be going far faster than the speed limit should you try to find the limits of the tires on public roads.
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Apr 22, 2015 13:44
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MattD1zzl3 posted:Make sure you change your brake fluid and pads at a minimum, nice fresh oil and if you're in an area thats warmer than normal you'll likely need some sort of cooling upgrade or you're going to be taking as many cooling breaks as laps on track. Thanks. I could do the fluid change, pads and oil are quite recent though. I'm in central Europe so it's not particularly hot and in any case there's not much time to do a big upgrade of anything I'm afraid. Does the temperature gauge on the NB actually do anything? I've only ever seen it in "cold" and "ok" positions so it seems to be an idiot light just like the oil pressure gauge. PS. I DD on AD08s and I wouldn't say they ruin the car. I try not to drift on public roads anyway so I can just get away with a bit of extra speed in corners without even necessarily braking the speed limit.
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Apr 22, 2015 16:31
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If the temp gauge moves at all, you're above 220F or so and you'll need to grab a gear (put it into 5th or 6th) and cruise to get the temp back in order.
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Apr 22, 2015 16:57
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I've got Sport Comp-2s on K1-TS on my 96 NA, and I'm quite happy with the setup for a DD. Tires perform well and have been good in wet weather for me. For what I want they've been good so far, which is to say a decently sticky tire for a DD that isn't crazy expensive. I wouldn't sweat the 195 vs 205 too much for a driver, as all I've heard says that the tires run pretty wide for the size.
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Apr 22, 2015 17:23
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TrueChaos posted:They will fit. Also, the weather doesn't preclude the use of tires like star specs or rs3's - I live in Ontario and I'm running RS3's. There's a chance of flurries tomorrow and a track day scheduled for Sunday... If you're careful you'll be fine. Oh I drove my NA year-round; I had a 2nd set of wheels with snow tires. It was fine, I knew what I was doing, but the dude who rear-ended me with his Explorer did not.  Right after that I bought the MSM and decided that I wasn't going to drive it in the Winter; the point being to drive my convertible in weather appropriate for convertibles. I bought an AWD CR-V, which is fantastic in the Winter and is also a pretty nice vehicle in its own right. This way I have the perfect vehicle year-round regardless of what the weather is. It works for me. As far as the Extreme Performance Summer tires go, they wouldn't be used in poor weather, but according to the manufacturer, they will dry out and crack in very cold temperatures; I have to take their word for it as they're the ones who engineer tires as a profession. The weather here sucks, and so my concern was with storing the tires for half the year in near-or-below-freezing temperatures. I mean check historical temperatures around the Chicago area if you don't believe me; we easily get below zero (think -10 to -20°F) in the Winter and then go up to as high as 90-100°F in the Summer. It's a ridiculous temperature spread to have to deal with. Consequently it is in my best interest to hold off on the EPS tires and go with a more appropriate set until I eventually relocate.
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Apr 22, 2015 21:14
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Ok, how about some non-tires chat? I was out driving today, and I heard that rubbing/grinding sound that I described earlier. Fortunately, it was recorded on my dashcam! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJoFvjpEjYw Now the audio (and the video, for that matter) aren't recorded with high-fidelity, but you can clearly hear the loud noise at ~0:34. (Try to overlook the loud house music.  ) Notice how it continues after I start moving again from a complete stop. As I already wrote, it's difficult to reproduce, but it seems to have something to do with decelerating while making a right turn, and I think it's coming from the front driver's-side wheel. It sounds worse in person. Any ideas on what it is?
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Apr 23, 2015 04:23
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 I've been taking more of that plastidip off, and hooked up a new aux cable in the back of the head unit. Planning to install Napa brake rotors and Amazon brake pads this weekend 
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Apr 23, 2015 07:58
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Any tips on an NA clutch job? It started making some awful squealing noises today and while they cleared up it's been slipping on shifts since I got the drat car so I just decided to drop the cash on the Exedy clutch kit and clear it all up before anything self destructs. Edit: I've never changed a clutch on anything before so this is a whole new level of weekend car repair for me. RillAkBea fucked around with this message at 13:04 on Apr 23, 2015 |
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Apr 23, 2015 13:02
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So, I'm doing the midlife-crisis-on-a-budget thing and just got myself an MX-5 (1997, 1.8): Not new to cars in general or Mazdas (have owned a couple of 323's with the same engine), but new to this car. A few cosmetic issues, but mechanically everything seems to be in really good shape. Just needs an exhaust leak fixed and new rear brake rotors, and a new rear plastic window. Planning to later make it more trackday-ish with new coilovers, slightly bigger tires and better front brakes. Maybe a roll bar so I can have some theoretical chance of not being decapitated in case I roll it. ionn fucked around with this message at 13:06 on Apr 23, 2015 |
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Apr 23, 2015 13:03
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RillAkBea posted:Any tips on an NA clutch job? It started making some awful squealing noises today and while they cleared up it's been slipping on shifts since I got the drat car so I just decided to drop the cash on the Exedy clutch kit and clear it all up before anything self destructs. Get a whole bunch of extentions and "elbows" (to change the angle of the extention). to get at the bellhousing bolts, of which there are 3 different sizes. You might say this makes accurate torquing difficult, and you're right. The trans can come out with the exhaust installed (drain, disconnect, take off the PPF and driveshaft, turn it vertical and take it out driveshaft-end first. be ready this will spill fluid.)
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Apr 23, 2015 13:10
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RillAkBea posted:Any tips on an NA clutch job? It started making some awful squealing noises today and while they cleared up it's been slipping on shifts since I got the drat car so I just decided to drop the cash on the Exedy clutch kit and clear it all up before anything self destructs. Pull the motor. (not recommended since you're in Japan and probably don't have the space to do it)
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Apr 23, 2015 13:25
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RillAkBea posted:Any tips on an NA clutch job? It started making some awful squealing noises today and while they cleared up it's been slipping on shifts since I got the drat car so I just decided to drop the cash on the Exedy clutch kit and clear it all up before anything self destructs. I did this job about 3 times, by the 3rd time I could have the trans on the ground in 45 minutes. I pull off the exhaust from the 3 bolt flange on the header back, drop the driveshaft, pull the shifter, then undo the bellhousing and PPF stuff. On mine I didn't remove the PPF since the rear bolts were stuck but you don't need to, just disconnect the trans from it. It's very easy on this car but get many extensions (like 1-2 feet worth) and u joint extensions. You might need to get somebody to push the motor towards the rear of the car to line the trans back up when it goes in since it will tilt forward without the trans or other stuff attached.
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Apr 23, 2015 14:38
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Larrymer posted:I did this job about 3 times, by the 3rd time I could have the trans on the ground in 45 minutes. I pull off the exhaust from the 3 bolt flange on the header back, drop the driveshaft, pull the shifter, then undo the bellhousing and PPF stuff. On mine I didn't remove the PPF since the rear bolts were stuck but you don't need to, just disconnect the trans from it. Excellent. I'd heard stories about the PPF but I can get a trans out of a Volvo 240 in about the same time and figured "It can't be all THAT hard." Then again I haven't really looked, because my clutch still grabs and while my current gearbox is making all sorts of ominous noises, the car still goes when I put it in gear... I also found this: http://www.miata.net/garage/clutch2.html Beach Bum fucked around with this message at 14:54 on Apr 23, 2015 |
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Apr 23, 2015 14:45
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Atomizer posted:Oh I drove my NA year-round; I had a 2nd set of wheels with snow tires. It was fine, I knew what I was doing, but the dude who rear-ended me with his Explorer did not. Or, you know, store the tires inside your house / apartment / living space. Put the car on jack stands for the winter. Where I live gets colder than Chicago (-40f) in the winter and hotter (105f) in the summer.
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Apr 23, 2015 15:39
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You could be like me and find your summer tires were under that 6 foot pile of snow that just melted
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Apr 23, 2015 15:44
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ionn posted:Maybe a roll bar so I can have some theoretical chance of not being decapitated in case I roll it. Don't bother with the roll bar unless you're going to track it for sure, on the street the chances are it will hurt you more than it helps you.
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Apr 23, 2015 15:56
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leica posted:Don't bother with the roll bar unless you're going to track it for sure, on the street the chances are it will hurt you more than it helps you. Is the hardtop designed with any crash-worthiness to it?
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Apr 23, 2015 16:12
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Gorson posted:Is the hardtop designed with any crash-worthiness to it? It's 40 pounds of plastic and glass. You can easily crack it by accidentally dropping it on the ground.
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Apr 23, 2015 16:42
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Gorson posted:Is the hardtop designed with any crash-worthiness to it? It's made out of fiberglass and weighs 50lbs. The glass window accounts for 30lbs of that weight. It does crack open in an awesome way from the inside when it hits the rollbar, though. Roll/Flip: https://youtu.be/qMmjaaSQP08
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Apr 23, 2015 16:44
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I figured. I'm going to have to start stuffing my head with buffalo nickels or indian head pennies so the poor sap who has to clean up the mess at least gets something out of it.
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Apr 23, 2015 17:07
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Phone posted:Roll/Flip: https://youtu.be/qMmjaaSQP08 According to YouTube comments (I know, right?) the driver then got himself shot by a cop. I wonder if he sustained a head injury in this accident, and possibly others, that led to his odd behavior and him being killed.
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Apr 23, 2015 17:37
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TrueChaos posted:Or, you know, store the tires inside your house / apartment / living space. Put the car on jack stands for the winter. Where I live gets colder than Chicago (-40f) in the winter and hotter (105f) in the summer. Removing the wheels and storing them in the house was a thought, maybe including hanging onto the original rims to throw on the car over the Winter. However, time and space are a concern; at this point it's not quite practical for me to run with the Star Specs. I already did the wheel-swapping routine with my original Miata, and it was enough of a hassle, and that's with storing the Summer wheels in the garage. I don't really have a place for them in the house. Where do you live, out of curiosity? I spoke with Rudy at Tirerack, he basically said the wheels will fit although it will be tight, and the main concern is the weights hitting the calipers. He also gave a slight nod to the DZ102s over the S.Drives. Re-posting this for help: Atomizer posted:Ok, how about some non-tires chat? I was out driving today, and I heard that rubbing/grinding sound that I described earlier. Fortunately, it was recorded on my dashcam! Maybe a stuck caliper? It certainly sounds like something is "grabbing", and it only happens with braking.
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Apr 23, 2015 18:42
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It won't be an issue. Glad that you're getting the Koseis.  As for the sound/noise, the audio is pretty bad and it can be anything unless if it's easily reproducible.
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Apr 23, 2015 18:50
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leica posted:Don't bother with the roll bar unless you're going to track it for sure, on the street the chances are it will hurt you more than it helps you. I do indeed plan on taking it on track (trackdays and open sessions, no actual racing). Have never crashed a car on track, let alone flipped it, but poo poo does happen there. Just something that could help in a rollover would give me peace of mind. I'm not going for those "style bars", but a more proper one with braces rearward. Not sure how much of a hassle it is installing them though. They bolt in, sure, but I wonder how well everything does line up and how much will I have to cut away in panels and stuff to get it in. First step is still to get it through the Swedish yearly safety inspection (the exhaust leak and rear brakes and stuff, shouldn't be a big deal). Once that's sorted, I'll look at roll bar, new struts and some fresh rubber for track-worthiness. If I get stiffer suspension, how helpful will it be with strut bars front and/or back, or things like stiffer sway barsr? I don't want to bother with it unless it serves a good purpose, the fancy looks of it doesn't particularly matter to me. Not sure how much it would do, I would guess most of the flexing of the body would be in the middle, not around the corners, but what do I know?
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Apr 23, 2015 19:08
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Phone posted:Roll/Flip: https://youtu.be/qMmjaaSQP08 That is precisely why I want a roll bar / cage thing behind me. Without that, everything that sticks up above the sides of the car is likely dead. The photos linked in the description show something similar to what I'm aiming for.
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Apr 23, 2015 19:14
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That reminds me of a video I saw of an NC rollover test. I seem to recall it was on a forklift or something similar at an angle and they toss it off for a rollover test, but I can't seem to find the video. Anyone know what I'm talking about?
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Apr 23, 2015 19:24
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I miss my Miata. I wonder if I got the thinnest seat possible if I would fit.
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Apr 23, 2015 19:44
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Atomizer posted:Removing the wheels and storing them in the house was a thought, maybe including hanging onto the original rims to throw on the car over the Winter. However, time and space are a concern; at this point it's not quite practical for me to run with the Star Specs. I already did the wheel-swapping routine with my original Miata, and it was enough of a hassle, and that's with storing the Summer wheels in the garage. I don't really have a place for them in the house. Where do you live, out of curiosity? Brockville, Ontario. Temps I gave included wind chill & humidity factors. It snowed today, I am on bald RS3's, looking forward to the drive home. 
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Apr 23, 2015 19:50
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Wrar posted:I miss my Miata. I wonder if I got the thinnest seat possible if I would fit. I am 6'2" 190 with a 34" inseam (HEY LADIES!). I fit amazingly well in my NA for such a small car. My field of view is slightly compromised by the top of the windshield, one inch less foam would be perfect.
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Apr 23, 2015 23:03
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Nocheez posted:According to YouTube comments (I know, right?) the driver then got himself shot by a cop. I wonder if he sustained a head injury in this accident, and possibly others, that led to his odd behavior and him being killed. Looks like that's accurate, the Miata that's in the news video link is also on his website. In the video it's covered with a tarp in his driveway from the roll damage. http://www.benellett.com/ That's some spooky poo poo, I suppose it's possible that the accident caused him to act strange and get shot.
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Apr 24, 2015 00:21
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Atomizer posted:Ok, how about some non-tires chat? I was out driving today, and I heard that rubbing/grinding sound that I described earlier. Fortunately, it was recorded on my dashcam! Holy poo poo. Mine does this too and I can't figure it out. The wheel/tires themselves aren't rubbing on anything. Mine seems to only do it when it's warm out, only at low speeds turning in parking spots or the like.
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Apr 24, 2015 00:45
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Phone posted:It's made out of fiberglass and weighs 50lbs. The glass window accounts for 30lbs of that weight. Oh man, that video made me sick to my stomach. Flipping a car like that is some spooky poo poo.
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Apr 24, 2015 01:09
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If you can deal with a fixed back seat and all the hassles that come with that you can daily drive safely with a roll bar. That was my solution. (Unless my right arm flops around behind me at an old angle in a crazy crash, which is a possibility)
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Apr 24, 2015 03:49
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Phone posted:It won't be an issue. Glad that you're getting the Koseis. Yes, thank you again for your help with all this. It took a bit of wrangling back and forth but it's all good. Rudy pronounces "Kosei" as "cozy."  My Japanese is a little rusty (read: nonexistent); is it supposed to be something like "co-say" or "co-sigh"? I'm guessing the former. I did the exact same maneuver (right turn, then sort of a swerve back and forth while braking) tonight and heard the noise again. It wasn't as loud this time, but it was there. It's also recorded on the dashcam (albeit at night) but I haven't transferred it (and won't unless someone specifically requests it because it's almost the same thing.) It really seems to be related to braking; it's almost like a temporarily stuck caliper as it requires braking and sounds like the disc(s) is/are not gliding smoothly through the pads. Eventually it gets un-stuck. Previa_fun posted:Holy poo poo. Mine does this too and I can't figure it out. The wheel/tires themselves aren't rubbing on anything. Mine seems to only do it when it's warm out, only at low speeds turning in parking spots or the like. I'll keep you updated on the situation. I sent it to my mechanic, and eventually I'll have him take a look at the car again. This seems to happen regardless of the temperature; the other day it was in the 50s and tonight it was a little above freezing, but it's also happened in the Summer. I think we're only a little closer to figuring out what it is, but just getting it recorded in the first place feels like a huge victory. It was like, "AH-HA! GOTCHA!" just to be able to show it to other people and prove that I'm not making up this poo poo.  TrueChaos posted:Brockville, Ontario. Temps I gave included wind chill & humidity factors. I was going to guess Canadia!  Commodore_64 posted:Oh man, that video made me sick to my stomach. Flipping a car like that is some spooky poo poo. I was a little surprised that he never lost his poo poo and started yelling/swearing. I'd be pretty pissed if that happened to my car, although I'm sure I'd be shaken up too. Oh well, I'm just glad I've never had to experience that, although the rear-ending was close. 
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Apr 24, 2015 07:10
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MattD1zzl3 posted:If you can deal with a fixed back seat and all the hassles that come with that you can daily drive safely with a roll bar. What are these hassles of which you speak? The roll bars I've been looking at claim full seat movement and I'm not too tall (just under 5'9" and short legs) so I won't have the seat all the way back anyway. I'm considering a "double-hoop" roll bar to avoid having too much stuff in the way when raising the top from inside the car, and also to make it feel less "closed in". How much will the roll bar bug me? I do not want to be on track without a roll bar anyway and one big reason for even getting an MX-5 was for track driving, so I'll have to live with whatever problems come with the roll bar. Might enjoy a month or so of just regular driving before I get it though.
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Apr 24, 2015 07:21
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Atomizer posted:I was a little surprised that he never lost his poo poo and started yelling/swearing. I'd be pretty pissed if that happened to my car, although I'm sure I'd be shaken up too. I've seen a few people crash stuff on track (and met them afterwards), and most are surprisingly cool about it. Especially compared to how people react to less severe incidents (with insured cars) on normal roads. Though it might be a thing among race drivers to just pretend not to care about the car as long as no people got badly damaged, and then go home and cry in solitude. Never had anything dramatic or expensive happen to me yet other than a couple of close calls and those sure made my heart race.
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Apr 24, 2015 07:33
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ionn posted:What are these hassles of which you speak? The roll bars I've been looking at claim full seat movement and I'm not too tall (just under 5'9" and short legs) so I won't have the seat all the way back anyway. I'm considering a "double-hoop" roll bar to avoid having too much stuff in the way when raising the top from inside the car, and also to make it feel less "closed in". How much will the roll bar bug me? The stock seats aren't high enough to prevent your head from hitting the bar in the event of a crash, and the padding they sell for roll bars is intended to work with a helmet hitting the bar and not your exposed head. I have a fixed bucket, and it's tall enough (especially with a harness) to prevent my head from hitting the bar. Any track group that will let you run without a roll bar in a Miata isn't one I'd run with, as it points to incredibly lax safety precautions.
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Apr 24, 2015 08:27
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