Anyone got Bridgestones on their Cerb?
Anyone got Bridgestones on their Cerb?
Author
Discussion

harty

Original Poster:

42 posts

251 months

Monday 21st November 2005
quotequote all
If so, do you have any problems driving i.e. Steering wheel being grabbed changing lanes or tyres sliding around on small lanes.

alderley

184 posts

262 months

Monday 21st November 2005
quotequote all
Steering wheel being grabbed!!! The Bridgestones last well but are not very grippy in cold/wet conditions. There may be other explanations for your handling problems. If you were nearer Chesterfield I would recommend a visit to Trackcar Solutions. At Cream 2005, my rear wheels slid badly as I followed another cerb which cornered beautifully. Advice from Track Car, and simple suspension adjustments, and my handling was massively improved. Yes you need the right tyres but you need correct pressures, toe-in, camber, overall alignment, spring rates, damper settings, corner weights etc. The simplest solution is to go to an expert who has sorted out lots of cerbs. Also tell him what you want to use the car for (road, trackday, competition) and how you drive and a perfect solution will be found for you individually, including the optimum tyres. You need an expert not a tyre seller.

davetherave1970

2,144 posts

275 months

Monday 21st November 2005
quotequote all
harty said:
If so, do you have any problems driving i.e. Steering wheel being grabbed changing lanes or tyres sliding around on small lanes.
Mines been set up a number of times and it still "grabs" when changing lanes. My tyres are worn on the inside(due to badly worn steering rack - replaced now) and will need replacing very shortly. I'm hoping this will easy the problem. Mine doesn't slide around that much though! ( unless I want it to)

robscim

840 posts

285 months

Monday 21st November 2005
quotequote all
If we're talking Bridgestone SO3's here, I have them on the Audi S4, having replaced SO2's and I certainly won't be replacing them with SO3's again.

Its exactly as you describe, tramlines like hell, darts off in one direction when you least expect it - damn near ruins the experience of the car completely.

I'd also like to point out I'm not one of those that spends hours debating good and bad tyres, its just that I'm so appalled by these that in my mind they're dangerous on the Audi - I'd wouldn't have them on the cerb.

Any before everyone cries foul, yep, I've had the car laser aligned etc... by the specialists so there's unlikely to be anything too wrong there.

In simple terms, bin the SO3's!!!

Cheers

Rob

simonsparrow

1,599 posts

291 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
I had S03s and they were the same for me. Seemed like a good tyre, but very 'darty' round the lanes. Have now switched to Goodyears and seem much better (for me). Falken FK451s have also been getting some good reviews on Cerberas, search the lists for the highly emotive topic of tyres.

>> Edited by simonsparrow on Tuesday 22 November 08:21

Julian64

14,325 posts

283 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
davetherave1970 said:
harty said:
If so, do you have any problems driving i.e. Steering wheel being grabbed changing lanes or tyres sliding around on small lanes.
Mines been set up a number of times and it still "grabs" when changing lanes. My tyres are worn on the inside(due to badly worn steering rack - replaced now) and will need replacing very shortly. I'm hoping this will easy the problem. Mine doesn't slide around that much though! ( unless I want it to)


How did you wear out the steering rack on your car. Are you anything like this while driving ?

Seriously, I'm intrigued, the steering rack splines are pretty meaty when you have them out on a bench.

gbbird

5,197 posts

273 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
I have SO2's and I dont seem to have any more problems than other cerbie owners with different tyres

davetherave1970

2,144 posts

275 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Julian64 said:
How did you wear out the steering rack on your car. Are you anything like this while driving ?

Seriously, I'm intrigued, the steering rack splines are pretty meaty when you have them out on a bench.
Had lots of play in the steering and had the dealer look at it under warranty. Removed rack and sent to the factory for re-con. Factory then called to say the track end had worn into the rack casing and would be unsafe to re-con it. New one ordered and fitted.
I'd been living with the play for 6-9 months. It got so bad (along with the tramlining) that once or twice I would hit my head on the side roll bar as the car jumped left!!

purpleheadedcerb

1,143 posts

251 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
I've got fairly new So3's all round and I've had a couple of horrible moments. On one occasion I was accelerating briskly up a dual-carriage way and as I changed from 3rd to 4th the rear end grabbed and wanted to torpedoe me to the left. I thought I had had a blow out (I know my arse was pretty close to experiencing the same) so I pulled in immediately, got out and to my suprise all the tyres were correctly inflated.

I think what had happended was the o/s/r had grabbed briefly on the edge of the lane seperation markers (White lines!) and then let go.

Tramlines like a bastard as well, so much so that I very rarely use the n/s lane on motorways due to the truck ruts.

Scott

daver

1,209 posts

313 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Did I hear once that SO3's had a stiffer sidewall which might account for worse tramlining than might otherwise be the case?

If anyone's interested in a single (pretty much as new) 225/35x18 SO2 let me know. The other one was rather annoyingly irreparably punctured and obviously sourcing a new one is out of the question.

Nickccc

1,682 posts

277 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
I notice a few "grabbing" remarks. This will happen with most tyres.
I have Toyo's and they also do it, what you are feeling is the different frictional characteristics of the road surface.
As has been stated "when changing lanes" as you cross the white lines you are feeling the different levels of grip. If you are breaking the effect will be greatly exaggerated.
Does this mean the tyres are good or bad?
Personally accelerating, or breaking whilst changing direction (especially over changing levels of grip) will inevitably upset the car.
If breaking you will feel the wheel trying to turn, pretty normal I guess when you consider why it is happening.
Don’t know if it can be dialed out at all, Joo what do you think.

Nick.

davetherave1970

2,144 posts

275 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Nickccc said:
I notice a few "grabbing" remarks. This will happen with most tyres.
I have Toyo's and they also do it, what you are feeling is the different frictional characteristics of the road surface.
As has been stated "when changing lanes" as you cross the white lines you are feeling the different levels of grip. If you are breaking the effect will be greatly exaggerated.
Does this mean the tyres are good or bad?
Personally accelerating, or breaking whilst changing direction (especially over changing levels of grip) will inevitably upset the car.
If breaking you will feel the wheel trying to turn, pretty normal I guess when you consider why it is happening.
Don’t know if it can be dialed out at all, Joo what do you think.

Nick.
Food for thought but......mine was never that bad with the SO2's before!

Nickccc

1,682 posts

277 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Dave,
I have only had he Toyo's on the Cerb, Yeah others will have different traits.
I think the most important thing is to ensure the pressures, camber, toe in, out are set up correctly.
My car was very skittish at high speed, the wheel would writh about.
Julz, Trackcar set it up for me and it is so much better.
A lot of handling probs are down to poor set up.
Nick.

purpleheadedcerb

1,143 posts

251 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Nickccc said:
Dave,
I have only had he Toyo's on the Cerb, Yeah others will have different traits.
I think the most important thing is to ensure the pressures, camber, toe in, out are set up correctly.
My car was very skittish at high speed, the wheel would writh about.
Julz, Trackcar set it up for me and it is so much better.
A lot of handling probs are down to poor set up.
Nick.


True. And after years of speed hump and poor road condition abuse, they probably aren't at their best.

davetherave1970

2,144 posts

275 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Just to say, mines been set up twice in the two years I've had it. How often should they be checked for wheel alignment?

harty

Original Poster:

42 posts

251 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
purpleheadedcerb said:
I've got fairly new So3's all round and I've had a couple of horrible moments. On one occasion I was accelerating briskly up a dual-carriage way and as I changed from 3rd to 4th the rear end grabbed and wanted to torpedoe me to the left. I thought I had had a blow out (I know my arse was pretty close to experiencing the same) so I pulled in immediately, got out and to my suprise all the tyres were correctly inflated.

I think what had happended was the o/s/r had grabbed briefly on the edge of the lane seperation markers (White lines!) and then let go.

Tramlines like a bastard as well, so much so that I very rarely use the n/s lane on motorways due to the truck ruts.

Scott



That's spot on what happens with my SO3's Scott, just nearly careered off the M5 a minute ago!

DuncanM

7,456 posts

308 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Read this to get my opinion on S03's .

www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=6&t=134574

harty

Original Poster:

42 posts

251 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
Cheers for that Duncan, I totally agree with what you said, absolutely bloody lethal! The only problem is that I've only owned the car 1 week (done 1400 miles already) and therefore obviously didn't purchase the tyres from new! Do you have any recollection as to whom you spoke to at Bridgestone?

Cheers

Mark

harty

Original Poster:

42 posts

251 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2005
quotequote all
I've just checked my tyres and I've got 255/35zr18 on the rears and 225/35zr18 on the fronts, would this have much difference in my problems?