Almost spun out on the freeway after alignment.

[pher.da.rico]

so I had recently got new tires in the back 245 40 18. & in the front I have 245 35 18.
I raised the back due to excessive rubbing.
My fender was carving my tires side wall all around on both tires in the back. So after I raised it I drove and it would swerve at high speeds. I figure I need an alignment !
So I go to a pretty well know tire shop
(BEST TIRE SHOP OF FONTANA)
After doing so it felt centered on the streets hands off the wheel test and all.
I get on the freeway way I do a pull to see if the alignment fixed my “swaying” issue
I’m at about 90 on a verrry gradual curve
Any car could make this “turn”.
Once I pass this turn my car begins to sway again I tried to re-center while letting off the gas but it felt like it wasn’t responding to the steering. Eventually the car went sideways right to left 2 times before I pulled the
E-brake and regained control.
Which left me wondering if not my alignment
What is the source of my steering issue ?
My tire setup?
Thanks for reading and excuse my ignorance.


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[thomasmryan]

punching those sizes into a search engine yields rolling diameter of 26" in the rear and 24.8" in the front.


did the dash light up?

[pher.da.rico]

And is that where the issue is ? Again excuse my ignorance!
And my tracation control was off but no CEL.
My tire pressure light has always been on due to aftermarket wheels. Everything was back to normal


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[ZDan]

Pulling the e-brake to "regain control"?! FFS, don't do that.

Car begins to sway and you lift off the gas = BAD move. Lift-throttle oversteer. Further exacerbated by pulling the parking brake. Jeezus...

Why did you get rear tires 1" taller than stock and front tires? I think you'd be better off with 245/35-18 all around but honestly I think it's the least of your issues...

Would be good to know your alignment settings as well but primarily get some learnin on basic car control.

[pher.da.rico]

I was already sideways for the 4th time till I pulled the ebrake. It wasn’t until I did so that I regained control of my car and left without a scratch thank you for the second half of your response tho


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[pher.da.rico]

Originally Posted by thomasmryan

punching those sizes into a search engine yields rolling diameter of 26" in the rear and 24.8" in the front.


did the dash light up?

And is that where the issue is ? Again excuse my ignorance!
And my tracation control was off but no CEL.
My tire pressure light has always been on due to aftermarket wheels. Everything was back to normal


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[pher.da.rico]

Originally Posted by ZDan

Pulling the e-brake to "regain control"?! FFS, don't do that.

Car begins to sway and you lift off the gas = BAD move. Lift-throttle oversteer. Further exacerbated by pulling the parking brake. Jeezus...

Why did you get rear tires 1" taller than stock and front tires? I think you'd be better off with 245/35-18 all around but honestly I think it's the least of your issues...

Would be good to know your alignment settings as well but primarily get some learnin on basic car control.

I was already sideways for the 4th time till I pulled the ebrake. It wasn’t until I did so that I regained control of my car and left without a scratch thank you for the second half of your response tho


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[Yoshoobaroo]

Why are you running different aspect ratios front to back?

Post the alignment printout, we need more info.

[pher.da.rico]

Originally Posted by Yoshoobaroo

Why are you running different aspect ratios front to back?

Post the alignment printout, we need more info.

Because I decided to run different tires in the back which came in different sizes none including the sizes I have in the front so I went with the 245 40 18 not realizing the effect it would have on my car. And the tire shop didn’t give me any details just gave me the car and that was all.


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[thatfilipinoguy]

These tires were brand new? If they were, they have to be worn in first for a few hundred miles or so. The mold release oil/gel that they use during the manufacturing process make them very slick.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by pher.da.rico

Because I decided to run different tires in the back which came in different sizes none including the sizes I have in the front so I went with the 245 40 18 not realizing the effect it would have on my car. And the tire shop didn’t give me any details just gave me the car and that was all.


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Ok. Here's some advice on this for yours and everyone else's safety.

1. DO NOT run different tire compounds/treads front and back and expect to be safe at any speed greater than 10 below the speed limit for a given road.
2. DO NOT turn off traction control if you are at all unsure about your ability to keep the car in line (whether due to ducked up suspension or any other cause), especially if you are not following item 1.
3. DO NOT run different diameter tires on cars that aren't designed for them from the start.
4. If any of the above seem like a solution to a problem, find a different solution.


Now that we are through the don't-dos, here are some things you should do.

5. Do some research on "Traction Control", "Vehicle Stability Control", "Automatic Braking System", and "Electronic Brake Force Distribution". When you can explain to someone how they all work in detail, that is when you will understand your mistakes.
6. Do some research on tires concerning their construction and variety. When you can explain to someone what makes one tire different than another in detail, you will be able to make informed decisions regarding what tires to put on your car and how that may affect it's dynamics.
7. Do some research on suspension geometry. It sounds like you may have some seriously compromised aftermarket suspension setup if you are rubbing the sidewalls of tires.

[pher.da.rico]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Ok. Here's some advice on this for yours and everyone else's safety.

1. DO NOT run different tire compounds/treads front and back and expect to be safe at any speed greater than 10 below the speed limit for a given road.
2. DO NOT turn off traction control if you are at all unsure about your ability to keep the car in line (whether due to ducked up suspension or any other cause), especially if you are not following item 1.
3. DO NOT run different diameter tires on cars that aren't designed for them from the start.
4. If any of the above seem like a solution to a problem, find a different solution.


Now that we are through the don't-dos, here are some things you should do.

5. Do some research on "Traction Control", "Vehicle Stability Control", "Automatic Braking System", and "Electronic Brake Force Distribution". When you can explain to someone how they all work in detail, that is when you will understand your mistakes.
6. Do some research on tires concerning their construction and variety. When you can explain to someone what makes one tire different than another in detail, you will be able to make informed decisions regarding what tires to put on your car and how that may affect it's dynamics.
7. Do some research on suspension geometry. It sounds like you may have some seriously compromised aftermarket suspension setup if you are rubbing the sidewalls of tires.

Thank you !


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[EAGLE5]

If you lease a car, run over-sized tires all around so you can get extra miles on the lease. For the Spark, I needed wheel spacers and spring helpers in the front, and had to swap the different offset front and back wheels to do it. In the end, I got a better ride, better handling, and 1500 miles of extra range. Oh, and a higher top speed.

[tian105]

New tires have poor traction in my experience.. Drive them for a bit and you should be fine..