Wheel alignments, and Re: Tires for a 4000cs quattro

[FMARTIN <fmartin@ithaca.edu>]

>Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 19:02:55 -0400
>From: "John Seitz" <jws@megahits.com>
>Subject: Tires for a 4000cs quattro
>
edited....
>
>The P600 since new would cause spin outs in the snow (almost 
crashing into
>a head on car the first time I drove the car in the snow!!!!)  
>The rear always wants to kick out????   

About the rear kicking out: you may want to check your wheel 
alignments, *especially the rear*. When I bought my GTX, the 
first slippery conditions I ran into gave the same exact 
behavior. A car that tracked straight in the dry became 
*extremely dicey* in the slick. I mean white-knuckle time! I'm 
sure that the average Formula One driver would have refused to 
drive the car. I too blamed the tires, initially. But I also 
suspected the wheel alignment, and that was it. The toe-out of 
the rear wheels was way out of spec., essentially pidgeon-toed. 
(Apologies to all pidgeons, in this era of political 
correctness.)

If you do go to an alignment shop, go to one that will take the 
time to do it right, which is usually not the one advertising 
these $49.95 "deals." Stay there if you have to, to make sure the 
technician is putting in his best efforts, including at the 
rears.   HTHs

Frank M.
'89 100Q
'88 Mazda 323 GTX