LAC: Wow! Tire Pressure!

[Alex Kowalski]

OK this sounds so basic and simple that it shouldn't surprise me (and
shouldn't have happened) but it did, and it was.  About six months ago I
bought a set of new tires for the '87 5KCSTQ and with all the other work and
repairs I'd done since then, I had neglected to keep an eye on their
inflation pressure.  Well, yesterday as I was running along the back roads
near my home, and realized that the handling had been getting progressively
more gelatinous.  Like running on a track with your shoes untied, or walking
in sand.

I realize that a stock 5KCSTQ isn't exactly a slalom car or an SCCA special,
but I remembered the handling to be tighter than *that.*  Especially after I
had done the rear trapezoidal arm bushings.  Then it dawned on me that I
hadn't even checked my tire pressure.  The tires didn't look badly
underinflated, but WOW! when I put the gauge to them, both of the fronts
were in the 22psi range and the rears were about 24psi.  A quick trip to the
air compressor fixed that.

The improvement in the handling that came from bumping those pressures into
the upper end of the "recommended" zone did wonders for the handling of the
car.  The improvement in transitional response in S-turns was particularly
pronounced.  The car feels almost "nimble" now -- and certainly much less
squishy and better-planted.  The steering is much sharper and the turn-in is
much more accurate, especially under power and at speed.  The only tradeoff
is that there is slightly more road noise, but you'd never know if you
hadn't been in the car with the underinflated tires.

Best $0.00 I've ever spent on a handling "improvement" and a reminder to
keep an eye on the simplest things.

Alex Kowalski
'87 5KCSTQ
'86 5KCSTQ