VGM911

Andy,

For what it's worth, the Potenza RE50s are not N-specification tires for the 996. They do, however, get good ratings on the Tire Rack website.

AndyK

N, shmen! ZR rated Bridgestones are fine for my spirited highway drives, and trips up and down Main street. The N rated Conti's SUCK, so there.

If I was doing DE's I would respect the "N". Not in my case though.

VGM911

I don't have N-spec tires on my car, either. I have Bridgestone S-03 Pole Position tires, but they've been discontinued.

I'm in the market for tires, and I'm thinking about getting the Bridgestone Potenza S-02 A tires. They happen to be N-spec, but the RE50s are a worthy competitor. Decisions, decisions!

nycebo

Bad tires that are balding badly on the inside of the tire could certainly have created a bit of the problem. New tires always makes the handling of my cars feel better, and given Porsche's sensitivity, it's to be expected that an out of whack alignment (esp. toe out as it sounded in your case) and rubbed tires can have an adverse impact on steering. I'll be anxious to hear what you think when you got the new rubber installed.

AndyK

Check the Tirerack survey. The S03's are not rated very well, and the RE50 Pole Positions are top rated in almost every catagory. I'll be getting them!

Hopefully that will solve my handling issues. I should be getting the tires installed on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Nine9Sixer

andy, sorry to hear about your issues-- but i suppose this is a good way of getting to know your car! as a side note for those who may be shopping for cars (esp people like me-- i'm not mechanically proficient and quite lazy), i think these issues and inability to go back to the dealer is a good reason why buying CPO makes sense-- they have a comprehensive cpo checklist and will spend time/money to get the car right prior to putting up for sale. for instance, in addition to fixing other items, my dealer installed new pirelli p zeros. and for the first couple weeks, i was always taking my car back for 'little' things-- no questions asked. anyway, just my .02 which can hopefully shed light for others shopping for p-cars. sounds like you got a great car otherwise. good luck.

cdodkin

Andy - have to ask - how the hell could STS have done the alignment and not noticed the inside wear on the tires?

And they damaged your rims!

I'd be getting some compensation, then going somewhere where they take more care and know what the hell they're doing.

AndyK

Beauty is, my GE warranty covers ALL electronics, including the stereo. So, if worse comes to worse, and there is a broken tie rod end, I can bring it to Porsche, have them fix that, the RMS, and the radio, for a $200 deductible!

AndyK

The alignment has nothing to do with worn tires, and it was off, so I had to have it done anyway for the new tires. When I told the owner about the rim scrapes, he said there is no other way to clamp the alignment cameras on the rims. What can I do at that point?

Nine9Sixer

complain until you get compensated. that is unacceptable for anyone purporting to run a legit business. if there truly is no other way, then they should have advised you first before using their system. obviously, not all alignment systems will damage your p wheels. if the franchise owner does nothing, perhaps you can call corporate, or threaten to, and see what he thinks. good luck.

apierce918

then he should have warned you that it may cause possible damage.. you dont just do something a particular way regardless if it will damage something. and obviously he knows it was his fault.

fw2001c4

sorry to hear about all that youre going through... just a word of caution. deductibles typically are for per occurence. so the three things you mentioned would be three occurences or 200x3. doesnt matter that you take it in at the same time. i know this was the case with my bmw cpo and geico mechanical breakdown coverage. might wanna check that so you arent unpleasantly surprised later.

Nine9Sixer

just to add to that, part of the benefit of cpo is having a relationship with the dealer and the goodwill that comes with it. if i have a neurotic issue with my car, i just bring it in and they take care of it. real simple. no questions.

himself

I didn't read the trail, so this might be a double post: sounds like you might have a toe-out alignment. Get your tires aligned with a slight toe in, and you should be right as rain. Oh and upgrade your suspension. And get a supercharger. But that's everything you'll need.

-td

AndyK

Yup, just got an alignment yesterday - rear to was out. Front tires are shot, so I need tires. Hope after tires and an alignment, I'll be fine. If not, there's my extended warranty.

As for a CPO, I would have if I could have. But there are no Porsche dealers near enough to me to build a relationship with, and the one that is kinda near has not had the best write ups here.