I switched from 17X7.5/f 8.5/r to 17X9 all around, and now the steering feels a lot less precise up front. Before, the car had a really tight feel, but now it is a lot softer.

What are the options to alleviate this?

Thanks a lot,
Miles

 

Nothing you can do about it. That is the nature of wider tires.

 

I didn't get this feeling at all when I went from my factory ap2 wheels up to 17x9s w/255s all around. Maybe it did change and I didn't notice it. I actually though it felt better with the larger tires up front.

 

What else did you change along with the wheels? New/different tires? Alignment?

 

you wont notice it soon enough... i had a similar feeling eventually once i got the hang of it the steering feels much better than before

 

u need a sway bar when u do non stagger. oem one doensnt cut it with all that extra grip up front

 

Curious.

Did you happen to get new tires with the wheels? I know that when I put any new tires on my wheels that things feel less responsive, but after a couple of hundred miles, all is good.

Just a thought.

-Dave

 

I bet Dave nailed it. You went from worn tires with little to no tread squirm and you are probably now on fresh unshaved tires with lots of tread squirm.

 

And larger tires up front.

Wider tires just seem more vague in transitions than do narrower tires.

That's not to say they are slower, except in very tight situations, they just feel different.

 

This and you have to consider the construction differences in the new tires as well. Some brands/models of tires have stiffer/softer sidewalls than others. Some have big squirmy blocks and some don't.

Also, with the extra wide tire and the caster, the car will dart around more on road imperfections.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you may not need a bigger bar up front. I just put 255s on all four corners and I think the balance is fine. I have an '06