Quote:
Originally Posted by 4sevens.com
I didn't try it yet (edited above post)
Here's the email I got from the michelin testing guy...
Left you a voicemail. Here is some stuff that may help. Call back and I can explain more.
Are you running this tire size on all four corners? If so, then this applies.
The PSS has awesome compounds on it, so grip isn't an issue (esp in the wet). I've tested it against all the competitor tires, and there is nothing that beats in on a road course (or on a wet track). The problem that I think you are having is a vehicle balance issue. Those tires you have are designed for the rear axle of most split fitment cars. Because they mainly go on the rear, we make the tire give the car some stability. The bad part is that it makes the car understeer when you put it on the front axle. You will have good grip, but the car will want to understeer more so. This puts extra stress on the outside of the tire. Is the driver complaining about understeer?
If you can't change tires, you can play with the air pressures a little to help. Let me know where you are at and I can tell you what to do. Also, the driver will have to be aware of this and try not to punish the fronts as hard.
If you can change tires, I would suggest going to the PS2 that is on the front of the Dodge Viper (Michelin part # 84530). It's the same size that you are currently using. The compound on it is awesome and it's designed for the front axle. This tire will balance the car more towards neutral mid corner with it on all four corners.
How is the car driving? Do you have a lot of corner entry or mid corner understeer? If so, this is because you have tires designed for the rear on the front of the car. See my note above. Many people do this, but you have to adjust the car (camber, stabi-bars, springs and dampers) and your driving style to compensate for the understeer (easier on the fronts on entry and mid corner, use some weight transfer to get the car to turn - light braking or lift throttle).
Brian said that you were testing at Little Talladega. I've been there on a motorcycle before. It's tight and really hard on tires (light a cheese grader). I suspect that the other tracks that you go to will not be as hard on the tires.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
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Thanks a lot for sharing
. Always good to have new/more info.
I am a bit surprised about this, as I used to shred my front PS2 outer edges when I ran them in the dry. The PSS seem to be slightly more resistant.
But hey, who am I to argue with a Michelin engineer
.
If you ever try this set-up out, let us know. Any clue on identifying which PSS were designed for front application vs rear?