Ok, so this weekend I took my car over to America Tire and had my new tires and rims installed. I went from the factory 17x7 rims with 215x45x17 Michelin All Season Pilot MX4 to 18x7 HFP rims with 225x40x18 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 Max Performance.

I will hold my rant regarding America Tire taking my car out and running the crap out of it when they did the install (I did not wait for it, my mistake). They put 6 miles on the car and I could tell when I picked it up, they had run it HARD. Anyway.....

As soon as I left the parking lot the car felt like it was floating on the road. Not an alignment pull but more of a float. If I let go of the wheel, the car goes straight, but when I am just driving normal, the car feels like it floats from side to side a little. It is minor, but a strange feeling. When I accelerate hard, the car feels like it pulls slightly to the left as well. I did not get an alignment when I changed the tires since I just had one done a month ago when I installed the HFP suspension.

Is it save to assume that this is normal and I am just not use to driving on a High Performance tire? Do I need to get another alignment? Not sure why I would need another alignment since the overall size of the wheels and tires are about the same (just 3/4 inch wider really). All I had done, was have the wheels changed.

Thank in advance.

 

EY i know the feeling it only happends to me when im going 80 on the freeway. But this feeling was there since i got the car from the dealer so maybe its something wrong with the car or its just normal i dont know.

 

Hey there... which ATC did you go to in your area, just curious cause i work at the one here in Union City. There is no reason for anyone to take your car out which i doubt they did in the first place since our insurance only covers us in our lots. Get a few hundred miles on the tires and see if you are still gettting the same unsure feeling.

 

First of all I would raise hell with the GM of the tire place if there was somebody driving your car like that. Completley unacceptable.

As for the floating thing I'd imagine that some of it is due to the fact that you went with a slightly more low profile and "high performance" tire. I know for a fact that when I take my winter tire/wheel setup off(16"s with turanzas) and go back to my 17"s with PE2's I experience some of what your describing along with a bit harsher ride and more of a "sketchy" feeling on certain roads. Especially more evident after HFP suspension.

It could be something more serious but, IMO, it doesnt sound like much to be concerned with.. I imagine you'll get more acustomed to it after a while and it wont bother you. Also check the tire pressure as they may be over-inflated.

good luck charlie

 

its probably just your tires, they aren't broken in yet. i noticed something similar when i went to es100's.

 

Tires need a good breaking in. That's all it is.

 

ive got the same tires on my hfp's and love it just break em in..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by icrashed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey there... which ATC did you go to in your area, just curious cause i work at the one here in Union City. There is no reason for anyone to take your car out which i doubt they did in the first place since our insurance only covers us in our lots. Get a few hundred miles on the tires and see if you are still gettting the same unsure feeling. </TD></TR></TABLE>


I went to the one in Santa Clara, it is 2 miles from my house. I dropped the car off with 12,585 miles. We checked it when I dropped it off for the paperwork. When I got in the car to pick it up it had 12,591 miles. I did not make an issue about it because it was only 6 miles. It was not until I was taking off from the parking lot that I could tell the car had been run hard. There are signs like exhaust sound (hot exhaust is louder then cold), fuel response (ECU adjusting for Driving Style), ect. They had the car for 3 hours. They told me it would be about an hour and they would call then it was ready. After 3 hours I called them and that was when I learned it was ready.

No damage done, but someone did take the car for a joy ride. Next time I will just wait at the shop.

As for the tires, that's what I will do. I have not driven on performance tires for about 25 years. I figure I will give them a few hundred miles and see if the float goes away. I was mainly concern if I needed another alignment.

Thanks for you response.

 

you are way calmer then me.

i would raise hell

 

Have no fear

Ed said the same thing when he bought my time attacks with the f1's
they are a totally different tire... comliments the road being lighter and "doesnt drive as heavy"

Also if you look at the tread... there is no center bead... when you take a turn those slanted lines become the "center straight bead" and grip the road along with the same fo r channeling water

when i had gotten mine it was rainy for about a week

drove the same if not BETTER then dry conditions...

Un real tires... break them in and keep in mind your going from the 15th placed tires... to 1st.

 

I bought some Kumho AST in 225. And mine would move a ton side to side. . It was kind of scary on the highway.

 

If anyone ever drove my car that way... lets just say I would be raising a lot of hell with their general manager. That is totally unacceptable.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by M1K3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you are way calmer then me.

i would raise hell </TD></TR></TABLE>

+1 The Honda dealership put 3 miles on my previous turbo Civic. I SAW them take the car out and bone out down the street.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 24boosted &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

+1 The Honda dealership put 3 miles on my previous turbo Civic. I SAW them take the car out and bone out down the street. </TD></TR></TABLE>



Did you raise hell?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dope &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">



Did you raise hell?</TD></TR></TABLE>

When you get to be my age, the little things don't bother you so much. No, I did not raise hell. There was no damage done to the car so no harm done (in my mind). I have too many other things in my live to get upset about (teenage son with emotional issues, mother with cancer, ect).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 24boosted &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">+1 The Honda dealership put 3 miles on my previous turbo Civic. I SAW them take the car out and bone out down the street. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Wow... It would be a fight to the death if I saw that crap.

 

my gf used to have a msp like me and she had droppped it for service and the techs took the car out on a joy ride.....she had gone next door to a fast food joint and the car has a noticeable 'gobblegobble' bov sound........suffice to say she stormed over to the shop and her and the gm were waitin for the tech when he came back. she got the service and parts for free and a written statement of the abuse incase the car had issues after the date.

 

I just got my car out the body shop about 2 weeks ago, and ever since, things have seemed a little "squirrelly" to me as well. My car isn't making any noticable noises, just something doesn't feel right. I think you are probably just over concerned about your car (and who wouldn't be??), and everything is fine. Just my .02

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jonebone &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just got my car out the body shop about 2 weeks ago, and ever since, things have seemed a little "squirrelly" to me as well. My car isn't making any noticable noises, just something doesn't feel right. I think you are probably just over concerned about your car (and who wouldn't be??), and everything is fine. Just my .02</TD></TR></TABLE>

What does that have to do with his Goodyear F1's?

 

Make sure you have the correct air pressure in your tires. As far as I know, whenever I get new tires I always get that floating feeling(No, I am not on drugs!) break them In and you'll be fine

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FG2 khaotik &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If anyone ever drove my car that way... lets just say I would be raising a lot of hell with their general manager. That is totally unacceptable. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Indeed. The last person that mis-used my old car (Brake Check) got fired by the GM right in front of me.

Normally I wouldn't have made a big deal out of it, but I caught him red-handed and he denied it. Plus I could smell burning clutch.

The GM gave me free alignments for life at no charge and told me they would take care of any possible damages.

 

Like everyone said, you most likely just need to break the tires in. All tires have a compound applied to them from the factory to make it easier for them to be removed from the mold. Usually this takes about 200-300 miles to wear off, but on my F1 GS-D3 it took about 750 miles. Not a big deal, but take it easy while you are going through these miles.

Jon

EDIT: Good choice on tires, one of my top 3 favorites in the max po category.