XL Tyres on mx5 mk3

Hi,

I’m looking to get some new tyres for my MK3 2.0 sport and many of the forums have pointed me towards to Toyo Proxes T1R tyres as beng a good all rounder. I’ve had a look on event tyres and black circles but for my size (205/45/17) they only have them with an XL (extra load) rating.

Does anybody know if it’s ok to have tyres with an XL rating on an mx5? If I shouldn’t I’m considering the Kumo KU39, although I hear these aren’t as good in the wet.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks

Dan

It’s no problem. The sidewalls are designed to cope with higher pressures (unnecessary on an MX-5) and are generally a bit stiffer, but this only affects ride quality. The stiffer sidewalls may give better cornering, so it’s swings and roundabouts.

The problem comes if you put non-XL tyres on a heavy car that needs 48psi - that’s dangerous.

Many thanks for the reply.

Out of interest does anybody have experience of running XL tyres on an mx5? I’m not too concerned if ride quality is a little worse but I wouldn’t want to ruin it completely! It looks like anyone who’s run the T1Rs or Kumo KU39 on a sport must have done as both are XL only in this tyre size.

Thanks.

Hi Dan,

Yes when we bought our Mk3 Sport secondhand 2 years ago it had a half worn set of T1R (88 rating as you say) and they were awful. It may have been to do with the load rating, I don’t know, but correct load rating is 84 and very few tyres are done in the right size 205 45 17 with that rating. Most are 88 designed for heavier cars.

Somewhat disappointed, we decided to give it our best shot to see if it would handle and ride nicely on better tyres, or whether to get rid of it. After a lot of research we ended up back with the current oe Potenza RE050A (with 84 rating) and it drives like a new car.

Most tyres are a compromise, some properties are subjective, and if you do track days for example you may prefer different tyres. If Kumho are good, and if I was tracking it or getting through tyres regularly, I might try a set as they are pretty cheap but really I wouldn’t want to conciously lose say 10% of safety or comfort (however that could be measured) if I could afford not to.

Thanks Rich.

I must admit I’m very confused about the Toyo T1R tyres. Having looked around for half the day trying to figure out what to buy, some say they’re the best tyres they’ve ever had on an mx5 and others, like yourself seem to say they’re terrible. This is specifically on mk3 mx5s as well, so its not like they’re just performing differently on different types of car!

I may have to do a bit more trawling of the internet!!

I am sorry to contradict people but this extra load tyres have stiffer sides walls is wrong. They can take higer loads by having higher inflation pressures, it does not make the sidewall any stiffer in any way that you would notice if you run normal pressures.

The same is true with the statement people make about tyres having soft sidewalls on certain tyres. It is the inflation pressure that matters and gives the tyre most of its “strength” not the small rubber thickless variations in sides walls.

Feel very often comes from the design of the tread and rubber quality etc and yes, not all tyres suit all cars. Pirelli P6000’s are a dire tyre on MX-5’s and yet many manufactures chose to fit then as OE on cars.

The KU39 has very good wet grip, This is from one of your customers about them

Well the tyres certainly got a full work out! They managed to get us up the mountain round 17 hairpins on increasingly snow covered roads, only had to put chains on to reverse up on 2 foot of snow to park. 

 

Driving rain on the way home, they have great grip, 90 on motorways awash with water and not an aquaplane in sight.  In fact we hit a bridge joint (those metal inter-locking teeth things that you get on fly overs) near Dijon which broke a spring but tyre remained intact!  Didn’t realise spring had gone till we went over the speed bumps by the house!!!  Car ran straight and true all the way home :slight_smile:

 

The T1R has a good reputation on MK1 and MK2 MX-5’s but I don’t know od anyone rushing to fit then to MK3’s, there are better tyres for the price and most in the know would recommend the Proxy 4 over the T1R.

The OE Bridgestone tyre is also a fine tyre, it is a premium brand and attracts a premium price there are equally good tyres around. My partner has Federal RS-R on her MK3 and they do have stiff side walls, she has lowering springs and Bilstine and the ride is perfectly acceptable, in fact really rather good.

I’ve never had an issue with running 87/88 XL tyres on the MX5 Mk3, whilst I found the OE Bridgestones good in the dry, they did not inspire me with much confidence in the wet. I’m finding the PS3 another expensive tyre much more reassurring in the wet plus it’s got a great rim protector for the alloys.

Ever such slight hijack…

After much research I’m going to fit KU39 on my 2.0 sport. I currently have £50 no names fitted by the previous owner. They’re ok in the dry in my 30mm lower NC but in the wet they’re absolutely lethal in the wet - 2500 revs on a roundabout the back end sets out a foot before the DSC catches it.

So now the hijack, Nick, I’m based in Milton Keynes, when is your van next down this way? I’m happy to meet somewhere in North Beds or Northants if necessary.

Northants, you can have a set tomorrow. (Or today as that is now)  I’m just off J15A

Cheers Nick. I’ll give you a ring and sort something out as it’ll probably need to be a weekend.

 

Can you please give us/ me an update on how you find the KU39s and your reasons for choosing them over any other tyre. I’m having a similar dilemma.

Many thanks.

 

Here are the results of a review of these tyres but I have no idea of how independent they are. 2010 EVO Tyre Test - Tyre Reviews and Tests

 

Edited to add tyre rview link. 

 

I am sure the test is as independent as it can be, however as with car tests I think there are always prejudices and they never tell the full story.

I used to avidly read car magazines but eventually I noticed they all did the same thing. The short road test report almost always favored the car that was quickest and most fun on the day, long term tests almost always told different stories.

On face value a low position for any tyre would look bad, but the conclusion is that most of the tyres are within 7% of each of each other. While the Conti is obviously a very good tyre from new, what the test can’t show is things like wear, they are known for uneven wear on the outer tread blocks. It would be nice to see performance vs. cost and cost vs. wear.

I’ve settled on KU39’s after reading a lot of tyre threads to be honest. NickD is forever banging on about how good they are ;-).

NickD seems to be a pretty stand up member of this forum so I rate his opinion. I know he’s trying to sell us stuff and maybe he makes an extra couple of quid on a Kuhmo over a Toyo but this isn’t going to put me off trusting his view.

At the beginning of my search I really wanted 84W tyres and was prepared to pay £140 a corner but I’ve read enough to convince me that 88W is fine.

I’ve read all those tyre reviews on line too and there’s plenty of people fitting them to big cars as well. If I get on well with them on my MX5 I’ll also be fitting them to my A6 as well.

Please remember to update this thread with your findings as it will definitely help other to make their decision when the time comes.

I just had Hankook K110 (88) fitted to my 2.0 Sport and i’m still wearing them in. I’d be interested to hear any comparisons because I almost went with the Kumho KU39’s but was put off by the stories of wet handling. No doubt the forthcoming Autumn will help settle the reviews.

Curiosity has the better of me, what are the reports of “wet handling”?

nick,

I read so many different tyre reviews that I couldn’t recall off the top of my head where I read what I read. I’ll have a look for them and post links when I find them.

 

Maybe the one you already linked to, they don’t come out very well here, http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2010-EVO-Tyre-Test.htm

Thanks Rich M,

I’m finding the Hankooks a bit squishy to drive on. Perhaps it’s down to me driving a new car. Going to look into where to find the original mk3 springs to lower it a bit as I’ve heard that transforms how it drives.



I think without seeing the original article it’s difficult to make that conclusion, indeed they state if you exclude the budget tyre the rest are within 7% of each other, so all a bit of muchness.

I think it good news that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get performance tyres for the MX5 ie the KU39 . Although I run PS3, on the rationale that they cost more so therefore they must be better, shakey ground I fear.