TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS

I have found that by increasing the tire size on classic Saab 900 to 195/65 15 yields a smoother ride and turns your fifth gear into a 5th and 1/2 gear. The increase in size gives more meat between the wheel and the road. The extra meat will protect those expensive mag wheels also. This tire size is ideal for the highway driver.

For the last 17 years I have worked on Saabs on an average of 2 - 3 per day in my GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA shop. My shop is located across from the coliseum complex that has a very large group of parking lots. I call them my test track. On a rainy I would take a test drive, put the Saab into a very sharp turn, accelerate and observe how the traction behaved. I also would accelerate to 50 MPH, tuck my hands in "off the steering wheel" and apply the brakes to the point the seat belt would squeeze the air out of you. Doing this on a wet surface taught me a lot. I learned the true potential of Saab. I actually started doing these test in 1978 when we worked on most imports. Lancia was another good rater but the 99 beat it. So I was able to watch how tires of different brands and series performed as well as they aged.

Today Michelin X1 is the best street tire money can buy. They are rated at 125,000 miles and will last 40,000 plus on a 16v turbo. The best feature is they do not tend to WEAR on the outside edges which is the nature of the Saab by design. Mercedes do this also.

On the other hand, for racing you need very low profile special made tires that cost big bucks. They usually don't last long because of soft rubber compounds used for adhesion. Race tires also give a very stiff ride and are generally dangerous on wet surfaces. These tires have their place but in my opinion not for everyday use.

SAABTECH