Forgive me if this has been asked before. I searched the forum but did not find anything quite relevant.
I've got a simple question for Fiero owners out here on the west coast. Is it normal for the font tires to slide if you turn the wheel a bit quickly at slower speeds? Eg. 5KPH Parking lot turning results in the front end just being pushed forward rather than an turn?
I have plenty of meat of my tires but i've noticed that on cement or new/smooth pavement surfaces, my fiery won't turn very reliability. Is this just a known Fiero issue or something I can fix with a specific type of tire, etc?
How quickly? The steering ratio isn't the best and there's no power steering (unless you changed racks and added it), so what you think is a "quick" turn may not actually turn the wheels all that much.
At a speed as low as 5 KPH you're going to have to really work to turn the wheels, using both hands, due to the lack of power steering.
It would be nice to know what tires you are using and how old they are. Have you had an alignment done recently? Just because they look good tires also have a life expectancy for age. Rubber hardens over time and the sun will break down the rubber too. How about the brakes, are they locking up the fronts and causing the slide (understeer)? I think we need a bit more info.
There are only 600 Lbs on each Fiero front wheel.....stock setup. Tires are graded with a wear index (UTQG).....a low number like 200 is soft and a high number like 600 is hard....most tires that have any sort of mileage guarantee are fairly hard rubber, and tend to slide on a Fiero. Specialty summer tires with a soft compound are difficult to find, but that is what you want. There is a very complete explanation of UTQG on the Tire Rack website.
Many tires tend to get harder as they age. I drove a Fiero with some old Goodyear tires one time.....they would break loose in second gear.
Originally posted by mcguiver3: It would be nice to know what tires you are using and how old they are. Have you had an alignment done recently? Just because they look good tires also have a life expectancy for age. Rubber hardens over time and the sun will break down the rubber too. How about the brakes, are they locking up the fronts and causing the slide (understeer)? I think we need a bit more info.
Yes, many things can affect steering at any speed. You need more info. iffy alignment or Just 1 weak/dead bushing can cause problems.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
The tires are likely quite old and the rubber is quite hard.
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to autocross a mint condition '88 Fiero GT which still had the original tires on it. Scared the hell out of me. Car couldn't turn worth a damn.
Fieros are notorious for understeer (pushing). You can compensate a little by bumping the pressure in the front tires. The overall setup will determine the best mix but starting with 32-35 in the back and 40 or so in the front would give you an idea of what kind of changes to expect and dial it in from there. Also check the sway bar bushings to make sure they aren't soft. Replace them with poly if you haven't already.
You say when you accelerate during a turn is when you feel it. That is when it would be apparent anyway. Any acceleration during a turn will shift weight from the front towards the rear. The front is already light and now it will be lighter, Classic understeer condition. Try it while braking and see if there is any difference. Not a hard brake but just enough to load the front suspension.
Scared the hell out of me. Car couldn't turn worth a damn.
