Collin,
Thank's for the recommendations on the Bridgestone SF373. I called the
distributor (not dealer), who tells me that tire hasn't been produced in
some time. They do have a great new tire, he says, but in the 13" size
it's maximum speed rating is "S".
So. what is "S"?
I broke the code with my James Bond secret decoder ring:
Rating Speed (mph)
S 112
T 118
U 124
H 130
V 149
W 168
Y 186
There are faster, but only for racing cars.
There are other factors to consider, other than the speed rating, and
obviously you wouldn't want anything less than an H for a Tiger, just
for all the other features that come with this construction, even if you
never plan on using the capability you have.
The other factors are tread life, wet road adhesion, dry road adhesion,
snow capability, etc. These are usually designated with numbers or
letters. The Tread Wear used to be in multiples of 20,000 miles. The
"400" on my Michelin X makes me doubt that is still the case. The other
factors are A, B, C, etc. A being the best.
There ARE specific numeric test values established by US Federal
requirements for each rating, "A" being the highest.
Sorry that the one you have is not available.
I know that many are discussing specially made tires for racing, auto-X,
Drag Racing. These are usually expensive, and not very suitable for
daily driving. One rating has been increased at the expense of another.
This is even true of "sports street" tires. The ones with the best
traction are NOT the ones with the highest tread life. My Michelins
wear like iron, but don't count on them for the best grip in hard
braking or drifting around turns.
Like the man says, 'you pays your money, and you takes your choice' - IF
there is one left to be made. Another applicable old saw is 'You may get
what you pay for, but you NEVER get more than you paid for'.
All this is why many change to 14 inch wheels. Unfortunately, the good
tires are disappearing from that size market as well. Maybe a couple of
acceptable ones left in the Pirelli or Bridgestone line. Many are going
to 15 inch wheels so they can have replacement tires available for the
next set.
Steve
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Steve Laifman
Editor
<http://www.TigersUnited.com>
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