[Shotimes] handling and steering

[cmichaelo@optonline.net]

Which tires are you using?

My sidewalls are reasonably vertical too. Though, the rim clearly is not close to outer edge of the tire.  There is a slight "bulging" of the sidewalls.

I use PBR (or whatever that hard blue stuff is called) bushings all around, solid subframe connectors, 26mm rear swaybar, konis and intrax. TQ of subframe bolts checked out perfectly.

Michael Olsen
94MTX,green,BOS+
----- Original Message -----
From: van Oss <vanOss@centurytel.net>
Date: Friday, May 7, 2004 9:21 am
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] handling and steering

> My 92 wears 235/45 tires on 17x7.5 rims.  The sidewalls are vertical.
> 
> My steering response was most affected when Delrin subframe 
> bushings were
> installed during a clutch job.  Also, make sure to check torque on 
> subframebolts.
> 
> VO
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Leigh Smith" <leighsm@comcast.net>
> To: <cmichaelo@optonline.net>; "shotimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 4:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] handling and steering
> 
> 
> You are comparing apples and oranges in the sense that you have 2 
> changesgoing on.
> I have no personal experience with either of the 2 tires listed, 
> and tire
> models can make a big difference.
> BUT wheel size can also play an extremely big role in exactly what 
> you are
> discussing ... steering "crispness" or "sloppiness"
> 
> A 235/45-17 is about 9 inches wide sidewall to sidewall.
> Recommended rim width ranges that I checked were between 7.5 and 
> 9.0 inches.
> Running on the narrow side of the recommended range gives you softer
> response & ride, running on the upper end can give you instant 
> response but
> a somewhat harsher ride.
> Both changes can be very noticable.
> Envision the sidewalls pointing inward as they go upward from the 
> tread to
> the rim
> ***versus*** almost literally straight up.
> For best response with those tires the 7.5 in wheels are too skinny.
> An autocrosser or road racer would want to run 9.0s.
> I've seen many racers run 1 or 2 size "skinnier" tires because 
> they fit the
> wheels they have better and ultimately were faster.
> Your car will certainly feel "crisper" and may actually be 
> "faster" with
> 225s on either of those wheels.
> But then the wide "look" is another story.....
> It's all about compromise.
> I raced with 9.0, 10.0 or 11.0 wide depending on what tire I had: 
> 245/45-16,
> 255/50-16, etc. and whether radials or bias ply Hoosiers...
> even 8.0s were too way slow...
> .
> Lee
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <cmichaelo@optonline.net>
> To: "shotimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 3:45 PM
> Subject: [Shotimes] handling and steering
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> >
> > I currently have 17"x7.5" SSR with 235/45 Pirelli Pzero Rosso. The
> handling is not particularly crisp above 55mph in the sense that 
> when you
> turn the steering wheel, there is a delay before the cars steers 
> into the
> new direction.
> >
> > In contrast, when I put my old 17"x8" TSW Hocks with 235/45 Pirelli
> P7000SS, the handling is significantly better in the sense that 
> when you
> turn the steering wheel, there car almost instantly steers into 
> the new
> direction.
> >
> > I'm trying to figure out what is causing the difference in steering
> responsiveness.
> >
> > 1) Is it that the 7000SS tires have stiffer sidewalls and have 
> harderrubber than the Rosso tires?
> >
> > or
> >
> > 2) Is it that the 7.5" wide SSRs bend the sidewall so much as to 
> weakenthe stiffness of the Rosso tires while the 8" Hocks is more 
> optimal for the
> 235 tire?
> >
> > or
> >
> > 3) Both of the above?
> >
> > Anxiously awaiting your opinions....
> >
> > Michael Olsen
> > 94MTX, green, BOS+
> >
> > [demime 0.99d.1 removed an attachment of type text/x-vcard which 
> had a
> name of cmichaelo.vcf; charset=windows-1252]
> > _______________________________________________
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