Steering wheel play adj ??

[Vcoat]

Not sure if this is correct place to post this question but since putting 15 X 3.75 skinnies on the front i have a lot of play in the steering wheel. Can this be adjusted at all ? I am sure i can expect some but just wondering if theres any adjustment that can be made ?...Thanks! apologize if this in the wrong section...O6 GT

 

[tjm73]

If nothing else has changed the "play" is just the flex in the tires. A 15" wheel with 26" tires has about 5.5" of side wall. Lots of room to flex around. Add to that the 15" tire probably has a softer sidewall to begin with.

 

[Norm Peterson]

What size tires do you have on them? Chances are that you don't have nearly enough lateral support for them - you might well be below the minimum recommended width for your tire size - and steering response is bound to suffer as a result. Not that you really want steering that's responsive to the point of being "twitchy" at 120+ with the throttle matted . . .

Do you know what your alignment specs are with these wheels mounted? It might have shifted a little, and an alignment optimized for the dragstrip won't be the same as Ford's preferred specs anyway.

What offset are they? Significantly changing the offset can and will affect steering feel.

A 3.75" wide rim is even narrower than what came on the 1400# Austin Healey Sprites of 50 years ago (4", with 145 tires). You've got about half again as much weight as that whole car on just your front two tires.

Drag racing is a highly specialized use of your car, and when you start doing these little "percentage plays" to improve that performance, you do start sacrificing other things.


Norm

 

[Vcoat]

Thanks for your response Norm...not sure what specs are but the tires are
MT Sportmans 26x6r15...

What size tires do you have on them? Chances are that you don't have nearly enough lateral support for them - you might well be below the minimum recommended width for your tire size - and steering response is bound to suffer as a result. Not that you really want steering that's responsive to the point of being "twitchy" at 120+ with the throttle matted . . .

Do you know what your alignment specs are with these wheels mounted? It might have shifted a little, and an alignment optimized for the dragstrip won't be the same as Ford's preferred specs anyway.

What offset are they? Significantly changing the offset can and will affect steering feel.

A 3.75" wide rim is even narrower than what came on the 1400# Austin Healey Sprites of 50 years ago (4", with 145 tires). You've got about half again as much weight as that whole car on just your front two tires.

Drag racing is a highly specialized use of your car, and when you start doing these little "percentage plays" to improve that performance, you do start sacrificing other things.


Norm

 

[tjm73]

MT Sportsman sidewalls are very soft. I suspect you are describing turning the wheel and nothing happening for a moment, then the car responds. That would be normal with this type of tire.