[Miata13]

Thanks all for the suggestions.

I don't believe the M4 LCA's fit xDrive 2 series but please correct me if I'm wrong on that point.

I'll just have to monitor the MPSS tire wear but post-event, I may be in the market for new tires (whether needed or just "desired").

I'll check too with Tire Rack as to their recommendations for a stiffer side wall yet still street worthy replacement and have a new alignment done.

[smchuck]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Most of my experience was w/ ContiExtremeContacts or Bridgestone Potenza s007's with the 228. Big vote for the Potenza's - less wear despite being a 240 wear tire, less heat-gain, and better feel, likely all d/t stiffer carcass. I thought it was good advice to stick with street tires for learning, as they let you make mistakes at lower speed, and with a little more predictable breakaway; R-comps will let you go much faster, but often they are hiding your mistakes. For me, I had the best handling when I could keep HOT pressures around 34-36. Start around 31 or 32, and bleed off pressure right when you come off track when still hot. IIRC, it would take 2 cycles (sessions) to stabilize, and a long lunch break between sessions would sometimes let things cool too much. I think for HPDE that starting at 40psi would be a mistake, even if it preserves some tread; once the tire goes overpressure it is mainly riding on the center - less edge wear, but also a lot less grip. Autocross probably doesn't heat them up as bad, so things may work very differently there. And don't forget to air them back up for the drive home, as they will cool considerably and end up way too low.

I was at Mid Ohio last monday driving the 230 Xdrive with MPS4. I've been shooting for 40 psi hot front and rear and chalking them before each session. I thought they were looking good until one of the instructors that is retired from Goodyear tire where he was an engineer for 40 years looked at my tires after one of the sessions. He said I was all over the sidewall, the outer tread looked all greasy and I should bump my pressure up at least 5 psi. 45 psi seemed really high but everyone said this guy is the tire guru. I tried 45 for next session but there was a fair amount of traffic so i didn't get any complete laps in pushing hard and I didn't feel any real difference. I'll play with pressure more next time and get better lap times.

[Maynard]

I'd ask around, that sounds super-high for these tires (but I'm not a 'guru'). I'm talking about best traction too, not best longevity for the tire. Until you fit camber plates, there is no way around the excess wear on the outer edge. You may want to get a simple heat-sensor gun and look at tread temps. Goal is to get them as even across the tire as possible (I was seeing inside front basically even, and outside front with about 20 degrees more on the outer edge). With those pressures I'd assume most of the heat and wear will be in the center. I was recently at the BMW Performance Center and they tell me they aim for a similar 35-38, but their cars don't do long laps or heat up as much. When you wear them out, consider the s007's if they are still available - for me they wore much better than the Contis and had a more direct turn in feel (no experience w/ MP4S directly).

[Christian76]

A couple tips that I've received:

The first session or two, put the car in 3rd or 4th gear and just focus on driving the course. Don't worry about shifting until you're more comfortable with the course.

When learning the track, break it up into 3 sectors and take one session to learn each sector. This helps focus your mind on fewer corners so you can really learn them. Then in the last session or two, you can combine all 3 sectors. I find this helps make the track more manageable.

Push the seat back and then pull your seat belt all the way out so that you hear the ratchet. Then push the seat forward and let the belt back in slowly so the belt holds you in your seat tight as you bring the seat up closer to the steering wheel. You want the belt as tight as you can so you can rely on the belt to hold you in place rather than having to brace yourself.

Make sure to swap out brake fluid to a proper DOT4 race fluid like Castrol SRF. This will ensure your brakes will work properly. You may need to upgrade pads and possibly rotors depending on what vehicle you have. I've found braking to be the most important part of going fast at a track. (Look up trail braking and practice it)

[Miata13]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

well there is not much you can do with PSS than running 40 cold...

you need m4 LCA's and/or stiffer sidewall tires

I was under the impression that the LCAs were not compatible with xDrive? True?

I suspect after this coming weekend's "adventure" at Brainerd, I'll be shopping for tires....my past experience with Bridgestones (the former SO4) lead me to think those new SO7 would be an improvement with their stiffer sidewalls. As this is also my daily, not inclined to spring for separate dedicated wheels/track tires.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Miata13

I was under the impression that the LCAs were not compatible with xDrive? True?

I suspect after this coming weekend's "adventure" at Brainerd, I'll be shopping for tires....my past experience with Bridgestones (the former SO4) lead me to think those new SO7 would be an improvement with their stiffer sidewalls. As this is also my daily, not inclined to spring for separate dedicated wheels/track tires.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

Ah yes. You can only do LCA on rwd version

Didn't know you were awd

[Maynard]

I found the s007's to be much better on track, and great daily as well. Less edge-grinding, and not as much temperature creep on track. I'm assuming a stiffer carcass is a big part of this. Get 'em soon - I think they are going to be going out of production (or at least TR isn't going to keep carrying them).

[Miata13]

Originally Posted by dradernh

Which club are you running with, and at which track?

A few tips:



7) It's a good idea to take a close look at all four tires between sessions; it can be convenient to do that when you're re-torquing your wheel bolts.

Due to having 225 street tires up front and little or no negative camber, your car is capable of a fair amount of understeer. You may find that you're wearing the outside of your front tires to an inordinate degree. If that happens, make sure you retain enough tire so that you can still drive home on them. If this comes up, your instructor is available to help you evaluate the situation. For example, he/she may recommend changes to your use of the throttle and steering wheel to lighten the load on the front tires. Generally, adjustments like this are called "driving around the problem".

I experienced this issue at my recent track day...despite starting with 38psi (cold) in the front tires. While great tires, the MPSS don't have very stiff sidewalls and the combination of track driving and 95 degree heat and tendency to roll over, caused excessive front tire wear. A little autocross tip I learned years ago, mark your sidewall edge with white shoe polish and you'll be able to readily decipher the degree of rollover and make appropriate tire pressure adjustments.

[Miata13]

Originally Posted by Maynard

I found the s007's to be much better on track, and great daily as well. Less edge-grinding, and not as much temperature creep on track. I'm assuming a stiffer carcass is a big part of this. Get 'em soon - I think they are going to be going out of production (or at least TR isn't going to keep carrying them).

Just checked Tire Rack...no more s007's......