I ended up getting some 17x8 wheels that are considered lightweight at 17lbs each corner and WHAT A DIFFERENCE in take off speed and acceleration in general! I even ended up getting bigger more grippier tires. Stock was the Michelin runflats in 205/45/17, and my new tires are the Firestone Indy 500's in 215/45/17, but now feel I should go wider because I don't have any grip. I do have some basic mods on my car that's improved the power, but with the lighter wheels on I don't have that heavier planted feeling anymore When rolling highspeed over bumps, the front end is squirmy and lofts over bumps and takes away my handling confidence of the car! This is DEFINITELY NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING! Car seems worse now with the lighter wheels on to where I HAVE TO HAVE a tight grip with both hands on the steering wheel in order keep control if I'm ever gunning it and the road is bumpy. Its only relaxing to drive if the road is smooth.


I'm wondering is there something I can do to gain better steering control of the car or is this all defaulting to a suspension issue where I need to upgrade?


HAVE NO CLUE HOW THE PICS ARE SIDEWAYS: they look rightside up when I uploaded them.

 

My guess is that it’s the tires giving you the squirrelly feeling, not the wheels. New tires in general feel that way until they’ve broken in a bit (even performance tires)...have you driven on them very much yet?

 

The lighter feeling in steering can be disconcerting at first. I found that there was a lot less effort required to steer the car when compared to the stock R98 wheels. I'm also wondering if you may be dealing with a misalignment that you didn't feel as much with the heavier stock wheels (?)

 

The tires I have on are brand new (maybe 150 miles on them so far) and are VERY grippy but bumps in the road when I'm on the gas just has the car hopping about and I cant stand it. The suspension feels softer and dangerous due to lack of front end feel (control).

 

you reduced your unsprung weight quite a bit, if your shocks are worn it'll exacerbate the feeling

I would also check the PSI, if they stuck 45 pound in there it'll be harsh like you described

 

Have you had an alignment lately? A lot of the time a change in wheels and tires can amplify an existing issue.

 

Well I checked my air pressure and all of them were around 48 psi. I reduced the tires to 40, and its made the "steering feel" better, much better than it was (so thanks for that) however, the steering will still jar a bit but only under acceleration As for an alignment, I definitely should get that, however, my front end STILL lofts upward a good bit if I hit a bump just going normal speed, and like I said before its even worse if I'm on the gas. I haven't read about lighter wheels causing a problem like this but actually think the stock shocks are damped for a much heavier wheel. Hard to tell if my stock shocks are shot or if its strictly the wheel change causing all this. Now the rebound on my front end is like a po-go stick (compresses fine, but rebounds upward too much now), and didn't feel like that at all with the stock wheels.

 

Do you think my shocks are toast already, I have 78K miles.

 

40 is still probably way too much.

 

yeah go lower, with high performance tires come stiff sidewalls, try like 32 that's what I like on the street

honestly 80k are probably due for a refresh, they are one of those things that slowly loose damping over time not enough to notice it, but when you get new shocks then you'll see how much the old ones had lost.

 

I run 38psi in my front tires and 36-38 in the rear. I have 17lb wheels and have not experienced the same problem. It sounds like the shocks/struts are in need of changing.

"(compresses fine, but rebounds upward too much now)"

Sounds like all you're feeling is the springs, and the shocks are not dampening the rebound as they should.

 

I can tell you when I switched from stock struts to my Koni FSDs, I could not believe the difference in ride quality. I could not believe I stuck with stock struts as long as I did, when I could have had the ride I now had. Swap the stock struts and you will see what I mean. That change will transform the car.

 

 

Well, I lowered the tire pressure on all corners to 36, and steering control is back!
Its not jarring anymore over uneven pavement. however, I'm leaning toward what some of you have said, that my shocks dampening is probably shot! Still seems weird to drive over dips with the front end bouncing upwards more than it should (that hasn't gone away at all). So I'm on the hunt for some coilovers in hopes to fix this because I don't want to put the stock wheels back on.


Coilover considerations: ST XTA, KW V2, PSS10 however, I do keep thinking a Bilstein shock/NM or Eibach spring setup is all I need, just wonder which provides the best cushion for pothole ridden roads. I don't want to create another problem to fix by having something too harsh.

 

Best cushion for pothole ridden roads is stock height (oem) springs with a good damper like
Koni Sport or Bilstein B6 if performance is the top priority, or Koni FSD if ride comfort is the
top priority.

 

 

which brand set ups are you considering (shock/spring)?