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Re: Mid Year Tire Fit?
Duke, you've probably started a run on these tires. I just ordered mine. Thanks.
Steve
Duke, you've probably started a run on these tires. I just ordered mine. Thanks.
Steve
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Re: Mid Year Tire Fit?
No experience with C1s, and I've never seen any C1 OE alignment specs. Radial tire toe-in should be established at about 1/16" for any car. As a rule, negative camber improves handling, and high positive caster improves handling and on-center steering feel, but increases steering effort, particularly at low speed.
DukeComment
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PS
Another general rule I have is to set the alignment at the maximum negative camber and maximum positive caster available within the alignment adjustment. On a modern car model where power steering is standard, caster settings are almost universally higher in the positive direction than on older cars where power steering was only an option.
For example, using this philosophy on my '88 MBZ 190E 2.6 I got negative 3/4 degree camber and plus 10.5 degrees and caster. You could never run this much caster on a non-power steering car.
My Cosworth Vega is another interesting case. The OE spec camber/caster is +0.25/-0.75 degrees. For for a long time I ran -1/0. Zero was as far as the caster would go in the positive direction. The geometry is such that as you increase negative camber positive caster is lost. I now have it set at -2/-0.75, which improves handling, but the on-center feel is not that good, and I'm getting some inside wear, so I may go back to -1/0, which was a pretty good all around setting for street and occasional hot lapping sessions on tracks.
Alignment is a chassis tuning parameter, just like the initial, centrifugal, and vacuum advance on the engine that together form the ignition advance map. Like the OE ignition map, the OE alignment settings are a compromise for the "average driver" and they can be tuned to a driver's preference. In most cases it's a matter of experimentation, and I've been doing my own alignments for the last twenty years with an inclinometer and carpenters tape. It can be time consuming the the results are worth the effort, and the basic rule of maximum negative camber and maximum positive caster within the alignment adjustment is usually a good starting point.
One day about ten years ago while evaluating and analysing the front suspension on my Cosworth Vega I realized that if I swapped the upper control arms side to side I could get negative camber and much higher positive caster, so I did it. I recall that I set the camber at -1 and the caster at the minimum setting, which turned out to be about +6. Time for a test drive. The turn-in response was utterly instantaneous, but the steering was very heavy and had enough kickback to damned near brake your arms. Not all experiments are successful, but as in the case of this one, it was worth the try to gain the insight.
Duke
DukeComment
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One More Pic
They are about 7 1/2" wide at the tread.Comment
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No tax? Wrong.
A few people have made reference to ordering from Tire Rack and other companies over the 'Net or catalog sales and adding the comment "no tax." For the record, you most certainly do owe tax on all retail purchases (unless you live in one of the very few states with no use tax laws)... if the company selling the items to you at retail do not charge you tax, you owe it directly to your home state.............Comment
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Re: PS
inclinometer and a carpenter's tape? Please tell me more. Difficult to do yourself? Need anything more than those and a level garage floor to set front & rear alignments at home?Comment
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White Walls?
Anyone ever had white walls applied to a set of P4000s? Pictures? I know it can be done but am not sure how it would look with the white stripe through the writing on the walls of the tires.Comment
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Re: White Walls?
note that when "they" (I assume you mean an outfit like DiamondBack) apply a white, red or gold stripe to a current production tire, "they" first mill or melt off the lettering, etc. that is on that side of the tire, you end up with a rather correct-looking smooth face (well, not correct by this joint's standards!)
If I had a camera handy I would go down and snap a pic of my Goldlines, "they" applied a goldline to new Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s, removing all of that raised white letter information (and all other information on that side of the tire) in the process . . . .65 MM Convertible, L76 (365 hp)Comment
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Re: PS
That's all it takes. Most modern houses have a flat enough garage floor to qualify as a "surface plate". The inclinometer can be used to take camber readings directly. Caster is determined by taking camber readings with the wheel at full steering lock, left and right. The difference is the caster.
It's time consuming and it takes a little practice to develop consistent readings, but it works.
DukeComment
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Re: One More Pic
I just checked the tire rack site and they have the P4000 in 215VR-65 on colseout for only $55. Is it worth the savings to go to the 65 size?Comment
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Re: One More Pic
Scott,
I am not an expert on tires. I will leave the reply to those more in the know. But as an example of a C2 with a lower aspect tire I offer this pic of a 1966 with Michelin Pilot 225-60R/15s.Comment
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Re: One More Pic
They'll work, but add about five percent to speedometer error. If there is a driven gear with one more tooth than was it presently installed and correct for the installed axle ratio, then you can eliminate the error.
DukrComment
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Re: No tax? Wrong.
Michigan got clever on collecting sales/use tax on out-of-state/internet/phone purchases about five years ago; when you fill out your state income tax return, there's a formula percentage to apply against your AGI, and you add the result to the regular tax you owe. If you don't add it, it's audit time, then I suppose they expect you to prove you don't have a computer, telephone, envelopes, or postage stamps with which to make out-of-state purchases. They can't figure out how to fix the roads, but they sure have the taxes figured outComment
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Re: White Walls?
Did DiamondBack do your goldlines? If so did you send tires to them or did they sell you the tire and do the work to add the stripe? Most importantly, are you happy with how they came out?Comment
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Re: White Walls?
Jack,
That sounds like a bizarre procedure to me. You end up with a "no brand name" tire whose side wall has been damaged??Comment
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