Emergency driving. (was: [DML] Re: Tires)

["therealdmcvegas" <dmcvegas@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "mike.griese@..." <mike.griese@...> wrote:
>
> The fact that a company builds racing tires doesn't 
> mean much in terms of manufacturing quality for 
> mass produced tires.  Most racing tires are made
> of different constructions and materials on 
> completely separate manufacturing lines.
> 
> Remember - Firestone made all of those tires
> for Ford Explorers at the same time they were
> a supplier to Champcar and other series.  
> 
> --
> Mike

That is true, and not just on mass produced vs. limited edition tires.
And it shows that Cooper is in the same boat as Firestone and many
others too: The've had tires that were bad, but the rest were fine.

Firestone tires were only a small link in the whole chain of problems
that caused the Ford Explorer fiasco. Yes, Firestone had poorly
manufactured tires. Unlike though Cooper where seasoned employees at 2
particular factories complained out the usage of some poor materials &
approval of a few known defective tires, Firestone hired temporary
labor during a lengthy Union dispute that was responsible for the
majority of these defective tires. They didn't know how many belts to
install, how to properly cure them, or especially how to recognize
defective tires and pull them. The rest of it was Poor Driver skills.

Most people barely get taught defensive driving, let alone emergency
maneuvers like what to do when a blow-out occurs. So when
tread-separation occurred, police determined that almost every single
overturned vehicle was a result of someone panicking and
over-correcting their steering while slamming on the brakes.

Yes the blow-outs were the catalyst for the accidents, but nearly all
of them could have been avoided if the drivers had remained calm and
let their vehicles gently slow down with minimal braking and
cautionary steering.

I personally maintain that Cooper Cobras are the best buy out there,
and I have been very happy with their performance and amazing price.
I've driven through rain, flood water, industrial waste, raw sewage,
snow, oil slicks, & concrete rubble. I've also maintained 100mph+
speeds in them for almost an hour, slammed into curbs, driven over
curbs, driven on dirt-roads, and even launched the car into the air
doing 80 through a construction zone on the top of a hill (bent the
lower control arms slightly). All on Coopers Cobra GTs. They proved
themselves to me just fine, as did the DeLorean.

Most people will never drive even a rental car as hard as I do my own.
Some people still refuse to take their cars out into the rain. How
would anyone know how to handle their cars in an emergency situation?
Accidents happen on the road, and trucks spill their loads on the
highway all the time (happened to me). Cars pull out in front of you.
Nails can even cause a blow-out. You have to be prepared, and good
tires are one of the keys. Other than Coopers, the old NCTs, Pirellis,
& Michelin are the only other tires I've heard of doing good on slick
pavement. And neither come in a matching sets, or are even made
anymore. I'm not too comfortable with mixing and matching tires. That
IMO is dangerous. I'd be worried about having tires upfront that don't
grip as well as the ones in the back, and risk losing control while
cornering.

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"


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