[pramod]

Hello All

My Ride is a 2007 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Petrol.
It ran on Stock MRF 175mm tyres for 28Kms, after which i decided to change the 4 tyres.
After a brief survey on Team-BHP, i went in for BF Goodrich 195/60 tyres.
I got it fitted at Vijay Wheel Alignment, VV Puram, Bangalore.
The Wheel Balancing and Wheel Alignment was done.
The initial few hundres Kms were fine and i could enjoy the grip level attained after this upgrade and the sense of riding on a softer tyre, which made the run smoother.
But now, for unknown reasons, i observe the following issues:

1. Steering wheel has become quite heavy and tight to handle.
2. Potholes on the road handle the Steering wheel, while the exact opposite is desired. Meaning, the potholes control how the steering rotates and this is very irritating to drive with.
3. The vehicle moves to the left when it runs without any instructions from the driver over the steering.

Because of the above issues, i am not able to enjoy the brilliant handling and the Fun factor after this upgrade.
Have i done a mistake by going for a 195/60 tyres?
Can i rule out the possibility of steering column defect?
PS: The issue 3 was there even before the upgrade. But the upgrade has just elevated the problem to new heights.



Pls help.

Regards
Pramod

[Nikhilb2008]

Issue 3 is due to an alignment issue.

It is normal for the steering to become much harder once oyu upgrade tyres from 175 section to 195 section.

The BFG is not really a soft tyre. It's pretty hard.

195/60 R14 is a good size for the Fiesta. There is nothing wrong with the size.

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by pramod

But now, for unknown reasons, i observe the following issues:

1. Steering wheel has become quite heavy and tight to handle.
2. Potholes on the road handle the Steering wheel, while the exact opposite is desired. Meaning, the potholes control how the steering rotates and this is very irritating to drive with.
3. The vehicle moves to the left when it runs without any instructions from the driver over the steering.

PS: The issue 3 was there even before the upgrade. But the upgrade has just elevated the problem to new heights.

With wider tyres, the steering will become slightly more tight that usual. But all the 3 symptoms that you have mentioned, points to something more than just alignment issues. I'm sure you will get some insights from the tech experts.

[Jaggu]

First check the air pressure, keep it close to company specified limit. Then get the alignment and wheel balancing for front wheels done again. Also check your power steering fluid levels.

Are you running alloys OR on stock rims? If stock rims whats the width of the rims?

[m4ugr8]

Issue 2 is there because bgf's have a tendency to tramline i.e.follow the contours of the road..nothing to worry about.
Just get you wheel alignment done and you will be fine.There is no issue with your car or your tires.What you are observing is general consequences of shifting to a broader sports oriented tire.

[pramod]

Thanks for the info guys!
Jaggu -- I am running on ford stock Alloys.

I spent 2 hours at Vijay Wheel Alignment center on JP Nagar Ring road.
The issue is sorted and the car is back to Normal.

But the solution was not as simple as we thought.

1. Wheel balancing was done first.
2. Wheel alignment was done after that --- The wheel was still dragging to the left
3. Next we moved the rear wheels to the front and vice versa. -- Dint solve the problem either.
4. Next, we observed that the outer end shoulder of the front wheel had taken a beating in terms wear and tear. So the mechanic decided to slightly modify the vertical angle of the Wheel (very small adjustment).
And after this the Steering is back to Normal.

Now,
the car remains on a straight line
No drag to the left
Steering feeling lighter

Cheers
Pramod