Can Someone Explain?
Discussion
Other things being equal, understeer when turning right and potential instability when braking hard. Might also not track straight and be more susceptible to cross winds.
Through long experience the first thing I do when returning from tyre fitters is check wheel nut torque and tyre pressures. More often than not, at least one wheel/tyre is out (and often, all four!).
Through long experience the first thing I do when returning from tyre fitters is check wheel nut torque and tyre pressures. More often than not, at least one wheel/tyre is out (and often, all four!).
Edited by gdaybruce on Monday 23 December 17:46
Pulls to the left is correct, and an understatement 
On the first drive home from work (little bit damp/slippery/cold) I ended up parked in someone's garden beached on their hedge.
Left hand bend at about 30mph, suddenly it felt like the driver's side wheel had literally broken off and into the hedge I went. I'd driven that bend 100 times and more before with no problem.
Got home afterwards and checked the tyres to find the crazy pressure difference.
Think I may go elsewhere next time...
On the first drive home from work (little bit damp/slippery/cold) I ended up parked in someone's garden beached on their hedge.
Left hand bend at about 30mph, suddenly it felt like the driver's side wheel had literally broken off and into the hedge I went. I'd driven that bend 100 times and more before with no problem.
Got home afterwards and checked the tyres to find the crazy pressure difference.
Think I may go elsewhere next time...
What's the correct tyre pressure? I'm intruiged.
Did that mean the car understeered and you crossed the road into the hedge on the rhs?
Difficult question to phrase and answer, but how "tight" is the bend for 30mph normally in those conditions? Perhaps use scale of 1 to 5 where..
1 is "not tight at all, should easily be able to go round much faster than 30 in those conditions normally" and
5 is "I have to use all of my car (and sphincter) control techniques to get round that bend at 30 in the dry, let alone the wet"
Bert
Did that mean the car understeered and you crossed the road into the hedge on the rhs?
Difficult question to phrase and answer, but how "tight" is the bend for 30mph normally in those conditions? Perhaps use scale of 1 to 5 where..
1 is "not tight at all, should easily be able to go round much faster than 30 in those conditions normally" and
5 is "I have to use all of my car (and sphincter) control techniques to get round that bend at 30 in the dry, let alone the wet"
Bert
NobleGuy said:
Pulls to the left is correct, and an understatement
On the first drive home from work (little bit damp/slippery/cold) I ended up parked in someone's garden beached on their hedge.
Left hand bend at about 30mph, suddenly it felt like the driver's side wheel had literally broken off and into the hedge I went. I'd driven that bend 100 times and more before with no problem.
Got home afterwards and checked the tyres to find the crazy pressure difference.
Think I may go elsewhere next time...
It shouldn't have made that much of a difference IMO. What brand was the tyre?On the first drive home from work (little bit damp/slippery/cold) I ended up parked in someone's garden beached on their hedge.
Left hand bend at about 30mph, suddenly it felt like the driver's side wheel had literally broken off and into the hedge I went. I'd driven that bend 100 times and more before with no problem.
Got home afterwards and checked the tyres to find the crazy pressure difference.
Think I may go elsewhere next time...
NobleGuy said:
My front tyres are at completely different pressures after coming back from the fitters...32.5 PSI on the driver's side, 26 on the passenger side.
I know that this isn't correct - I'm more interested to know what people might predict the handling to be like?
I'd have thought that sort of disparity would be readily noticed by almost all drivers, but I wouldn't have expected it to create unmanageable handling difficulties. It sure would be unpleasnt, though, with a clear tendency to wander off to the left.I know that this isn't correct - I'm more interested to know what people might predict the handling to be like?
I assume it was new tyres you'd just had fitted? - if so, its most likely a combination of release compound, cold temps, damp / greasy surface and bad luck that caused the incident
Whilst 6.5psi is a daft mistake by the fitters, I don't think its enough to be the sole cause of a loss of control. In some cars, it would be very noticeable and in others, you'd struggle to tell - depends on lots of other factors.
However, you MAY be able to argue that the missing 6.5psi was the final contributing factor that caused a loss of control - worth a try, although you're going to struggle to prove it.
Whilst 6.5psi is a daft mistake by the fitters, I don't think its enough to be the sole cause of a loss of control. In some cars, it would be very noticeable and in others, you'd struggle to tell - depends on lots of other factors.
However, you MAY be able to argue that the missing 6.5psi was the final contributing factor that caused a loss of control - worth a try, although you're going to struggle to prove it.
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff