Tired of buying new tires

Topic: Tired of buying new tires (Read 6250 times) previous topic - next topic

Tired of buying new tires

Reply #15 – December 29, 2005, 09:17:03 PM

I bought my 87 bird with engine knock then rebuilt motor and got new tires and went to Alignment shop where they told me that my frame or suspension must have sustained damage and thus proper CASTER was unobtainable. Yeah, well I changed the A-ARM bushings (rubber ones from NAPA) and guess what? I have positive caster. Sadly it still pulls ever so slightly to the left and I need to get it re-aligned but I strongly suspect, even without readout from alignment machine, I now have positive caster because of the way it drives. Previously, (after alignment noted above) the car would go perfectly straight, stop straight, had toe-in and camber within spec - but it was so skittish that the merest turn of the steering wheel put me in the next lane and after turning the steering wheel the steering wheel did not return without driver unwinding it back. I am not a good enough driver to handle this 0 degree camber stuff. ANYWAY.... Changing the A-ARM bushings and the sway bar bushings provided dramatic results. Bird now handles more like I expected it would. Note, I did it myself, in the garage with regular tools. I am anxious to do the rear suspension bushings, new steering rack bushings, and a new xmission mount. (already have new motor mounts) I strongly encourage anyone with an old car like this to change the bushings in the suspension, you will not be sorry. Price of Bushings = approx $95 for A-arms, $20 for swaybar. Plus, I had to pay someone at shop $25 to put A-arms on huge metal workbench in the jaws of gigantic vise and use mini-sledge hammer to pound out old bushings and pound in new bushing of A-Arm. I did not have spring compressor T82P-5310-A as reccommended in manual. And.... the compressors from AutoZone etc do not work - neither the one that goes thru spring (too short and jaws too big) nor the side mount (no clearance) I am considering putting in a few pics and some tips on doing this if anyone is interested. Peace out

Tired of buying new tires

Reply #16 – December 29, 2005, 09:30:07 PM

Tired of buying new tires

Reply #17 – March 01, 2006, 12:35:18 PM

I have switched to 265/50r15 on turbines and the wear on the outside is excellent much stiffer sidewall and handling improved greatly but they rub in extreme situations like hard braking while cornering so i would not recommed these unless you get the right backspacing on your rims, but switching to something like a 245 and you would probibly be ok but the sidewall is the key. You have to pick a width 245, 265, 225, 315 etc. Then the second number is a percentage of the first number, mine for example 265/50, means that my sidewall is fifty percent of 265mm so my sidewall is 132.5mm tall and on a stock 225/70 the sidewall is 157.5mm tall not nearly as stiff and would tend to lean out from the contact patch when cornering. That combined with caster/camber adjustments or lack therof can cause that strange wear pattern.

Tired of buying new tires

Reply #18 – March 01, 2006, 01:15:30 PM

265's on a 7" wide wheel? That's too wide for that wheel...

Tired of buying new tires

Reply #19 – March 02, 2006, 12:18:36 PM

but they look sweet and the turbines are 15x8

Tired of buying new tires

Reply #20 – March 02, 2006, 01:41:01 PM

No...they are 15x7....the width measurement is on the INSIDE ...

too wide of a tire on a 15x7 Turbine...

Reply #21 – March 26, 2006, 05:20:18 PM

For a few days last summer, I had some issues with some tires I'd bought at a rather well-known and prolific discount store chain, and as a result, had to put 2 275/60/15 BFG's on the back(all I had till I got paid again), on turbines, and while they did look cool as heck, they rubbed on rough roads, and when there was more than usual weight in the back or trunk.
The thing was so squirrely and loose on any road, that it would scare anybody, I took em off after about 4 days, and got some correct size tires on it.