Wow! Tire Pressure!

[Ed Kellock]

Out of curiosity, what brand of tire are they?

Ed

> -----Original Message-----
> From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com 
> [mailto:quattro-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Alex Kowalski
> Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 6:59 AM
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: LAC: Wow! Tire Pressure!
> 
> 
> 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
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