I wanted to go 255/45/18 in the rear, instead of 245/45/18
I totally didnt really pay attention to the stock size being a "96W" ...
my new ones are 99W and the handling just feels awful like the car barely is touching the road when i swerve. I remember when I had the stock size, it handled great, i would swerve and you could feel it gripping the road. I do need an alignment, would that help as well ?

is the 99w the problem ? should i lower the PSI ? i left them at 33~psi

 

lol, it is just because your new tires are taller than stock...

 

ugh .... son of a bitch ... should i have gotten 255/40/18 ?
or should i just go back to the previous size (stock size) ?

at this point i want to get the new ones asap

 

It shouldn't be that different for one size up but I had a similar issue with some Conti DWS's that size. It is like a quarter of an inch taller, how could it make such a difference in the handling?

 

I don't get it

I went with the 255/45-18 size with a 99w rating and I haven't had any problems whatsoever. The minor difference in diameter has been imperceptible (I ran 235/50-18 in the front).

The number followed by the letter is actually the load rating followed by the speed rating. Stock 96W tires are rated to hold 1565 lbs. per tire, whereas the 99W are rated to hold 1709 lbs. per tire. That's not a huge difference, but it is technically a little stiffer. If you were considering going down to a 40 series tire, you'd most likely feel similar stiffness.

I'm not sure what you're experiencing there, and I have to admit I'm not sure what you meant by "like the car barely is touching the road when i swerve", but I bet it has more to do with something other than the load rating spec. What brand tires do you go with anyway? Are they just slippery from still being new? Have you driven them enough to wear off the mold release oils? Was your alignment out before you got new tires?

 

Did you go from OEM spec bridgestones to something inferior?

Bridgestones are some of the most expensive tires for a really good reason.

 

i had hankooks before, (still do in the front)

I used to swerve from an item on the road and the car avoid it like a champ, now i try that, and just feels weird, like it wants to fish tail =l

I guess i will just keep this ones and until they were out blah

 

This is exactly the feeling I got from the 255/45 Conti's I tried out. I assumed the tires were defective and returned them. But it couldn't be just the size because the 255 is less than half a centimeter taller.

Although--as unlikely as this seems--he and I both went to the taller tire on the rear with the old tires on the front...could that tiny difference have cause the loose rear end feeling we both experienced?

 

probably, I just wonder if staying on 255, but switch to 40 would do the trick ... id like to know before i go to stock size hankooks again

 

No that really shouldn't make a difference.

Check the date codes on the tires, if they're relatively old then they are actually expired and the compound will actually become less grippy. Which would explain the rear wondering while the front stays planted.

 

#1 new tires have mold **** on the treads from mfg...these usually wear away in less than 100 miles...lack of trackion is normal until they are gone
#2 if your negative camber is set up like mine with over the 1-1/4 degrees they state in specs your car will handle very poorly until the tires have several thousands of miles...I now have 9000 on mine before I got full tread contact all the way across the tread, unfortunately the insides now have less than l/16" while the outside are like new.

 

dont get me wrong the tires do grip when it comes to a straight line, i used to spin in 1st, now with this ones, it doesnt even want to break loose.

just sucks when taking corners or swerving =/

I do need an alignment from it being lowered ... (been putting it off too long)
hope that helps

 

I went through some of this in my thread about it but it's not the lack of grip that is the problem, it's the feeling that the rear of the car is moving around. On old interstates where the pavement is wavy I literally had to constantly correct with the steering wheel due to the rear wandering around.

And around curves it wasn't the grip either...the Conti's gripped like crazy, especially under acceleration...it was this feeling that the back in is moving way more than it is supposed to without the tires sliding...

 

Im having the exact same problems with a set of new Potenza RE050A's in the rear. I originally bought 2 new potenza re760's 245/40/19's, if I would swurve or change lanes quickly the back felt like it was going to come loose they didnt grip very well around corners, on and off ramps especially, the slip light would come on and the back would loose grip, this has never happened before on new tires. I figured it was the sidewalls being too soft, so i went back to stock 245/40/19's with the RE050's. Now the car doesnt feel as loose or wiggle as much, but it still slips on corners and onramps which pisses me off. But maybe it needs more time to wear in IDK

 

Folks, you need to understand that due to mold release lubricant and full tread depth even the best tires will not grip as well when they are brand new. Here's a statement from Tire Rack . . .

Breaking In Your Tires:

Tires are comprised of many layers of rubber, steel and fabric. Due to these different components, your new tires require a break-in period to ensure that they deliver their normal ride quality and maximum performance. As tires are cured, a release lubricant is applied to prevent them from sticking in their mold. Some of the lubricant stays on the surface of your tires, reducing traction until it is worn away. Five hundred miles of easy acceleration, cornering and braking will allow the mold release lubricant to wear off, allowing the other tire components to begin working together. It is also important to note that your old tires probably had very little tread depth remaining when you felt it was time to replace them. As any autocrosser or racer who has tread rubber shaved off of his tires will tell you, low tread depth tires respond more quickly. Don't be surprised if your new tires are a little slower to respond (even if you use the exact same tire as before). Their new, full depth brings with it a little more tread squirm until they wear down.

NOTE: Be careful whenever you explore the capabilities of your new tires. Remember that every tire requires a break-in period of 500 miles for optimum performance.