1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Pirelli calendar is niccce.... Shame Pirelli doesn't post larger pics anymore.
Watch the toe, remember that fwd cars will start with a minor toe out in most cases to allow the tire to align more towards straight with increased speed/load. I haven't eyeballed a spec sheet for the alignment on a 9-3 but I am doubtful they are any different than the other 95% that will show a slight out setting. If you get to observe during the alignment and want to tinker with the settings remember a little can do a lot, don't have the technician start with a radical adjustment.
Greg is on the right track noting the cupping probably cannot be "corrected". From the sounds of it you are pretty heavily into the mileage on these tires which leaves too little tread to work with in a corrective sense after you verify how the symptom is occurring. For rotation I usually stick to simple front rear on the street as I almost always have unidirectional rubber mounted anyway. If you are not limited by that then you could indeed do a F-R same side then X the rears up to the front. Just be sure to keep track of your intentions to rotate that way so you don't end up with funky handling & tire wear.
Mechanically, cupping could correlate into something causing your front tires to oscillate on their axis while maintaining the negative camber resistance to the inside of the tire. Check your tie rods and your wheel bearings. Could be a minor adjustment or flaw on one of these items that is simply exposed in a major way if you drive aggressively.
On the bad tire note, indeed very possible. I recall the older P600 series being a trashy tire when they were popular some years back for example. Every maker has the good and bad (think about Dunlop and Michelin for good examples of really different bad results within their respective tire families). Bad tires will often surface with strange side effects that cannot really be explained (wear patterns, vibrations, etc.). Just simply a poorly/improperly built tire.
I've had much better luck with heavier fwd cars using Bridgestone or Yokohama tires. Their sidewall construction seems to work better with the heft of a 9-3 or similar fwd car (particularly the Yokohamas).
After having an second opinion on the car's alignment done I would turn to Pirelli to see if you can get any coverage under warranty. They weren't too bad to deal with in years past for me and a cheap or free set beats paying for new when possible. If they balk be sure to emphasize your willingness to turn to the competition and not look back. We received a good dose of assistance when we suggested going with Goodyear on our car at the track....
posted by 68.52.128...
, Fri, 22 Nov 2002 18:27:37
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