S6 alignment redux

[Jeff Maurer <jeff.maurer@infocus.com>]

Nearly everyone commented that this was typical and symptomatic for wide

tires (225 in my case).  I would have pursued additional changes in the
alignment, but last week I mounted a set of 225 Blizzaks on S8
(Speedline)
wheels and put them on the car to go skiing.  There was almost nothing
in the way of strange behavior when driving the same roads.

So, I've concluded that it's probably a result of tread pattern,
composition
and tire width.  The Blizzaks are so much softer, with way more siping
than the Toyo Z1's, that I'm guessing they are more compliant and
thus don't "pull" as much on a rutted freeway.  Differences in tire
pressure
and wheel dimensions are not significant.

jdm
Jeff Maurer, Mgr, Service & Operations Applications
Information Technology
In Focus Systems, Inc.
jeff.maurer@infocus.com



		-----Original Message-----
		From:	John Legelis [mailto:john.legelis@fmr.com]
		Sent:	Thursday, April 23, 1998 12:29 PM
		To:	'jeff.maurer@infocus.com'
		Subject:	FW: Re: S6 alignment

		Did you ever figure this problem out??

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Legelis, John 
		Sent:	Thursday, April 09, 1998 5:34 PM
		To:	'jeff.maurer@infocus.com'
		Cc:	'quattro@coimbra.ans.net'
		Subject:	Re: S6 alignment

		It sounds like you are describing 'camber thrust', which
is a common problem with high performance cars.  I'm not sure about the
S6, or Audis in general, but on some cars it's possible to de-camber the
front suspension a degree or two.  That should make the straight line
handling a bit more predictable, at the expense of some cornering
performance.  

		I'm familiar with this phenomenon because when I set my
Alfa Spider up for the track, with -2deg front camber, it handles great,
but is kind of scary on the highway.  

		Good Luck,
		John Legelis
		Boston

		p.s. Try lowering the tire pressure a bit (but not too
much, you don't want to bend a wheel in a pothole)

		At 08:35 AM 4/9/98 -0700, you wrote:
		>I've had our 1995.5 S6 wagon in for alignment twice to
address "pulling"
		>under certain conditions, but haven't gotten a
satisfactory setting yet.
		>I notice it the most on rutted (from studs/semi's)
freeway lanes.
		>Changing lanes is sort of like crossing the wake when
water skiing (bear
		>with the poor analogy).  There's resistance to changing
at first, then
		>the car sort of shoots out of the ruts and into the
next lane.  I find
		>that I'm fighting the car more than I think I should be
under the
		>circumstances.
		>
		<snip>
		>
		>I've been thinking that this is a front toe issue, but
now I'm wondering
		>if it might be caster.
		>