Vinny1

The reason I ask is that my car will wear me out after running around town for an hour or so. I have had the front end aligned and everything looks good as far as I can tell. No funny tire wear or anything. Every dip or crack I go over pulls my car to the left or right. I'm constantly having to correct the steering. It's got to the point that its a chore to drive it. The car is a 02 WS6 with 43,XXX miles on it. The funny thing is that I got rid of a 97 non-WS6 right before I got this one and it didn't do it. There is a back road I used to take in the 97 that was a blast to drive but the first time I took the WS6 down it it SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. So I avoid that road. Is there supposed to be a steering stabilizer or something?

Vinny

rsodeputy61

with my new tires which are wider than the stock, i have similar experiences. ruts, etc. tend to pull my car in that direction. mine's not a daily driver so i have to get used to it all over again when i drive. but hey, it doesn't take long.....don't know the answer to ur question though.

96t/acj

iTrader: (1)

what size tires?

Vinny1

275/40/17s Stock

DustinWS6

iTrader: (9)

Yea, the ruts are bad. Especially road that are traveled by 18 wheelers a lot. I've just gotten used to dealing with it

DrkPhynx

Wide tires are prone to "trammeling" (as I've heard it called) - following the ruts in the road. Many say the only solution is to go with more narrow tires. And that will certainly improve that situation and overall road manners, however that reduces total grip available. You could compensate with stickier compounds (to a point), but at a reduction in tread wear (everything is a compromise). That's why cars like the Elise are built - super light, and only need narrow tires to handle well (which also means lower unsprung masses too).

One of the hardcore suspension guys could better answer your question, but I would think that more negative caster should result in more relaxed steering. IIRC it generally requires more steering effort and should ease some of that trammeling (unless I have it backwars with positive caster being what I was thinking of).

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

What kind of tires are you using? I don't have that problem with 555 Nitto street compound tires in front 275-40-17. I do have that problem though when I'm on my 555r 315 tires in front and/or its raining out.

I actually came home from an EVO autox school in a snow/sleet storm last April and that was the scariest I've ever drove my Camaro. I don't ever bring different sets of tires.

What is your toe set to?

Nightrydass

how old are your tires? My GTA had the same issue; the belts shifted in the tires and it would pull.

Vinny1

The tires arn't old at all. Maybe 6 months? Lets put it this way. These are the tires that replaced the original on the front. I would imagine it could be the width. The 97 of course had 245/50/16s on it. I wonder if a slightly narrower tire say like a 245/50/17 or so on the front and a 305 or larger on the rear would be ok? I mean arn't some of the top exotic cars running smaller tires on the front than the rear. I think some are even smaller than 275s. I don't know.......just a thought

Vinny

Nightrydass

watch for oversteer when using a real small tires in front and a larger one in back. The exotics are also setup completely different in ever aspect. Maybe try a 245 in front and a 275 in the rear.

i dunno though; you shouldn't have this issue; it isn't normal. What you describe sounds more then just typical "trailing" in road ruts. you sure you don't have any bent/damaged/worn suspension parts?

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

What brand tire are you using?

Some cars come with staggered tires from the factory like BMW. Though a lot of people recommend getting the same size front to back for driving events. I would go with same size all around. If you are putting down a lot of torque, weak street tires in the rear make my car hard to handle. For strictly street driving purposes with lots of torque, a slightly narrower front or a normal street compound with a stickier rear compound is probably the most comfortable to drive on.

Lots of cars do the staggered wider rears to balance out the handling. I think some do it to make the car safer and give the car some understeer for safety.

Vinny1

I just remembered the front tires are Cooper Zeon sports ZRs stock size. The rears were replaced right befor I got the cat and a Sumimoto or some crap like that (isn't that the same brand as the cars on that movie The Fast and Foolish?)

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

Check your swaybar end links. I had a problem kind of like the one you were talking about, and it turned out one of my endlinks was way loose. Also put your car up on jackstands and check for play in your front tires. You might need to replace your tie rods or the joints in the A-arms.

If all that checks out fine, then your just going to have to get used to it. My car has a mind of its own too, but i run some wide ***** on the front and back.

Viper

iTrader: (6)

Going to 17" 275's over 16" stock tires is just a different animal. It will follow the ruts a lot more. But as mentioned check all the suspension pieces on the car with 43K on the clock; it is 6 years old now.

Vinny1

I have shook and wiggled eveything I could and everything is tight. The car also has some rattles that I am thinking is normal. Oh the end links are new but the old ones were fine also. I think its the wide tires.

Greggy

toe-it-in a little... this will compensate for wider tires and worn bushing, tie-rods, and rack. Also tire rotations front to rear will help to maintain and problem due to uneven wear.

How much play due you have before the wheels start turning with the car running and gears in park?