RE: Gross Misalignment? I think not!

["Dan Sinclair" <sinclair@prospro.com>]

>But lower profile tires will not make the steering vague.   They'll make
>the car follow ruts more accurately, but not vaguely.

It's not the profile, it's the width of the contact patch.  The tire width
may not make the steering feel vague directly - but indirectly, wide tires
WILL amplify any slack in the rack, and will often result in said wander.
Bad example, but I had a pickup truck that had 205/70R14 tires that I plus
sized to 225/60R14s at the suggestion of the tire boys.  My rack was a
little sloppy prior to this changeover, but after, it was noticeably worse.
The front end components hadn't instantly worn more, the effect of the
existing wear was merely amplified by the wider tires and increased
friction.  I ultimately dialed up the steering rack load month after month
until I finally adjusted it all the further that it would go.  Rack was
toast.  Wider tires can and usually will affect steering feel.  Tradeoff for
lateral grip.  All relative.

Dan Sinclair
1988 Audi 90, 67K mi.
Picture and details online at:
http://131.107.68.28/a4.org/registry/details.asp?car=761

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net
[mailto:owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net]On Behalf Of Graydon D. Stuckey
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 1999 3:16 PM
To: JustaxPHX@aol.com
Cc: quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk; quattro@coimbra.ans.net
Subject: Gross Misalignment? I think not!


On Tue, 2 Feb 1999 JustaxPHX@aol.com wrote:

> > This is bad alignment, guys.  There's absolutely nothing vague about
> > Galvin's 200TQ (aligned by Paul Beaurain at Pro-Align in Northampton).
>
> Maybe and maybe not ... the Gross Scruggs I met last year seemed to be
pretty
> meticulous about his car maintenance and setup, and I'd be surprised if he
> wasn't keeping a pretty close eye on his alignment settings.  More likely,

Agreed.

> it's being caused by the low-profile tires we're both running, which have
a
> greater tendency than normal to follow ruts in the road, etc.

But lower profile tires will not make the steering vague.   They'll make
the car follow ruts more accurately, but not vaguely.  Vague, to me,
spells out a disconnect between the tire contact patch and the steering
wheel.  This could be worn bushings (as Gross has already addressed), a
worn rack, or inconsistent power assist.  I would think that a worn rack
would have an apparent looseness or sloppiness.  I could see how
inconsistent power assist might make the steering vague though as the
required steering effort would be constantly changing.  If the seals
were starting to leak in th erack, then this might produce the
vagueness that Gross is noticing.  Maybe Gross' rack is about to go south
for the winter...

Later,
Graydon D. Stuckey
No Audis!  :-(
Yet!  :-)