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Wider wheels...new allignment needed?

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Old May 17, 2008 | 01:51 PM
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Default Wider wheels...new allignment needed?

I guess wider wheels do need a new allignment...

Infact I feel the car is slightly unbalanced with the new larger wheels, specially at speed and along wide bends taken in a hurry. It seems like having less grip front and changes of directions are slighter slower and less 'nervous' then before...

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Old May 17, 2008 | 06:10 PM
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changing the width of the wheels alone doesn't efect your static alignment. Now taking advantage of the wider wheels may mean changing the alignment. Now if the wider wheels effected your tires total height then this will effect both camber and toe.


Pat Kunz
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Old May 17, 2008 | 06:23 PM
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Originally Posted by 73 LS-4
.... Now if the wider wheels effected your tires total height then this will effect both camber and toe.


Pat Kunz
Thanks for the advice.

You must be right, infact rear tires height is the same old and new tires: 27.7'' BUT the front ones are quite different: 24' the old ones and 25.8' the new ones.

...and it's in the front where i feel the difference, mainly a slower driving wheel response.
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Old May 17, 2008 | 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted by 73 LS-4
Now if the wider wheels effected your tires total height then this will effect both camber and toe.


Pat Kunz
How would it do that? it won't! Camber, caster and toe are set by adjustments on the suspension (shims, tie rods) the tires have absolutely nothing to do with it.
The only thing affected by the total height is the scrub radius and this has an influence on steering feel, but also on steering effort, straight line tracking and road input into the steering wheel. The more scrub radius you have the larger the force arm, it can give you a wandering sensation. More caster can help there.
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Old May 18, 2008 | 09:12 AM
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Because the track at the rear is now visually more than it was previously, when compared to the front, you are inducing understeer. Initially try an increase in the front tyre pressures and if that is better you can try more camber on the front or lower the front of the vehicle slightly to get the balance back to where you feel comfortable. Whenever I have altered the balance it usually takes me a few runs to get the balance and feel back where I like it then the speed is there.

Dont be afraid to play with it and
Have a great day.
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