[Healeys] Steering question

[Len and/or Marge Hartnett]

Michael:  I recently switched from Vredesteins to Michelin XAS's.  I am experiencing the same situation.  The only thing I can do is guess because I don't know the tire construction and science.   The XAS has a wider sidewall, 90 aspect ratio I think, about 4 inches wide, versus the Vredestein 70 aspect ratio, about 3 1/2 inches wide.  Is this extra width allowing for extra movement of the tire from side to side?  I don't know.  

As I say, I am only guessing but I have experienced the sensation before.  When I was stationed in France, I had a Renault Dauphine.The original tires were bias ply tires.  When you turned the steering wheel, the car turned instantly.  The old tires were replaced with XASs. Then, when I turned the steering wheel, there was hesitation.  It was as if the tires were tracking into the turn but the body of the car didn't and had to catch up. With nothing else changed, the answer, to me, was a more flexible tire.   

One, or more, of our experts may provide the answer as to whether or not the wider XAS sidewalls are allowing more tire/body motion.

One other note, the situation seems to be aggrivated by grooved highways.

(The Other) Len
Fairfield, CA, USA
1967 AH 3000 MkIII, HBJ8L39031
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://autox.team.net/pipermail/healeys/attachments/20151228/7094c113/attachment.html>