Hi guys,

I've had my '04 for about 2 weeks now and notice a strange sensation at lower speeds - say under 35 mph - the rear end is skitterish or squirmy moving in a straight line on dry pavement. At higher speeds (again dry roads only - see note about tires below) the car feels comfortably planted except for the rear bumpsteer.

The important supporting facts:
All four tires are worn - new ones are being installed next week, but the current ones rears are a Kumho all season that are worn to the wear bars. Fronts are Yoko ES100's with a little tread left. Having matching tires installed and an alignment done.

Are new tires and the alignment going to solve this or is something else going on? Just find it strange that it only seems skittery at low speeds. Never had a car with tires this worn, so I've got no reference point.

Thanks.
Chris.

 

Most likely yes.

 

Yeah I would wait until your alignment and tires have been changed.

 

Yep.

Miss matched and worn out tires are your problem.
Alignment and new set of tire will transform your car's handling!

 

Mis-matching front and rears are a
Same 4 tires all around and youll be fine...

 

Also don't skimp on tires. You might save yourself some money now, but how much will it cost you when your rear snaps loose?

 

Did you know you answered your own question?

 

as my tires got worn i had the same experience...

replaced them (with s03s, eibachs, and gt3s) and drove on them for about a week then had "an aggressive street" alignment-
the difference was amazing... the car handles like it should now and feels incredible-

 

Thanks to all for your responses.

For those that are concerned about my safety, I'll be going to new Kumho MX's on all four corners in stock tire sizes (current setup is 225's up front with OEM sway bar). Don't want to promote oversteer with plus sized fronts. I'm going to go with the factory alignment as well as I don't really drive the car at the limits on the street. When I decide to start Auto-X I'll reconsider the alignment, tires and sway bar.

Looking forward to the new rubber.

The follow on question might be a Wheel & Tire forum topic but here goes:

Why would I get 'squirm' at low speeds on dry pavement from worn rears? Does tread play a roll in directional stability over dry ground? The prevalence of slicks on dry race days at every professional level suggests that tread is not a major factor over dry ground.

Thanks.
Chris.

 

Search Google and here for "tramlining".