New tires issue?

[look 171]

Got new rear tires for my S2000. This is the first time I have experience new tires feeling strange. At fwy speed, I jerk the steering wheel a little, the car should turns. With these tires, they car feels like its isn't sure footed. It floats and jerks like its riding on really tall tires. Any ideas? I have heard new tires need cycling to grip. I am not sure its a grip issue. I can't believe rear tires affect handling on flat straight roads that much?

[slodave]

Greasy from the manufacturing process? May take 50+ miles to break them in.

[look 171]

Thanks, I hope so.

[WolfeMacleod]

By any chance were they Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3?

[slodave]

Originally Posted by WolfeMacleod

By any chance were they Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3?

Loved them! Even AX'd them until I put flat spots on all four and went with bigger rims and tires.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by look 171

Got new rear tires for my S2000. This is the first time I have experience new tires feeling strange. At fwy speed, I jerk the steering wheel a little, the car should turns. With these tires, they car feels like its isn't sure footed. It floats and jerks like its riding on really tall tires. Any ideas? I have heard new tires need cycling to grip. I am not sure its a grip issue. I can't believe rear tires affect handling on flat straight roads that much?

Hey... you... Homer... cut that out... don't be jerking the wheel like that at freeway speeds, okay?

Seriously, I have never experienced what you are talking about, but they will probably feel a little more secure after they've been scrubbed in a little. Make sure the pressures are correct, too.

Another thing to be aware of is that you should retorque the lugs after about 15-25 miles, because sometimes the goobers at the tire store don't get it right, and even when they do, it's a good idea to recheck things because sometimes there's a loosening effect that occurs.

You may already know that, and it's usually in the paperwork, but the guy at the counter rarely says anything about it.

[Noah930]

1. That new-tire sliminess from the stuff they put on the tire to pop it out of the mould at the factory. Should wear off soon.

2. Alignment?

3. Are all four wheels torqued properly? Finger loose lugs can cause what you describe. BTDT in a friend's car after he had a tire shop install new rubber for him.

4. Inflation pressure correct? Or is one tire at 15 psi?

5. Have you ever run these tires before? I had a set of Nittos mebbe 15 years ago that wandered like crazy on our concrete SoCal hwys. Even passengers noticed the unsettling weaving the car would do on the highway. It wasn't my driving. It wasn't the alignment. I chalked it up to poor tread design.

[slodave]

Originally Posted by Noah930

5. Have you ever run these tires before? I had a set of Nittos mebbe 15 years ago that wandered like crazy on our concrete SoCal hwys. Even passengers noticed the unsettling weaving the car would do on the highway. It wasn't my driving. It wasn't the alignment. I chalked it up to poor tread design.

That would be tracking. The tires follow the grooves in the concrete. You can let go of the wheel and the car will feel like it is going all over the place, but it'll just follow the "straight" groove lines. Common if you have tires that are not within manufacturers specs.

[Noah930]

Unfortunately, the straight groove lines don't always follow the direction of the lane of travel.

I should have returned those, huh? How could I have told which of the 4 tires was suspect?

[slodave]

I first noticed it on my second Scirocco. I put wider rims and tires on. Driving over concrete at first unnerved me, so I went back and asked to the shop and asked what was going on. At the time, they said it was because the tires and rims were wider than what was designed by VW. That's all I have.

[Noah930]

Sounds like a bunch of BS--at least extrapolated to my situation. The Nittos I put on my were in the stock 195/55/15 size.

[slodave]

I ran Nittos back then.

[look 171]

alignment is perfect. time will tell.

Dave, tell me about flat spots. I have a set of new tires on the 930. its been sitting due to family duties. Every time I go out and drive it, it feels like its rolling over a piece of brick. Slowly, it goes away after 5-10 miles of driving.

[Noah930]

I think Dave flatspotted his tires in the good ole locked 'em all up fashion. 5-10 minutes of further driving didn't help that out.

[slodave]

Different flat spots. If you have stock profiles on the 930 and let it sit for an extended period of time (couple/few weeks), the tires will temporarily "flat spot". Weight of car, rubber will harden slightly until warm again. My flat spots were from autocrossing and locking up the brakes. These flat spots never go away.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by slodave

Loved them! Even AX'd them until I put flat spots on all four and went with bigger rims and tires.

Really? I hate mine. Car is so wobbly and greasy feeling, it's almost scary. Even after having John Walker do new shocks and having an alignment done by a highly recommended place here in 2008, it was still wobbly...
During an Autocross school here one of our instructors remarked that he was amazed I could keep the car in a straight line.

[slodave]

I went through 2 sets on the street. The 3rd and last, were street and lastly ax. They are a tire designed for rain - though, I ran them in dry weather. I liked them.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by look 171

I have a set of new tires on the 930. its been sitting due to family duties. Every time I go out and drive it, it feels like its rolling over a piece of brick. Slowly, it goes away after 5-10 miles of driving.

Put it on jackstands when you're not driving it... problem solved.

[slodave]

^^^ That is one answer for long term storage. There are special blocks you can buy to prevent this or, just deal with it for about 15 minutes.

[LenitaUllrich]

BTDT in a friend's car after he had a tire shop install new rubber for him.