Tires and brakes - looking for opinions on both.

1) After 17000 miles, my service technician friend looked at my tires today and proclaimed them "crap" - he said they are "feathering", I have no clue what that means. I have RFs, so I tend to agree I don't actually mind how stiff they are EXCEPT when I hit the unexpected pothole or patch of uneven pavement. Looking for a suggestion for 17-inch tires (RF or not) that are a little more forgiving - doesn't have to ride like a Caddy but a little bit more comfortable would be good.

2) Also after just 17000 miles, same friend expressed a little concern over the condition of my rotors (is that normal after just 17k miles??). He said they do have some wear left but that I should look into getting them replaced before summer is over. Looking for a suggestion for rotors that DO NOT RUST - GOD the OEM rotors look so bad! I've been eyeing the Detriot Tuned BBK...any comments?

Thanks guys!

 

1- Check your rims and make sure that they are not bent. If they are OK then you can reuse them and mount non runflat tires.
Instead of 205/45-17 you can go a little wider with 215/45-17 as the selection of tires is better. A good place to start (Prices per tire) would be either-

Ultra High Performance Summer tires
General Exclaim UHP $73
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 $168
BF Goodrich g-Force Sport $108
Kumho Ecsta SPT $84
Avon Tech M500 $94

Or if you want longer treadwear and a little less performance
Ultra High Performance All Season tires
Yokohama Advan S.4. $165
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS $130
Continental ContiExtremeContact $87
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S $122
Avon Tech M550 A/S $99
Kumho Ecsta ASX $83

see
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=102177

After you get the new tires get an alignment and check tire pressures each week about 33-37 psi and rotate wheels every 4000 miles.

2- see
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=101596
Just look for a rotor that is OEM and has some sort of finish/plating that is anti-rust.

You might be hard on your brakes if you do more urban driving or drive up and down hills. Brakes usually wear out about 30,000 miles or more but it does vary.

 

I do drive in a lot of traffic and regularly in the mountains...that could explain the early rotor wear. Thanks for the tips - I'm going to go check out some tires now! I have brand new rims so they should be fine

 

"feathering" (in my parlance) means that the edges of the outer tread blocks show more wear than the rest of the tire.
That means you:
- have worn shocks
- have a bad alignment
- are having lots of fun

The best measure for rotors is the thickness measurement. Visual measurements are suspect.

 

Heh, okay then. I *am* having lots of fun...although I probably could use an alignment as well. I noticed on my way home from Pinecrest that we seem to be pulling to the right a little bit.

Maybe with the rotors he has no idea what he's talking about...he was feeling them, and saying something about a "ragged edge" (I think), and something being uneven. I should have paid better attention but I just took it to mean I need to look at a new big brake kit! Ha!

 

For whatever reason, seems brake pads these days are a tad smaller than the rotors - I've seen this on both OEM MINIs and my OEM Subaru, with a large ridge at the outer edge of the rotor. I don't recall seeing this before.
In any case, there's always a good excuse for a performance upgrade.