235 x 50 tires?

[jmack]

I am looking for better tires for my SLE. I am thinking of Michelins Pilot A/S. According to the Miata tire size guage in another thread, 235 /50 tires are very close in size to the stock tires. Does anyone have any experience with these? Has replacing the tires helped with the left pull problem?

[slingshot]

I am looking for better tires for my SLE. I am thinking of Michelins Pilot A/S. According to the Miata tire size guage in another thread, 235 /50 tires are very close in size to the stock tires. Does anyone have any experience with these? Has replacing the tires helped with the left pull problem?

Do a search on this topic. THere is a whole thread of Fotodad talking about this since he got those tires and commenting also that it solved his slight left pull.

[fotodad]

I am looking for better tires for my SLE. I am thinking of Michelins Pilot A/S. According to the Miata tire size guage in another thread, 235 /50 tires are very close in size to the stock tires. Does anyone have any experience with these? Has replacing the tires helped with the left pull problem?

jmack,

I bought a set of Michelin Pilot A/S tires for my SLE. As I'm sure you know, Michelin doesn't make the factory size, so I got 225/55-17. The tires fit, but they are EXTREMELY close (credit card thickness) to hitting the strut assembly. In fact, I'm noticing a groove is beginning to wear on the tires. I'm in negotiations with the tire place now. He has ordered 225/50-17 Michelins to replace the ones I'm running now. I'm glad you are using the Miata site. I've used it, too. The 50 series tires should give me almost an extra inch (half inch near the strut) off the overall diameter. I'm not sure how 235/50 will work. But I'd make it perfectly clear to your dealer or tire shop that you want a full refund or full credit if the tires don't fit properly. It seems to me that if you want Michelin Pilot A/S tires, 225/50-17s are the size to get. Like Slingshot suggested, I posted some info on this topic on a different thread. You may want to do a search. I also have a picture of the tire and how close it comes to the strut assembly at this link:

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/fotodad1958/my_photos

Good luck. PM or post any questions you might have. I'm by no means a tire or car expert, but I'll do my best.

Good memory, Slingshot!

[jmack]

Thanks for the info. I did search and just came up with fotodad's thread at the point he had just got the tires, but not at the point where he reviewed the performance of the tires. Need to improve my search techniques, I guess. I looked at Fotodad's pictures. Is it just the diameter that is the problem, or is it the width as well? If it is the diameter only, it looks like the 50 tire should fit, but I am wary of width problems.

What I notice about the Turanza tires is that the car just does not want to turn in any direction, as if it is fighting me. Then the other reviews of the tire in just about every situation are mediocre.

If tires fix the left pull problem, that would be great, but I am primarily looking for better handling and winter performance. The left pull baffles me due to its intermittant nature. I kind of think that if it was alignment, the car would be pulling all the time. But some times it is very strong, sometimes its not there. Thanks again for the info.

[slingshot]

Foto never reviewed the winter performance yet so that is why you didn't find it in the search. I think he was waiting for more bad weather, right FOTO? Unfortunately the Northeast got it all so far this winter. But I think you can confidently expect better winter performance from that tire. If you get the tires, please post how you think it compares to the OEM tires. A 50 series tire will be narrower and you might therefore feel more imperfections in the road surface. Make sure you pick a tire size that is as close to possible in diameter to the stock so your speedometer isn't too far off and Vehicle stability control performance (if you have it) isn't affected.

[fotodad]

Sling,

You are absolutely right; I was waiting for bad weather before I reviewed my Michelins. Actually, I gave a cursory review a few weeks back. I probably wrote about six paragraphs only to submit it improperly and lose it all!! I was pissed at myself.

I haven't noticed any width problems. One thing I would like to say upfront: These Michelins are HUGE money. While I feel they are better than the factory tires in every respect, I'd have to think long and hard to honestly say whether their added performance is worth their added price tag.

Doesn't look like any appreciable amount of snow is due in Wisconsin any time soon (knock on wood). So I'm going to hold off a little longer on review #2. Hopefully I'll be able to post it properly!

Surprisingly getting the new tires DID eliminate my left drift problem. But once Toyota issues a TSB on the problem, I'm still taking it in.

[jmack]

Yes, I am not crazy about spending $900 + to replace tires with only 2k miles on them. But I am thinking that the main thing that is dampening my joy at ownership might be the tires, not that I don't like the car, it is the most comfortable one I have ever driven, especially if it fixes the left pull.

[fotodad]

especially if it fixes the left pull.

I wouldn't say replacing the tires is a definite fix. It just happened to fix my drift. I also took the car in twice to have the pull fixed twice before I got the new tires, so that may have had something to do with it as well. Actually, it seems odd to me that changing tires would fix the problem. But I'm not complaining!