Tire Tracking Question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 318
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From: Gilbert Arizona
Tire Tracking Question
I tried to search this out but came up empty - I have 2 sets of wheels and tires. My Goodyear GSD3's are on aftermarket chrome thin spokes - my runflats are on stock painted thin spokes that came on my 01. I just switched back to the run flats - and they are tracking quite a bit, and my GS's did not track at all. I do not remember the Runflats tracking when I had them on about 6 months ago. I would like to get educated on Tracking. Why would one set track and not the other. I would also think that the G3's would be more likely to track due to the design and sidewall flex? Does air pressure play a role, and does reduction in tread depth also enter into the equation? Thanks in advance for any responses.....
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Why would one set track and not the other. I would also think that the G3's would be more likely to track due to the design and sidewall flex? Does air pressure play a role, and does reduction in tread depth also enter into the equation? Thanks in advance for any responses.....
Alignemnet has more to do with how the car tracks*.
Yes air pressure being equal on each side, not necessarly equal front to rear. Tread depth is only for rain water run off, not traction.
Now all roads are crowned, higher in the center then the edges, too allow water to run off. So if you take your hands off the steering wheel your car MAY slowly turn to the right.
Some alingment machines, Hunter for example, take the crown of the road and your car info consideration. SO on a normal road your car does not slowly move right. However, on a flat parking lot this same car will slowly move left, as there is no crown.
Race cars are aligned with out taking into consideration of road crown.
Checking your cars alignment is quite important when installing new tires.
(* track = distance between the center of the front tires, and the distance between the rear tires)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,071
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From: clackamas oregon
my runflats took a track and rut in the road like crazy. went to a non runflat and its all but completely solved the problem. i also had the car aligned twice before dumping the runflats. it would grab a rut and pull like wild after each time aligned the same as before. drove me nuts, i never had a properly working car do this that badly. changed the tires to firestone firehawk NON runflats and problem gone!!! i even went to bigger tires and still gone. now my suburban did it somewhat and put new narrower tires on it and had it aligned and the pull from ruts went away on it also. its like having two brand new cars again.
Last edited by rgtkst; Dec 16, 2006 at 08:48 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,037
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
The stiff side wall EMTs require a different alignment to keep them from following ruts, pavement seams, etc. I found a little toe in considerably reduced the tendency to follow every little ripple.
Bill
Bill
