North American Turbocoupe Organization

Full Version: Did I waste my MONEY???
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I just put in new Struts, Shocks and Tires. I bought the shocks and struts from NAPA auto, they are Monroe Sensitrac. They seem very firm, the problem is the ass end of the car seems to sag abit, Is this caused from worn springs? Also the tires are H rated 255R60/16s and are made by Firestone model Affinity. Now with these new tires and alignment the car FEELS like it dosnt respond as quick, little movements in the steering wheel cause it to sway in the road. It feels like the ass of the car hesitates to catch the front of the car. Could this be from the tires being to Tall? My wore out tires of the same size different brand handled better than the new, ANY IDEAS???
It pisses me of!!! THAT WAS ABOUT $800.00 dollars worth of what seems to be nothing!! I MUST GO CRY NOW.
Sagging is probably spring related, and if it IS the springs, that could contribute to the swaying in the rear. And, a 255 tire (if you typed that right), on what I'm assuming is a stock rim, is too wide- that's probably part of the problem as well.

What's your tire pressure? If the tires are really 225s, check the pressure, if it's too low, the tail will wag.

Also, although what's done is done, I would never put a tire with a lower than stock speed rating on my car.

What's the load rating on the Affinity's?

Oh, and the Monroe's are good stuff. No worries there.

--n8

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What every bird needs
Yes, the sagging will be a spring problem for sure. They are super easy to replace on the rear though, you can do it in the driveway with no special tools. And I hate to tell you this, but Affinity tires are garbage. They are a very low-end econo car passenger tire, but what is done is done. Run them at at least 36psi and they should feel a little better. Smoke the snot out of them whenever you can and then buy better tires [Image: wink.gif]

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Unless you're the lead dog, the view never changes.

Noname

Quote:Originally posted by SquealinChick'nBirdofPrey:
Also the tires are H rated 255R60/16s and are made by Firestone model Affinity.

You might want to double check that....the affinity isn't made in a size larger than the stock 225/60r16. Like natmac said, I'd start by checking your air pressure and go from there.

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Estoril blue 1987 TC 5spd, 147k miles
PRofec B, kirban fpr, walbro 255 pump, Bailey BOV, Spearco 26x8x3 FMIC, rod's header, a237 cam, t3/t4 50 trim / stage III .63, 3" exhaust, eec-tuner, 55pph injectors,
Best ET to date: 13.38 @ 103.77mph...2.022 60'
i jot 245 w/ cobra 17x9 rims (rear) no wagging in my tail. I love the way it handled when i put them on. I seemed an even firmer ride.

[This message has been edited by redturbo (edited 04-08-2004).]
Hey thanks for the replies, Yes I ment to say 225r60/16s this is the stock tire size correct?
natmac3 does speed rating effect low speed handlability because with the H rating of the Affinitys thats good to 130 MPH. I normally never see even close to that in my car. I tend to keep it under 100 MPH. With the V speed rating thats good to 149 MPH. I dont think my auto bird would come close to the top speed of a manual bird of 143 MPH. So I guess my question is this,would a V rated tire out perform a H rated tire at low speeds?
V probably wouldn't outperform H around town by more than a margin.

I don't think the speed rating would be a big contributing factor to the swaying, but for safety sake, keep at least V-rated tires on it.

The higher rating handles heat better and is much more stable at speed, but I can't say it would perform any different around town and at low speed. If you don't plan on really pushing the car, then you should be fine with an H-rated tire.

I think the load rating is more important for everyday driving, and although in a perfect world I wouldn't have to ask, it's all too true that some shops will throw anything on a car just to make a buck. Get the Numerical Load Rating, and make sure it's AT LEAST as high as the stock tires- if not, that will contribute to the swaying, and make it unsafe to do much but putt around town.

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What every bird needs
Yeah,I would say you will probably never need the V rated tire with a auto with little mods.The H rated tire will handle just about the same(almost as stiff of a sidewall) at anything under critical speeds.You will want to check your sidewall before you go putting 36 psi in your tires,most passenger car tires have a max psi of 34-35,some of the higher end ones go a shigh as 44 but just double check to be sure.It also maybe that if you are used to driving around all the time with your stock struts in firm mode that you are accustomed to a much stiffer ride than what the Monroe's will give you.I would second the motion that weak springs are giving you the ass sagging.

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"Finch....get the f*ck away from that fikas......that is a jizz-free fikas!"
I've run 36 psi in every tire I ever had on my TC, never had any problems with them. YMMV though. And yes, speed rating will affect how a tire handles. A V rated tire will outhandle a H rated tire of the same size. It's not just top speed rating, it's also an indication of the performance potential of the tire.

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Unless you're the lead dog, the view never changes.
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