Tires - my 2 centavos

[JMNegrin@xxxxxxx]

With all the talk of tires over the past couple of weeks, I thought I would
add my .02.

So, maybe I'm the only one.  I have read of all of you out there with words of
praise for Dunlop tires. I had a prior car (non-Alfa) shod it with SP8000s.
For the first 20,000 miles, they were great.  Quiet, good drip in most
conditions.  No complaints.  After 20,000 miles, they went off.  REally poor
in what little rain we had, and I could, and did, smoke them profusely on a
couple of freeway onramps (thanx for no CHP when I certainly did NOT need
them!).  Finally replaced them after 26,000 miles.  Not bad, considering the
performance.  HOWEVER, I have never had a street tire "go off" like that.  I
would hate to have to consider replacing a street tire because of that aspect;
loss of performance, before the tread goes away.

I replaced them with D40M2s, as the car was not to be mine for too much
longer, so the older technology was not a drawback.  These tires followed
every freeway groove in the Los Angeles area.  They also sang quite a bit over
tar strips.  The groove-following and noise abated somewhat as they 'aged',
but never quite went away.  Handling?  Good, but not as crisp and definitive
as the SP8000s.  

Bottom  line - I will have to think very hard before I put Dunlops on any of
my cars again.  I have had very good luck with Yoko AVSi on a couple of cars.
If I don't replace the 14 inch wheels, that may be myu ONLY option for premium
tires for the Alfetta.  

(btw, I have race compound Bridgestone RE71s on my (street only) Alfetta.
They are about 15,000 miles old, and it looks like they make smog-rot off the
rims before the tread wears out?!)

Jay Negrin
AROSC
76 Alfetta GT - 
Other stuff as well, but this is the one that matters the most.

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