OK mates... i got these since a little bit of time now, and I have to say that I'm beginning to think that my car worse handling than before is only caused by those tyres...
How can I explain... i feel my car is a lot less "biting" the road than before when cornering hard, very less precise, less attack, direction and steering seems to be floating a bit... and worse, when cornering hard, car often will feel like it's on ice, it very quickly loses 4 wheels and begins to slip everywhere... i mean VERY easily !!!!
To sum up, my Escort Cosworth is not handling at all, now, and i want to find out why.
I got S03 tyres (3000 miles approx), perfect tracking, all new urethane bushes at front, 4 x Koni adjustable dampers, and this fookin stupid car does not handle !!!
Help

 

well since the tracking is good and bushes/ shocks i'd say indeed tyres but i thought i read somewhere that the S03' were pretty good

 

thanks rene... that's why i don't understand why this car seems floating, not precise at all, and sliding in every semi-hard corner !

 

The SO3's were bought out to replace the SO2's obvioursly, BUT even Bridgestone will tell you the SO2's are/were THE best tyre from there range

Get some F1's or Toyo's Pet

 

what size of tyres do u have and how much air have u put into them ?

 

they are 225 / 40 / 18 and there is 2.1 bar at front and 2.3 at rear...

Thanks Tiff But do you think that this steering floating i can feel can be caused by them too ? this steering is unprecise, it almost seems like there is a play in it ! (and pretty sure there is no play at all)

 

hmm doenst sound dodgy to me with those pressures

U got a mate who can lend u some wheels just to find out what another set of wheels with other tyres do ?

 

oh no, there is less than 20 or 30 Escort Cossies in the whole France, and finding someone to lend me wheels going on my car will be harder than buying new ones

 

As discussed previously Pet, i dont think the So3's suit the chassis at all, and would be better on a softly sprung vehicle.

The So2's were without doubt the best tyre i ever had the pleasure of using Sadly, their replacement is somewhat lacking

 

No they weren't

Pet,

The SO3's were reviewed in Evo magazine in a tyre test & did pretty damn badly considering they were one of the most expensive. They actually had the best outright cornering grip but the testers felt they were VERY nervous & snappy & were particularly bad in the wet (worst of the lot).

Incidentally, the Goodyear Eagle GSD3's won the test overall, think Toyo's came 3rd or 4th.

Cheers,
Ian

 

hmmmz i am a bit far away though

 

Yeah Stu, remember what you said Just wanted to have other ppl experience, cause i really am disappointed lately.
When I bought it, it had Dunlops (don't remember which ones...) and handling was great. Then i fitted Falken, and it was the worse shit i ever tried.
Then i fitted S03 on my new 18" superturismos, thinking they would rule, and it's like before

 

Dunlop SP9000's by any chance?

 

Thanks Ian, but my car isn't good at all in outright cornering grip ! it loses 4 wheels everytime !

SP9000 rings a bell, yes, maybe...

 

I understand pet, and in 14days time, we will take your Escort to the nearest race track and beat the bitch up for all this heartache she has caused you..

Bring Your Duke.... You can take pictures from behind of the bitch squeeling and smoking her way around the Ricard track and then she will need new tyres anyway..... and we can fit F1's JOB DONE.

 

Hmmm just noticed the tyre pressures you're using, they MAY be a little too high. Try lowering them a touch (bit by bit) as the handling traits you're describing I have experienced when I put too much air in my 17's. I found that my car worked best at 26psi but then that was a 2wd saff (alot lighter) running 17's so I'm not sure how relevent it is but it's worth a try as it doesn't cost anything

 

I know the Paul Ricard track by heart, it's 10 min from home, and did all my trainings on bikes there, when i was younger... also did a full season in 125 cagiva Promosport when i was 17 !

 

SO3s suck big time . SO2s are still available in this country .

You have to either live with it until they wear out or replace them...

 

Cheers Ian... actually i tried lower pressure, and with these, steering was floating a lot less, but the car was sliding even in straight lines ROFL

 

Thats that sorted then,

Pet and Stu are going to kick the living shit out of Pets Escort, ripping the shitty tyres to bits.
Then pop and get a set of F1's on it

SORTED

 

i was going to suggest check your tyre pressures arent to high

Id deffo suggest Toyo Proxes Pet,

very sticky tyres.. only downside is they wear a little more than the norm

 

i had so2's and thought that they were good. then changed to goodyear eagle f1's and they seem much better.

 

what i fear is that this floating in steering and sliding i feel may be a worse problem than only crap tyres.

 

what u have in mind pet ?

 

maybe a play in steering rack, or dead wheel bearings, or whatever... don't really know ...

 

dead wheel bearings should u able to hear when cornering wouldnt it ?

 

well i can hear a kind of "woo woo woo" rotating sound... not loud at all, but still a bit there... don't know if it's a belt, or dead bearings, or anything else... this car is so noisy ROFL
Stu told me he never saw dead bearings on an Escort Cossie, so why me ?

 

you think you car is noisy ? ROFLOL get a ride in my 3dr LOL or any of that matter

i know what u mean i have that 'luck' as well

jack the car up and play around with the wheel see if it goes in and out instead of just only going round

 

I really love my everyday's car : a new 1.6 Duratec Fiesta '04 Handles incredibly well, very silent... this fookin Fiesta handles 100 times better than my Cossie ... and all this in a perfect comfort.

 

yeah i'll try this this noon !!!

 

cool

 

thanks pal !

 

no probs mate HTH see what it does

 

i'll btt this topic with the results of the test when i come back after lunch !!!

 

my luck right now just had my wheels painted and me dad was abou tthe get the tyres fitted now they need to be straightend

gonna cost me 60 euro per wheel extra

 

Pet, I've got yoko parada 2's on mine and they are pretty mint

 

"the best handling stage 1"... this interests me a lot !!! i probably have the "worse handling stage 3" , maybe we can go one with the other ? ROFLMAO
yeah? yoko and toyos are great, so ? dunno why, but deffo hesitate to buy "exotic" tyre brands like those ones... maybe because they are too young brands, but i know this does not mean their tyres are not good !

 

almost could have bought new wheels by now

 

 

Pet

Get Toyo's Mate, you will deffo be pleased