Jolly Green Monster 2

Hello,

I have 215/40/17 Falkens on the front and the grip in the wet is pants.. understeer crazy.. I have played with the pressures slightly (between 27 and 34) and found about 28psi gets me a bit better grip but it seems to be fine until I turn the wheel beyond a certain point and it must deform the foot print in contact with the road or something as grip is instantly removed to the front..

I suspect it is the tyres and I should get some decent Toyos or something.

What pressures are others running in similar tyres and am I alone with this 'orrible problem?

It could of course be the geometry.. but tyre wear is pretty even.

Cheers

JGM

barge

I'm running 29psi in my front tyres, but being a big fat ******* may help stop the wheels spinning in normal use

Jolly Green Monster 2

LOL..

There is a lot more grip at 27 than I had at 30 but they still understeer dramatically with no warning.. when the steering is moved past about a quarter turn.. the wheel almost goes light and the weight of my hand is enough for it to drop turning the wheel further etc..

It is like hitting ice.. and I definitly haven't.. just wet roundabout for example and speed is not a great factor.. does it at slow speeds etc..

JGM

Colonel Mullet

I found getting the geometry done cured this on my old MY97, althought I had S02s not Falkens. My tyre wear wasn't uneven but the settings must have been way out 'cos the improvement was dramatic. Then I went and ruined it by putting S03s on...

Jolly Green Monster 2

Okay cheers..

I suspect you are right I should pay to get the geometry done..

I am just a tight b*stard..

JGM

RichS

I have similar problems.

A number of factors come into play...

Tyre quality
Tyre wear
Tyre pressures
Driving technique
Wheel size
Suspension
Bumpsteer
Corner angle
Road camber
Road conditions
Speed
etc etc etc

I'm not an expert (far from it) but if you apply too much steering lock you will only make understeer worse.

As well as experimenting with your tyre pressures, consider:
- Driver training.
- Rotating your tyres front to back.
- New tyres.
- Prodrive settings.
- Bump steer mod.

MarkO

Get some S-02s, S-03s or some Toyo Proxes. Whilst they're being fitted, get your geometry changed to those mentioned in the SIDC Faq.

It will transform the handling of the car, I promise you.

BOB.T

Yep, as Mark says

You'll be amazed by some new rubber plus it's always worth having your geometry done, I used to do mine at least once a month when I was still working in garages but now I've just put my tyre wear down to driving like **** everywhere

RichardPON

Okay, it was FWD, but my old escort had Falkens on as a test.....

They are quite possibly the worst tyre on the market bar none. I personally had four inside edge blow outs, with two of the tyres being sent back to quality control to be assessed.

Never heard anything from them, but needless to say, we don't use, stock, or sell them ever.

tobyprice

I agree with Richard about the quality, or rather lack of it of Falken rubber. When I got my MY95 WRX it had some almost new Falkens and I could not believe how poor the grip was, especially in the wet. However of course it was great if you liked four wheel drifts, but understeeeeeeered dreadfully. Being tight, I only replaced them when they were worn out with Goodyear F1 - what a transformation. My advice - stop fidling with tyre pressures, tracking etc and get some new tyres, especially as winter is approaching fast. I promise you, the improvement will be enormous.

Jolly Green Monster 2

Cheers guys..

I am tight too so once the fronts have gone... which won't be long.... the grip was better with these than my bridgestone RE11's on 16's.. the Falkens were on a set of 17s I bought and I wouldn't pay good money for another set.. but was just checking it was the tyres..

JGM

Marky-San

I've had Falken GRB on last 3 of 4 of my cars (XR2, 626GT, Lotus Carlton) and they were great. Quite interesting to hear all these comments from other folks though. Worst tyre even has got to be Nankang though - but then, I bet some people think they were great as well. Best was Pirelli P-Zero's for me.

At the moment I've stuck on 4 new Uniroyal Rainsports to the Impreza (could get any Yoko's unfortunately), and they seem to be doing a good job - especially in the wet funnily enough.

Jolly Green Monster 2

I am only having the problems in the wet and when I turn the wheel.. grip in a straight line, braking, accelerating and in the dry is fine, infact pretty good.

I don't feel that I am turning the wheel too far as if I didn't turn it this far I wouldn't make it round the rouadabout and I am not going quick..

I know what yopu mean though, some people slate P-zeros and other love them.. I think my Falkens are ZE1's or similar.. I shall check later. Look fairly soft compund when I look at the wear and the marks on the edges..

JGM

lucky_strike

I'm currently driving a Golf 4Motion so what do I know (off to see the new Scoobie tomorrow at the NEC) but I would say don't just concentrate on the front.

Understeer can be generated due to having too much grip at the back (along with the type pressure and geometry changes already mentioned). Try popping a couple of extra psi in the rears and see if that helps (should generate a little less rear grip and help balance with the front).

Anyway, just a though - Gold understeers and I haven't cured it (just cr4p VW IMHO)