[ScubaSmith7599]

Hi all,

So I put my new TRMotorspots 17x8.5 MT1's on my STi this weekend. They're dressed up with some 245/40 RE01R's.

Prior, I had the ASA JH3 17x7.5 with Blizzak LM22 tires......

I've noticed, especially at high speeds on the highway, that the car is more "floaty" than before. It just seems like it wants to wander a lot. Also, when turning, I've noticed it feels much lighter. Again, because of the floating sensation, I don't feel like I'm riding on rails anymore. The car doesn't feel "locked" into the turn like before.

However, I could definitely feel the much higher grip limits of the tires. I'm taking it easy(er, um, easier ) since they're new(break-in until 500 miles). Power-on exit from a familiar turn surprised me how it felt, because it didn't feel like it was fighting for grip like before with the LM-22's.
My car has a stock suspension.

What's different:

Wheels are full inch wider
Each wheel is 5.5lbs lighter
Performance summer tire(RE01R) vs. winter performance(Blizzak LM22)
Tire size is 245/40 vs. 225/45

What do you guys think? What's causing the floatiness/light steering? Could it be the effect of the wider tire on stock suspension? I'm guessing when I get hardened top hats, whiteline 24mm front sway and RCE Black springs(can you tell what I've been doing during the work day) it will be negated. Yes? No?

I posted this in the Wheel/Tire section because its a symptom of switching out the wheels/tires, even though it may be cured with suspension mods.

[05_GD7]

Not sure how cold it is where you are, but if its cold enough to be running LM22's, then its definitely not time to be switching back to summer tires.

In my opinion, your disconnected feel is a result of:
1) The cold - if its below, say, 45 degrees, any summer tire is going to be a brick, and offer no significant traction performance.
2) New tires. You said it yourself that they're still in the break in period. Give it a little time to get that slippery layer off the tires.
3) What pressures are you running?
4) Wider tires will tramline much more with road imperfections - hence the wandering feel.

Hope this helps

[ScubaSmith7599]

Well, I'm switching to summer tires because it's starting to get warm out, thus winter tires aren't really needed. And they were on their last little bit of tread, anyway, so I didn't want to buy another set of winter tires just to replace them in a few weeks. Sometimes its 77* here, sometimes its 40*. I only drive a few times a week, and those trips are usually going a few hours south to where its consistently 70* and up. So, yeah, not exactly the primo time for summer tires, but I wanted to try them out instead of all-seasons, needed new tires, and my driving is limited in the cold(er) weather. It's only going to get warmer out.
I'm running between 32-34 psi in the tires.

Now, I always thought wider tires would give you a heavier steering feel. My 300 miles of experience thus far is completely the opposite. With the road imperfections, it's the same with darting across the lane when you hit ruts/grooves from big rigs, but whats new is it just feels like it's floating......and this intensifies as you increase speed. Just wanted to make sure you knew what I was describing before...it's not feeling a pull to the right or left with road imperfections, it feels like the car just wants to float over the road.

[Andy STI]

I think your pressure is too low for the street. I would go 37 front, 34 rear or something like that. That may help the float your experiencing.

[ScubaSmith7599]

thanks for the suggestion bro. I'll give it a shot.