A&Q about 350Z
Q:
I agree.
I have Good Year Eagle F1's all the way around.
A little softer ride than the Potenzas, so I inflated them to 37lbs all the way around.
SWEET!
-Zanioed '03 Le Mans Sunset Touring Coupe w/ Nav.
A:
If you run a larger diameter tire on the rear, you can get sloppier handling. This is because the sidewall doesn't head straight perpendicular to the ground on a wider tire, instead it heads more outward, resulting in a looser relationship between rim location and tread location. What I don't know is if 5mm per side should have that affect - but it certainly could be a factor.
Believe only what you think, not what you feel.
A:
The Michellin side walls are probably a little softer than the Bridgestones. I would fill them to like 37-40psi to stiffen them up a bit. You notice a stiffer ride then. You'll probably notice the tire will wear a little quicker in the center area.
When you can get a couple more Michellins for the front end. They will work better together.
I have had to trade out tires because of this in the past as well.
On my Z31 I had Yokohomas on the front and drove them for 20K miles wandering all over the road. The alignment was right. Everything in the suspension was tight. I just thought it was a old car and things were building up as looseness. It wasn't too bad but it took a lot of corrections on rougher roads than I thought. However, the car went straight and smoothly on freeways.
I installed BFG G-force tires on the car with stiffer side walls and different tread and it was like a new car. Doh !!! Had I known that I would have changed those Yok's out a year earlier.
I like the BFG so well, I am considering it for my 350Z even though it is a level down from the Goodyears F1 D3's. I have had such good luck with those and they are half the price.
I know the Bridgestones are crud but, I just can't afford to buy another set right now. The tire handles well however, it's a bit harsh. There are other tires out there that handle better with less harshness. Like the Michellin A/S. I think in your case it's just tire pressure and getting two more for the front. One of another Z owner I know has them on his car. He races the car and has over 25K on the tires and shows very little wear. His are wearing a little faster in the middle. He might me high on the pressure as well for street driving.
"Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting"
Quote - Steve McQueen
'04 350Z Silverstone 6spd
Previous owner of 240, 280, and 300 Z's
A:
I think you are exactly correct, billsandi, about slightly mismatched tires causing handling differences to the bad. I got the free replacement fronts a year ago (Jan 05) and a buddy gave me some almost new other brand tires for the rear for this past winter. The rears are 245/45/17s instead of the correct 235/50/17s for my enthusiast model. Now I just put those miss sized rear tires on to get through the winter and I plan to buy new tires soon as the replacement fronts wear out - probably this summer as they have about 20,000 miles on them. But the point is the mis sized rears and maybe differing brands front to rear (as some of you have mentioned) have caused some handling differences on the poorer side. And the "slip" light comes on somethimes in curves when I am clearly NOT slipping at all. I can stop to slip problemo by turning TCS off but there are other aspects as you described. My car seems to "wander" a bit when steering loosely as well. And the rear end does not perform quite as well in curves either. I am glad to have read this thread and it reinforces some things I have been thinking and adjusts my thinking on some things I have been wondering about. I hope to have all this corrected and go to the goodyear eagle F1s all around this summer.
I really appreciate the info all of you have given me on this thread. And if I am not careful, I just may have learned something... (Even a blind pig finds an acorn every now and then, ha. I am speaking of myself here, of course.)
Post Edited (Apr 1, 11:53am)