or normal tracking thats normal with wide tires.
Tire Question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 187
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From: Orange Park Fl
Tire Question
I have had a set of BF Goodrich Comp TA's on my 86 that were installed in 1995. They have been regurlarly balanced and have been rotated (F to R). They currently have 15k miles on them. Lately, I've noticed the car tends to wander on certian road surfaces that were not an issue in the past. Do tires have a "useful life" that require I replace these even though the thread is still good?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
From: Orange Park Fl
Its been 2 years since it was aligned, but I've only put 2500 miles on the car since it was done. The aligment was set to zero across the board as outlined in a Corvette Fever article I read few years back. When I first drove the car after this was done , it tracked perfectly with no wander or sensitivity to the crown in the road. Now I get this floating feeling from the steering wheel. Do you think just sitting for that period of time with minimal road time require that another aligment needs to be done?
One other item done this Spring was I replaced the power steering fluid with fresh synthetic (turkey baster method). I did this because I would get a small power steering leak from the left side of the rack in cold weather (40-50 degrees FLA cold). Never had the morning sickness. No leaks since the fluid replacment, but did using the synthetic change how the rack responds?
Thanks for the help!
One other item done this Spring was I replaced the power steering fluid with fresh synthetic (turkey baster method). I did this because I would get a small power steering leak from the left side of the rack in cold weather (40-50 degrees FLA cold). Never had the morning sickness. No leaks since the fluid replacment, but did using the synthetic change how the rack responds?
Thanks for the help!
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Tire manufactuers are now talking about 4-5 year life for tires regardless of tread wear. After that the rubber compund tends to go hard and loses traction. Even though no weather craking is visible, the tires can loose their grip. this phenomenon may be teh cause of your wandering.
Racer
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 472
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From: Tampa Bay Area
Originally Posted by Kens86
I have had a set of BF Goodrich Comp TA's on my 86 that were installed in 1995.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 88,393
Likes: 2
From: eville in
Originally Posted by rws.1
Tire manufactuers are now talking about 4-5 year life for tires regardless of tread wear. After that the rubber compund tends to go hard and loses traction. Even though no weather craking is visible, the tires can loose their grip. this phenomenon may be teh cause of your wandering.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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Just put a set of Kumho Ecsta MX's on my '91 Vert (based on consensus from a thread on this Forum), and now the car darts a little (it tracked perfectly with the Potenzas). FWIW: My experience has been that wandering or darting is typically caused by toe-out. It's going into the front-end shop soon for an alignment.
