210s don't

[Neil Swanson <75377.3445@compuserve.com>]

Me again,

You may remember my last little post of the total lack of grip from my 210s on
my '88 5ktq.  Especially in the rear.  Still got it!  Or don't.

I got lots of suggestions about why that may be.  The fronts were new this year
and the rears left over from last.  Maybe 5k miles on them.  

The snow in the SW corner of CT this year has been nil. When it does it is wet
and packs down hard.  Very slick.

The alignment seemed the place to start.  I went to a shop with a great rep.
They do german cars and have a very good rep of tuning Porsches for track use.
The owner said, and I saw it, that they had enough PCA prep work to carry them
through spring if need be.  So I figure they should do a good accurate alignment
job considering their track experience.  They charged enough!

I dropped off the car and got the call I didn't want to get.  I needed the rear
control arm bushings.  Too shot to align.  So I give them the go ahead. The car
feels much tighter.  No more clunk and mid turn alignment changes.  I knew they
weren't perfect so no surprise really.

I gave them PDQs alignment suggestions of 1/2 neg all around.  They couldn't do
better than -1 in the LF so the front is at -1.  This is despite all new anti
roll bar bushings, upper mounts etc.  So I can live with -1.  The rear he said
came right in spec.

So today we got a bit of snow.  I went out at 6:30 to catch some.  To see how
the car is.  I have really poor lateral grip in the rear.  It just feels so
sloppy.  I took one turn, a 90 degree left at a big 25mph.  Steady throttle,
barely any really and the car would have done a 360 if I'd let it.  It just came
smoothly around.  So we aren't talking race speeds here.  Drive straight and saw
the wheel and you can feel the rear lighten up.

I'm assuming the alignment is right, well I'd like to.  The car tracks straight
as an arrow and it didn't before.

As soon as the weather breaks I'm rotating the tires.  Gotta try it.  With all
the weight on the front, if the rear tires are the culprit then the front may
still grip OK.

As it is I'd love a bit af push and need grip at the rear.  This just doesn't
feel good.  Of course than I need snow again to tr it out.

So I hope it snows.  I'll let you know what happens.  Maybe Hakkas next year.
As dry as it has been Blizzaks would have worn off their good stuff already.

Neil