M Mobility kit for less....

[macfly]

Just saw this little kit at Tirerack (http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/conticomfortkit/index.jsp), for only $79.00 so thought I'd share it with you.

[thegunguy]

Nice find. Although, with the Z8, I don't mind the premium for the roundel branded kit. Hey, it looks cool in the trunk!

[RRZ8]

Still have the Bridgestones RFT's; don't need it ;)

[thegunguy]

RRZ8, you should really consider replacing the RFTs as soon as possible. When I replaced my tires last year, two of the four had large chunks of the interior sidewall that had come loose, and I know of several others who have reported the same with the OE tires. My guess is this is likely due to running the tires on low pressure. I am diligent about maintaining proper pressure, but I cannot be sure of the car's previous owner. However, I cannot be sure that this is the cause and not poor design/manufacture. With my own car and the others reported here, you might want to consider the potential for a catastrophic failure of the RFTs due to internal damage that you cannot see without inspection.

In addition, the heavy weight and stiffness of the OE RFTs may be one of the key contributors to the previously observed frame issues. Running lighter and more flexible standard tire, no doubt will do a better job of reducing impact forces on the suspension and frame.

[RRZ8]

GunGuy, Thank you for reminding me. About the tire pressure; I check it every month, and (maybe because they are filled with Nitrogen) find that it is very constant. Together with the RDC I am confident that I am able to contain the right pressure.
For the second part; I know that there is a theory that the stiffer sidewall of the RFT's is one of the reasons of our frame problem; but personally I think that the 'end' of the shock absorber (when running over a deep pothole for instance) is far more stiff than the tire, a 'regular' sidewall will soften this a bit, but our frames (without the PP) are just not strong enough to hold these forces when applied over a long period of time......
And do no forget that 'positive' features of the RFT's are the fact that 1) you can keep on driving with a defect tire and 2) because of the stiffness the handling of corners feels like an ultra low profile racing tire ;-))

[hayvenhurstkid]

Thanks again Andrew. Just ordered the kit you reccommended.

[Z8doc]

2) because of the stiffness the handling of corners feels like an ultra low profile racing tire ;-))

need to but I can tell you there is a HUGE difference between the run flats and the 20" low profile MPS2s I have now. Seriously, the RFs are not even in the same catagory when it comes to handling, cornering and ride comfort. My Dinan Stage 3 suspension combined with the 20 MPS2s now handles the way I think it should have in the first place (yes, I have N2 also).

Seriously, consider getting rid of the run flats, I do not think you will regret it -- or, cruise on down to Tulsa and you can test drive mine if you want!! :driving::D

[RRZ8]

Jeff, first of all; very nice picture !

Have you driven the RFT's when the Dinan suspension was installed ? Don't you think that the Dinan suspension (and not the tires and rims) is making the big difference when compared to 'standard' suspension? At my tire dealer (I have a separate dealer/specialist just for the tires) I had a demonstration (by a Bridgestone person together with my regular tire-mechanic) in which the (of course) advantages were demonstrated.
One of the things that I found very remarkable was the extreme stiffness of the sidewall (it is so stiff that special exquipment is needed just to take it of). Because of this the tire is less likely to 'roll of the rim' when cornering. Another interesting thing they told me was that, although Bridgestone advise is to keep a maximum speed of 80 km per hour when the tire is 'flat', it can actually drive even 200 km per hour safely (!) but it wears of significantly earlier :D

Thanks for the invitation to test drive your (beautiful) Z8 ! Next time I am in Tulsa (Oklahoma?) I will surely contact you ! Of course you are more than welcome to check the 'cornering characteristics' of my Z8 when you are near The Hague (Netherlands) :thumbsup:

[thegunguy]

I've been on the track with both RFTs and S03s on the Z8, and whatever the tire marketing groups say about the performance capabilities compared to standard performance tires, it's just that - marketing fluff. Certainly, RFT technology has progressed since introduction of the model fitted to the Z8, but they still lag behind non-RFT technology for all out performance.

Of course, the "peace of mind" is nice, but I'd prefer to have a better performance and a MUCH smoother ride, even if have have to resort to using the M-Mobility kit or calling for a tow truck.

[Norcal]

While at the dealer today, getting smogged (passed) I finally ordered an M mobility kit. Perhaps I should have gotten one before the 3,000mi meet in the middle (of nowhere!) At least I wasn't alone in the middle of nowhere.

...oh yeah, except for the final days 1,000 mi across Utah and Nevada...highway 50, in thunderstorms, and about 6 hours of it at night!

Oh well, I'de rather be lucky than good! I figure my luck might be all used up by now, so I got the kit.

[RRZ8]

After some 0-60 testing over here I am starting to wonder about the 'traction capability' of my RFT's.....:confused: My best time until now is about 5.2 seconds (measured with datalogger), but my tires tend to spin very quickly. I am beginning to think that traction could be better..... A reason for me to maybe switch to different tires after all (!) :)

[Norcal]

You will notice a difference, the RFTs are not great at all (at least the old OEMs, I haven't tried any newer ones).

[RRZ8]

Which tires do you have Norcal ? The S03, is that a Bridgestone or Michelin ? Original rims ?

[Z8doc]

I have had the original RFT (Bridgestone RE040s) for 24k miles (terrible, hard, just OK handling, wear was OK), the Non - RFT Bridgestone S03s for 19k miles on stock rims (vast improvement in handling, ride quality but very road noisy and do not wear as well as the OEMs) and now the Non-RFT Michelin PS2s on 20 inch rims (better handling, ride quality with much less road noise than the Bridgestone, IMHO and I do not yet know about the wear characteristics yet as I only have put about 1000 miles on them but they are rated as good for the type of tire they are).

[Norcal]

I have the last of the old Bridgestone S03 Pole Positions on stock wheels.

[ZAchterbahn]

Jeff, these are great looking wheels, congratulations. Please post some pictures and let us know details.

Cheers,

Christian:thumbsup: