Allen

I have my new 18" wheels with new 225/40 & 285/30 SO3s. I had 17" Cup wheels with 205/50 (worn-out)and 255/40 (almost new) PZeros. My car is a '97 Coupe. The new wheel/tire setup is not feeling good at all. When cornering, it feels squishy or rubbery...almost as if there is 'play' in the steering. It does NOT feel good. The tires are brand new and I'm wondering if going from practically 0% tread on my worn-out 17" fronts to the 100% tread 18" fronts is the "problem". Some guys have mentioned that it sounds like "tread squirm"...which is apparently the sideways motion/lean of the tread when cornering. THAT is exactly what it feels like. Is this normal? If so, when should I expect it to stop? Help...I'm bummed because my handling seems to have gone bad with my new wheels/tires. I love my new wheels/tires, but if they are gonna handle like this...the 17" Cups are going back on.

Phil

Tire Pressure???

PeanutinCA

Wheel alignment? With bigger/wider wheels comes tracking if your alignment is out? It can be as bad as making it feel like you have a flat. On another car I was driving along the freeway (not in reverse Phil) the car was squirming, I stopped, looked, no flats but still it squirmed. Turned out to be alignment. Had all four wheels done (not in reverse Phil) and it was all good. I wouldn't expect the S03's to perform like that, otherwise they wouldn't get such good raves. You might have just a minor wheel alignment problem?

Just a thought?

Dylan.

p.s. But not in reverse (Phil). <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

RT7

I'd say check all of the above (tires pressure, balancing, and alignment). This might sound stupid but verify the tires were put on correctly, another words, check the directional.

I've heard stories such as wrong wheels were put on, wrong directional (I guess this would put you going in reverse), and untight lug nuts (ooops, sounds like I'm picking on Dylan again). <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

DJF1

[quote]Originally posted by PeanutinCA:
<strong>Wheel alignment? With bigger/wider wheels comes tracking if your alignment is out? It can be as bad as making it feel like you have a flat. On another car I was driving along the freeway (not in reverse Phil) the car was squirming, I stopped, looked, no flats but still it squirmed. Turned out to be alignment. Had all four wheels done (not in reverse Phil) and it was all good. I wouldn't expect the S03's to perform like that, otherwise they wouldn't get such good raves. You might have just a minor wheel alignment problem?

Just a thought?

Dylan.

p.s. But not in reverse (Phil). <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

Ok...I bought a set of 18's which I want to use for the street but I want to keep the 17's and use them on the track with R rubber. With this logic how should I allign the car??? I certainly want the max handling for the track but I do not want to have problems on the street either!

<img src="confused.gif" border="0">

RT7

[quote]Originally posted by DJF1:
<strong>

Ok...I bought a set of 18's which I want to use for the street but I want to keep the 17's and use them on the track with R rubber. With this logic how should I allign the car??? I certainly want the max handling for the track but I do not want to have problems on the street either!

</strong><hr></blockquote>

Danny:

There's no other way than to compromise with your settings. I'd imagine you want to run a lot of negative camber (rear) on the track but you're going to used up the street tires pretty quickly.

GrantG

I have S03's on my 73 911S and my 02 996C2 - they suck when brand new - just as you described. Don't worry about it - it will get better as soon as you get miles on them - 500 or so and they'll be alot better - 1000 and they'll be great!

chris walrod

I agree with the above posts, but give the tires some miles to scrub in. It takes about 100 miles of sprited driving IMHO.

Chris

PeanutinCA

[quote]Originally posted by DJF1:
<strong>

With this logic how should I allign the car???</strong><hr></blockquote>

No, it was purely a front to back alignment thing. Which direction the wheels were facing (for that car at least anyway)? Not just front either, the rears were out of alignment too. So basically the were pulling (left to right) against each other, even more so when the road was rutted or uneven. Nothing to do with camber settings. Well, at least I didn't think so?

Dylan.

Allen

Let's see...tire pressure is factory recommended 44 rear and 36 front. Wheels are mounted correctly, at least they look ok and are going the right direction. Didn't have alignment checked, but never felt ANY alignment problems (pulling, tire wear, anything else) with the previous tires. In fact the previous tires/wheels felt fantastic...like I could steer the car with pinpoint accuracy...I want that back <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" />

RT7

[quote]Originally posted by Allen:
<strong>Let's see...tire pressure is factory recommended 44 rear and 36 front. </strong><hr></blockquote>

Eventhough factory recommended 36/44 (f/r), I'd think this is a big high IMO. I'm running 34/40 on my 19" wheel. I run 34/36 on my 18".

PeanutinCA

Were the old tires worn evenly? Sometimes you can bed the tires into your alignment? You know when my alignment became a problem, I drove to the track, everything was fine. We did some laps but, with the rivers that were running across the track we really didn't do any driving time. Then, driving home all of a sudden it was a problem. That's why I thought it was a flat because it was fine driving to the track?

I would try the tire scrubbing as suggested here, because that only costs gas and that's a "brain tax" right off anyway!! Then IF that doesn't work perhaps look into an alignment? So start scrubbing, how much convincing do you need?

David in LA

Allen

I've found that the factory recommended tire pressure settings make my 18" SO2s and SO3s handle vaguely and cause tramlining on freeways. I would try 34/36 or 34/38 (depending on personal ride preference and number of potholes on your local roads)...and of course a healthy dose of tire scrubbing.

btw, did you heat cycle the tires?

Allen

message from Allen's wife:

Thanks alot guys <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> Allen just left the house in his little black car to go scrap his tires or whatever. It's kinda late to be waking up the neighborhood, don't you think

STLPCA

Allen
From your earlier post you said:
[quote]<strong>I did however have the front lowered just a bit by screwing the spring perches all the way down... Mine were set from the factory kind of towards the top of the threaded travel. My mechanic said he could thread it down "as much as possible" which he did.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Was this before the wheel change? As said, the 18s may make alignment/suspension problems more pronounced. Regardless, you should get an alignment. I believe your mechanic altered corner balance & alignment with his screw job.