[dad]

ANTHONYD,Mar 18 2005, 08:55 AM Wrote:

2001 ZTS,Mar 18 2005, 08:47 AM Wrote:

ZX3TUNING,Mar 18 2005, 09:21 AM Wrote:how is this style "unsafe" or "less safe" than any other style? and please, try and back up your reasons with facts and not opinions.
[right][snapback]94425[/snapback][/right]

I leave that up to people more knowledgable than you or I, the manufacturers. They have recomended wheel sizes for every tire size they make and there is obviously a reason for such a recomendation or it wouldn't exist at all.
[right][snapback]94436[/snapback][/right]

Bingo.

There is crdibility in the manufacturers of the tires... not you buddy's dad's friend's set up.

And thanks Dad for the great answer to my question.


Does the size of the area of tire making contact with the road play an important part in oversteer?
[right][snapback]94459[/snapback][/right]

well....I dont think it is that simple....

when we were setting up for a road style rally that required alot of hairpin turns or switch backs we found it usefull to have some stretch as this would increase the ability to quickly swing the rear end of the car around....Now....the thing here is that we were generally using a 50 series tire which as you know is a fairly tall tire , when stretched 10-15 mill it would exibit alot less sidewall roll ....we simply did not have available a 40 series tire, or the rims for them back then....So to hopefully answer your question the area of tire contact was not as big of a concern as was the tire's ability to be stiff walled during heavy cornering, streaching helped us here. Now adays , the tire technology ,rim technology, and shear availabilty of what was once concidered full blown "sponser " only equipment has all but made this practice a thing of the past as an instrument to improve or manipulate handling...
Remember that this was back in the early to mid 80's....rear drive Corrolla's, Lancia spiders, triumph, old Z cars, etc were the amatuer cars of the day....much has changed in 20 or more years. As a side note that I find particularly interesting the Kumho 712's I have on the Focus, a resonable tire but not great, are so unbelievably better than any tire we could have got our hands on back then....so it is all a matter of perspective...

Having said all that, todays practice of streaching tires can have some benifits, but ,givin the many other better ways available for an amatuer racer to achieve what he needs from his car it seems little more than a style thing...and if done not to access I think is not only safe ...kinda looks cool , on certain cars....

oh and thanks for the trip down memory lane guys