Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1999 23:06:01 -0700 From: Justin VanAbrahams <jvanabranopsamnet> Subject: Re: Tires, tires, everywhere! A holy war?
simon_magnusnopsameja.com wrote: > > Eric: > > Thanks for the info! But here again is where the fear and loathing > starts to kick in! In the owners manual that came with the car, the > Specifications section under wheels and tires is has the following > listed:"All 900, 900s - 185/65 R15 87T" > "900 Turbo ----- 195/60 R15 86H" > "900 Turbo ----- 195/60 R15 86V" > "Compact Spare-- T115/70 D15" > So now, what should the best course of action be? And what would the > difference be if I went to the 185/70-15's vs. above mentioned tires? Those numbers listed in your manual are correct by Saab's reckoning. Based on a ton of personal experience, my recommendation for a Saab 900 is either a 205/60-15 or a 205/55-15. The former will create a small speedo error (about 1%) whereas the latter is a virtual direct replacement with almost no error. Going with a 205 tire will get you a bigger contact patch and some better grip. Both tires are widely available, though the 205/55 size is generally a more "sport oriented" size and your choices may be limited to more sporting tires. If price is the main point but you don't want a poor-handling tire, I'd recommend either the Dunlop D60A2 JLB or the Pirelli P4000. The former is a little stickier, the latter offers better wet-weather traction. If you're looking for a great performing tire, I'd recommend the Dunlop SP Sport 8000 - it's fairly inexpensive, and handles impeccably - wear is not the greatest though (expect about 20k out of them). My experience tells me to stay away from Goodyear or Firestone, for a number of reasons (mostly price vs. performance). Yokohama sells a couple of excellent, fairly inexpensive tires - the best of which (IMHO) is the A509. I do think the Dunlop 8000 is a better tire, though. Happy hunting... -Justin