Exp. with tire pressures

[Oldblueaccord]

Well after some discussions here I decide to try some differant pressures from what I normally run.

1988 lxi stock 205/50/15 Falkan Azenis sports,old ones (last set in the world)
35 frnt 25 rear psi
2 degrees negative camber front, little caster added
stock ride hieght more or less "stink bug" look (rear high)
I just rotated the backs to the front so this is what I called a "fast" setup rear tires down to the wear bars frnts about 75%.

I rotated frnts to rear before i went on a trip to NY so I keep the rear at 35 just for kicks 37 psi hot. I jacked the fronts up to 35 too. Car handled OK highway wise I didnt like how the rear felt like it wanna to skip over bumps but i hung with it.

Today made another run up the dragons tail (rt 129) same set up. this is my fifth run this fall about 8-9 this year. I got some pretty good run time able to run 100% for a good part of the road get the tires warmed up etc good rythm going and all.

I didnt like what the car was doing . Felt like I had no rear "steer" if you would at all no matter what I tried. The usually on/off the gas mid turn to couteract understeer seemed to do nothing. 2 times I had a full on "plow" where both front tires just plowed straight. Not be best work today but i dogged all over some slow ass motorcycles.

On the way up the mountain I switch over back to my 37 psi fnt (hot) and went 25 psi hot on the rears. WOW what a differance. Mid turn on/off/on the gas totally cut any understeer and I felt the rear end was more inclined to rotate around. much easier to control I felt faster and NO, NONE of the plowing I had had coming down even after a really long hard run.

Why this works for me I dunno but I am sticking with it just thought I'd pass it along.


wp

[cardoc33]

Some cars work better with lower rear pressure, depends on car and driving style. You might want to try upping the rears to around 45 hot. Yes, sounds high, but it works. The idea is to create a large difference between front and rear. 2 psi isn't enough of a difference. Try 35 front, 45 rear.
Try a larger rear bar, if your using stock stuff.

[FyreDaug]

25 in the rear? Wouldnt that give more understeer?

[cardoc33]

Lower tire pressures increase the contact patch AND sidewall deflection. This is why it feels like the rear moves around, your just smooshing the tire around. Higher pressure decreases the contact patch and sidewall deflection, making it easier for the tire to slide, increasing oversteer.

[FyreDaug]

Yeah essentially, thats a better way of saying what I meant. Since the back tires are going to have a little more traction and they can swoosh around the tire wont be doing what its supposed to do if the sidewall is flexing like that so the front would have less grip = more understeer

[EricW]

Running 37 front and 25 rear is about what i run on my 14's for autox and I too have a set of the old azenis sport still with plenty of tread since they only have like 2 events(6 runs + a few fun runs) on them.