RE71

["G. Steinke" <g_steinke@domain.elided>]

Roy,
I can't comment specifically on how good or bad the RE71 is for the Spider. 
I have them on a BMW 325i (e36) and they are good for typical driving and 
the occasional twisty road. They are not very good in rain, and not good at 
all in a cold rain. (unless you like spinning your tires!) They are also 
noisier than the Dunlop D40s that I used to have.

One concern is that this is a relatively old design and it may be difficult 
to get hold of replacements if required. I bought 4 RE71s about 3 years ago 
in the 205/60/15 size. 1 year ago I had a flat that destroyed one tire. (no 
rollover, glad I don't drive a truck). That size was NLA. I ended up buying 
a decent used tire from someone on this list or the BMW list, but it was a 
hassle. So, the moral of the story is that you may get a good deal on the 
tire today due to its close-out nature, but if you need a replacement next 
year it may be a challenge.

The 195/55/14 size does not seem quite right either. The original 185/70/14 
tires (of the 1982 Spider, which I have) have a diameter of 24.19 inches. I 
have 205/60/14 on my Spider; these tires' diameter is 23.68 inches. A bit 
smaller, but not much. 195/55/14 tires have a diameter of 22.44 inches. 
That's almost 2 inches smaller than stock. This will have the effect of 
increasing your numerical gear ratio (improving acceleration, but increasing 
revs on the highway) and also lowering the car by almost 1 inch, which may 
endanger your sump. Plus the low profile (55) would worsen the ride over 
sharp bumps.  The 195/60/14 that you mention has a 23.21 inch diameter, 
which is closer to stock.

Finally, some Digesters recommend staying with the stock size, as the Spider 
will not really reach the same levels of grip as a more modern car, and 
going to wider tires will make the steering heavier. I disregarded that 
advice when I got my 205 mm tires, but if I had to do it over again I would 
probably get some original size tires. There are some H speed rating tires 
available in that size, which should be decent.

Good luck,
Greg

------------------------------
>From: roland_moreno@domain.elided
>Subject: RE-71 tires for alfas
>
>I have a question (which I didn't post earlier.  sorry >for wasted
>bandwidth):  For a car that sees quite a bit of >spirited driving only
>during dry conditions, and may see some track in the >future, would the
>Bridgestone RE-71 tire be appropriate?  I was >considering the 195/55/14.
>Other candidates are the Falken Azenis 195/.60/14 or >Pirelli p6000
>195/60/14.  I have a set of Dunlop SP8000 on another >car in 195/55/14 and
>they are great.  If the RE-71's are similar in >performance to the SP8000,
>I'd be very pleased.

>Thanks!
>Roy



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