Front tyre advice - MX5

[B.Egan]

Right just something I've been wondering and thought I'd ask for some advice from ppl who know more on here. Atleast one person who knew what they're talking about commented about my tyre setup at PD Ennis. Basically I was/am running R888s on the front. Now they said that I would be much better off running a worse performing tyre upfront. With the car being so short and snappy, I can see what they mean, that a worse tyre should enduce some understeer in transitions, and make it less snappy in theory?

But should I really ditch the R888s? I always thought running as good tyres on the front as you could would be a bonus. Or is my car just a special case, or similar to 86s for example, and that the above only is only really beneficial on longer more stable cars.

We've done no real fiddling with the mx5 as such yet, due to no track time, and the fact that the car was controllable, and in many ways since mx5s/miatas havent a great drifting rep I thought we may have come across about as good as we could get it lol! But with mondello this sunday theres room to try a few things maybe and tinker a bit, so just looking for advice or suggestions, on anything from what ppl saw, noticed or know from experience with similar cars.

Cheers!!

[Greg]

If, as you say yourself, the car is controllable, then why change anything? Are you happy with how it drives now?

[B.Egan]

Its controllable to a point, and I also always knew it would be trickier than any s bodies I've driven for example. That was gonna be the case, but also maybe the snappyness has its advantages in battles etc. if I could get a handle on it.

But my main problem with the car is when I transition it seems, I feel I have it caught fine.....and then it spins. Hard to explain but you can kind of see it in this vid from about 1.30 on (I dont spin, straighten but same thing really).
YouTube - ProDrift RAW!! - Onboards Ennis

At speed it feels great. Transitioning/manjiing the second half of the course it was perfect. Its just on the tight slow down corners, like the last corner in PL for example where it seems to catch me out. If it was on the initial transition snap I could understand, but it seems to be a bit after that. More lock would help I suppose, but it also maybe seems like the front tyres are just slowing the whole front down too much, and the back without any power applied is just overtaking it?

Of course I am far from an experienced driver, and I'm sure I can overcome or learn to deal with this with more seat time, but also if it is something that can be changed or helped it would be nice! Or to even know that its something that I shouldnt change and waste my time switching tyres etc?

[blusrule]

Try the 888s and a different type of tyre in Mondello and see what you recon. No point asking others advice since you are the driver. I always liked Hankooks though

[B.Egan]

Try the 888s and a different type of tyre in Mondello and see what you recon. No point asking others advice since you are the driver. I always liked Hankooks though

It's a good point lol! Its just that it was actually Bon Bon who said it to my brother AFAIK, and it really is something we probably would never have thought of unless mentioned to us. So I was nearly hoping for another few free golden nuggets of wisdom or advice. But nevermind you're probably right, we've gotten it this far I suppose so nows not the time to get lazy......we'll figure it out ha!!

[Greg]

Sounds like you need more grip on the back to match the front end. I'm a novice like yourself but I found at PL when I ran 50psi in the back tyres and whatever in the fronts, the car would just snap around, but when I dropped the pressures in the back a good bit things improved greatly. Then my handbrake failed, but that's another story.

[carpo]

never liked r888..ive used the yoko a048 the past 2 1/2 years great tyre...

[retro head]

ive heard this said before about putting too grippy a tyre on the front and dont understand it exactly as youd imagine your front wheels will never be and you wouldnt want them to break traction sideways but should always be rolling freely in whatever direction theyd be facing,if ye get me?

or is it something to do with the ackermann angle that on certain degrees of lock your inside or outside wheel will be scrubbing as its not following the same line as the other wheel?

on my cam i had crap nexen road tyres on the front then changed to soft compound a048s and they are just class! havent noticed any detrimental effects caused by them only that my steering binds up on occasion but thats to do with my rack going over angle on full lock,other than that she drifts silky smooth up mondello straight

[retro head]

Sounds like you need more grip on the back to match the front end. I'm a novice like yourself but I found at PL when I ran 50psi in the back tyres and whatever in the fronts, the car would just snap around, but when I dropped the pressures in the back a good bit things improved greatly. Then my handbrake failed, but that's another story.

i dont like running extra psi it makes bits of tyres in no time and spins way too easy and as you say unbalances the car somewhat

[Keli]

i dont like running extra psi it makes bits of tyres in no time and spins way too easy and as you say unbalances the car somewhat

I always ran massive psi for messing on the road and the like, but only realised after progressing onto tracks that a car actually needs grip for better transitions, so run normal pressures now. As a general rule I'd always have decent tyres on the front of my car, and whatever on the back. Except for now, but they're to be changed.


Edit - Greg on Keli's account.