VR feels strange after new rear tyres fitted

[monVR6 0]

Hi all - long time since I posted last - good really because the VR has thereforebeen behaving! However . .

 

Bit of background: The dreaded MOT was due and it failed on the famous ABS light staying on, some new brake pipes and two rear tyres. The garage spent some time investigating the ABS issue and quoted a fault code which suggested a new ABS pump was required - (apparently £2K from VW). Anyway - I searched on here and suggested some options - but ultimately, as it seems to operate correctly when the car is warm, I told them to run it prior to the retest - and lo and behold - when they tested again the ABS behaved perfectly - so I have a pass.

But when I picked it up - it felt decidedly strange in the corners - like it was going to oversteer - particularly on righthand bends. Lefthand seems as before. I doubt this is just down to the rear tyres being changed? Also - under normal driving, it just feels less stable. Seeing as only the brake pipes, and tyres have been changed - plus some ABS investigation - any ideas on what may be happening? Would any suspension items have needed to be disconnected to change the pipes?

 

For info, the car is on Koni TAs with H&R springs and eibach anti-roll bars as set up by Stealth.

 

Any thoughts? I plan to discuss with the garage tomorrow but any ideas upfront would be great.

Cheers

[Rams 0]

Mmm. Checked wheel nuts are tight? Oil on tyres from brake bleed? Maybe causing tyres to be slippery?

 

Or tyre pressure is low?

 

As your car is on coil overs, when the car is jacket up or raised the springs can be loose unless they have the assister springs? Wondering if the springs haven't re seated properly since the car was dropped back down?

 

Give the suspension a push and just make sure everything is home.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Rams

[dragon green 5]

Have you got rotational tyres ?

Are they on the right way ?

[monVR6 0]

Thanks guys - a few things to check tomorrow in the daylight. I would hope the garage put the tyres on correct and tightened the nuts - but you never know! Will let you know how I get on.

 

Cheers

[monVR6 0]

OK - have checked the suggested items and nothing seems amiss so have gone back to the garage who have had it up on the ramp checking all suspension, bushes etc etc and found nothing wrong. Looking at the old fronts, I've decided to put on two new tyres to match the new rears - (those on were 8 years old with some wear anyway). Hopefully this will solve it.

 

Cheers

[Kevin Bacon 5]

After my MOT test last Friday, my front calipers were 'seized' on so hard, I could barely turn the road wheels by hand!!

 

Before the MOT they were free spinning as it was getting work done on the ramp at Stealth. Vince put it down to the sheer force of the MOT's brake test pushing the calipers harder than normal and they need to free off again. Sure enough, about 50 miles later, the road wheels were free spinning again :D

 

Could one of your rear calipers be 'stuck' on in this manner?

 

Jack each corner up with the handbrake off and just double check the wheels are free spinning.

 

If not that, an oversteery feel can also be attributed to loose rear wheel bearings. Have they been replaced at all recently? Some folk seem to struggle with the free play on the taper bearings.

[monVR6 0]

Thanks FishWick (kev) - The stuck caliper would be worth investigation. As per my other recent post - it is up on ramps at a local garage so easy to check. If it is sticking, I presume lifting off at speed would produce an effect similar to one rear wheel slightly braking - hence creating some skittishness (which is another symptom)? I'll get them to check the "freeness" at the rear.

Again - as per my other post - any experience of new front brake pads fitting the caliper on one side - but being too thick for the other??

 

Thanks again . .

[Critical_Mass 10]

Definately worth a check but from experience you'd smell the brakes binding and could set on fire - yes thats happened to me.

[sexybourbon 0]

are you sure its not just the new tyres ?? The only reason i say this is that i put four new rainsport 2 s on mine last night and not being used to "brand new" tyres ever as iv always got tyres with wheels iv bought, went round a roundabout this morning and put my foot down a tad and it nearly went straight on i am assuming you must have to do a few miles on brand new tyres for them to wear in slightly !! I may well be being very wrong but iv never had loss of grip like that before

[monVR6 0]

I have heard talk of new tyres needing a bit of bedding in - so I bet that has something to do with it. I'll see how the new fronts affect it after a bit of bed-in time and not expect F1 cornering just yet :-) Hopefully a nice even set of new bedded-in tyres - (the olds were 8 years old) - will restore the balanced feel I had previously. Will update when I get the car back.

Cheers

[Wendy 0]

Guys, it is esential you gently wear in new tyres.

1/ so you have grip, they are not very sticky from new, 2/ don't flat spot them -not quite the same as in F1 ;-) - but so you get even wear from them during their life.. It is really easy to wear out new tyres quickly by driving hard on them. I always allow 200 miles of smooth driving.

So no heavy foot from standstill, no booting it generally.

 

You go steady guys, these are powerful cars, no accidents please

[Wild-Animal 0]

Having new tyres on the back, could that not mean you would have more grip on the back end? I know with mountain biking I put a new tyre on the back and left the front partly worn and I was always fighting with the bike, I could never get a good feedback. I changed them both at once the next time and the difference in feed back was huge.

[Wendy 0]

Little bit of reaction only to new tyres and driving rather than observing they were on rears only.

They are still not going to have the same grip as when they have been worn in though.

Tyres specialists would advise more accurately the reasoning though.

[monVR6 0]

Yeah makes sense Wendy - and I am hoping the matching new tyres on the front will restore the balance - will then "run them in" as you suggest.

Cheers

[monVR6 0]

Hi all - an update.

 

Now have a matching set of 4 new tyres and the car feels back to normal and handling great again. Seems it was an easy solution - though slightly expensive - but what cost good grip and safety eh??

 

Thanks for all your help everyone.

[sexybourbon 0]

Seems after posting on this topic and taking wendys advice and very gently wearing in the tyres for 250 miles they have now come in to there own and are now amazing especially in the wet they just dont let go