Kwyjibo

I traded my oem wheels/tires for a set of SSR GT1s. I kept my rear tires, and the fronts are now toyo tr1s.

I haven't gotten an alignment yet, but will this saturday.

I've noticed on these Toyos that they hug the crevices and cracks in the road alot...i'll be driving along and the steering wheel just gets pulled to one side or another as the car rolls along a crack of bump in the asphalt.

Is this a funciton of more grip in the tire? To low a pressure? Not being aligned? Maybe not having the hubcentric rings? I can't figure it out....the stock fronts didn't do this, and the first time it happened was at 100mph on the fwy and i almost crapped my pants when the car started darting side to side....

thanks..

xviper

This is called "tramlining" and is a function of tread depth, tire brand and composition, tire air pressure, tire sizing (width, aspect ratio, diameter), tread pattern.

Race Miata

...and equally important -- wheel offset. What wheel offset is the front SSR?

Kwyjibo

wheels are

Front: 17x7 +45

Rear: 17x8 +45

i'm running 32psi all around now...used to run that on my WRX with mucho success. But i think i'm gonna try 34 front, 30 rear....

thanks.

Race Miata

The 10mm different in the front offset (+55 stock) is going to affect tramlining characteristics, with amount depending on camber and castor settings.

Kwyjibo

ok...did some reaserch on tramlining and looks like i'm just SOL. and have to live with it.

Maybe with an alignment on saturday the problem will lessen, and maybe when these tires wear out some different ones will tramline less...

damn i hate the roads in Los Angeles.....

truths2k05

kwyjibo, you are not alone I just replaced the tires on the S. And my car is doing the same exact thing at the same exact speed. I can describe it as a high speed drift of a sort. It will do it right or left, its like a high speed twitchiness. Let me know if that alignment helps. I had mine aligned but I did so with the new rears being on the car only. Then my fronts came in as they were on back order and I mounted and balanced them and added them to the mix. Anyone know if the alignment needs to be performed again now that all four tires are the same? Because my car is not acting the same. No vibration of any sort just this high speed drifting.

xviper

Just curious. Does this imply that all 4 tires are the same size? Is this the case with the first poster?

truths2k05

No the fronts are 225/45/17 and rears are 255/40/17. My question is do I have to get it aligned again due to the fact that the 225's were not on the car when I had it aligned a week ago. The stock 215's were.

xviper

No. If you had the stocks on there with those same rims and all was well then, it's not likely that the alignment is what's causing it. I'm pretty sure it's the new tires. I don't even think that an extra 10mm will make that kind of difference. I think it's just the kind of tire and tread pattern that is causing this tramlining. Following the ridges on the road surface is nothing new for most cars with wide performance tires. As long as it normally runs straight and true on a reletively flat, smooth surface, don't worry about it. Just know that this is a new trait of your car and prepare to adjust when you encounter such roads.