Just done! TIRES and Alignment. What things cost now.
12-28-2004, 12:59 AM
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Just done! TIRES and Alignment. What things cost now.
Just installed today...
4- 315/35/17ZR Michelin Pilot Sports...
Tire Rack says..$350 each plus taxes and shipping.
I got lucky. Mine were a gift from a friend who works for Skip Barber Racing. I could never afford these if I had to buy them.
Installation, Balance and 4-wheel Alignment by Accurate Alignment in Orange, CA.
Mount 4 tires, balance, new metal valve stems = $80.00
4-wheel alignment to my custom specs = $125.00. No shims required. In fact, they kept mine! Print-out received, before and after.
Tire disposal fee = $16.00
TOTAL LABOR = $225.00
1987 Coupe Alignment specs according to print-out.
FRONT-Left FRONT-Right
Caster: +5.44 +6.24
Camber: -1.12 -1.12
Toe: +1/32" +1/32"
REAR-Left REAR-Right
Camber: -1.32 -1.20
Toe: +1/16" +1/16"
Thrust Angle: Both sides = 0.00
I'm a little concerned about the differernce in front castor from left to right. But the boss looked at the print-out and didn't say anything. I didn't look the print-out over good until I got home. I was mostly concerned with getting the camber I wanted with those wide tires while I was at the shop.
I weight 270 pounds so I asked if that much weight on the left side would change the camber settings when I sat in it. He said yeah, about -1/8 a degree more on the left and +1/8 degree on the right. He also said I wouldn't notice any difference.
The car seemed to drive fine on the way home but it was raining and I didn't give it a real test. The balance could be better but I don't think it was the tire/wheel combo. I noticed a difference in balance when I put on those crappy SR drilled and slotted rotors. I think a front rotor is out-of-balance. It seems SR doesn't paint the rotors after the machine work and I had to take them all off after installation and paint them when they turned bright redish/orange from rust. Everywhere but the part the pad runs on. And if you think painting a rotor without getting any paint on flat area isn't a real PITA, you are mistaken. It would have been a simple job to paint them before machining at SR because they could coat the entire rotor then cut off the paint on the friction surface. They have to do it anyway, but no! Stay away from SR Rotors.
BTW, by using a wheel with the later-model off set on an early model car, I can use that wide 315 tire on all 4's. The ROH wheels are still only 9.5" but the wheels tuck inside the wheel well more keeping the outer edge of the tire from digging into the fiberglass on hard bumps. But they do rub just a tad on the inside at full lock on the frame rails. Nothing a little grinding and undercoating won't fix.
Don't try the 315 trick in the front on a wheel with the correct backspacing. It won't work. Michelin did make a 315/35/16ZR tire that worked fine but the 17's are a bit tricky. If you get it right, there's tons of grip but you have to stay under 30lbs of air-pressure in the rear or the tires wear out in the center because of the narrower wheel. I typically run 26lbs in the front and 28lbs in the rear.
In case you are wondering, the reason for all that negative camber in the front is because the wider the tire there, the more the outer-edge wants to wear. -1.0 or more degrees keeps the tire wearing flat.
COMMENTS?
BIG JIM
4- 315/35/17ZR Michelin Pilot Sports...
Tire Rack says..$350 each plus taxes and shipping.
I got lucky. Mine were a gift from a friend who works for Skip Barber Racing. I could never afford these if I had to buy them.
Installation, Balance and 4-wheel Alignment by Accurate Alignment in Orange, CA.
Mount 4 tires, balance, new metal valve stems = $80.00
4-wheel alignment to my custom specs = $125.00. No shims required. In fact, they kept mine! Print-out received, before and after.
Tire disposal fee = $16.00
TOTAL LABOR = $225.00
1987 Coupe Alignment specs according to print-out.
FRONT-Left FRONT-Right
Caster: +5.44 +6.24
Camber: -1.12 -1.12
Toe: +1/32" +1/32"
REAR-Left REAR-Right
Camber: -1.32 -1.20
Toe: +1/16" +1/16"
Thrust Angle: Both sides = 0.00
I'm a little concerned about the differernce in front castor from left to right. But the boss looked at the print-out and didn't say anything. I didn't look the print-out over good until I got home. I was mostly concerned with getting the camber I wanted with those wide tires while I was at the shop.
I weight 270 pounds so I asked if that much weight on the left side would change the camber settings when I sat in it. He said yeah, about -1/8 a degree more on the left and +1/8 degree on the right. He also said I wouldn't notice any difference.
The car seemed to drive fine on the way home but it was raining and I didn't give it a real test. The balance could be better but I don't think it was the tire/wheel combo. I noticed a difference in balance when I put on those crappy SR drilled and slotted rotors. I think a front rotor is out-of-balance. It seems SR doesn't paint the rotors after the machine work and I had to take them all off after installation and paint them when they turned bright redish/orange from rust. Everywhere but the part the pad runs on. And if you think painting a rotor without getting any paint on flat area isn't a real PITA, you are mistaken. It would have been a simple job to paint them before machining at SR because they could coat the entire rotor then cut off the paint on the friction surface. They have to do it anyway, but no! Stay away from SR Rotors.
BTW, by using a wheel with the later-model off set on an early model car, I can use that wide 315 tire on all 4's. The ROH wheels are still only 9.5" but the wheels tuck inside the wheel well more keeping the outer edge of the tire from digging into the fiberglass on hard bumps. But they do rub just a tad on the inside at full lock on the frame rails. Nothing a little grinding and undercoating won't fix.
Don't try the 315 trick in the front on a wheel with the correct backspacing. It won't work. Michelin did make a 315/35/16ZR tire that worked fine but the 17's are a bit tricky. If you get it right, there's tons of grip but you have to stay under 30lbs of air-pressure in the rear or the tires wear out in the center because of the narrower wheel. I typically run 26lbs in the front and 28lbs in the rear.
In case you are wondering, the reason for all that negative camber in the front is because the wider the tire there, the more the outer-edge wants to wear. -1.0 or more degrees keeps the tire wearing flat.
COMMENTS?
BIG JIM
12-28-2004, 01:15 AM
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Originally Posted by BIG JIM 54
I'm a little concerned about the differernce in front castor from left to right. But the boss looked at the print-out and didn't say anything. I didn't look the print-out over good until I got home. I was mostly concerned with getting the camber I wanted with those wide tires while I was at the shop.
BTW, I didn't know that you can stuff 315s onto the front of 84-87s by using 88-96 offsets.
12-28-2004, 09:46 AM
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Where did you find those tires through Tire Rack? I keep browsing their site and I can't find them. I need 2 of the 315's for the rear of my car. I already have the fronts.
12-28-2004, 11:29 AM
#6
Tech Contributor
Originally Posted by kwik_ta
Where did you find those tires through Tire Rack? I keep browsing their site and I can't find them. I need 2 of the 315's for the rear of my car. I already have the fronts.
12-28-2004, 11:39 AM
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Originally Posted by 96GS#007
Michellin discontinued the Pilot Sports in the 315/35/17 size around a year ago.
Big Jim: are those alignment specs the factory settings? or is that specific to any class of racing?
Last edited by kwik_ta; 12-28-2004 at 11:42 AM.