So I plus sized my wheel and tire set recently and now feel like the car has looser steering. My 2.5i came with 16x6.5 wheels w/ 205/55-16 tires. I put a set of 17x7 wheels w/ 225/45-17 tires. It seems that the steering was much stiffer before the install. Now I feel there's excessive play in the wheel. Any thoughts/suggestions?
You might have changed your angles (camber and/or toe) going with a larger wheel and tire combo.. might just need an alignment.
Now running brand new BF Goodrich g-force Sport size 225/45ZR-17 on 17x7 ADR-S07R wheels. The set was mounted and balanced at Discount Tire Co in Woodstock. As of today, the tires only have 326 miles on them. You're probably right! I'll schedule an appointment for an alignment. Can you recommend a shop? Thanks. I'll check them out tomorrow morning. Can't assume that they were torqued and aired up properly at the tire shop!
^^ Gran Turismo East, just inside the perimeter on the north east side... I've been there 3 times and they've allways done me right. Their also highly recommended on this site.
Just popped my Gran Turismo East alignment cherry last week... and I got to tell you... it feels gooooooood. They will guide you through the whole thing. Highly recommended (pardon the harsh metaphor above)
+1 for GTE, they are very good. Also, you need to consider the sidewall of your tires. I have two sets of tires: one set of Goodyear all-seasons 205/55/16, and another hankook rs2 225/45/16. I notice a significant difference in steering response between the two: The Goodyear allseason have a much stiffer sidewall than the Hankooks. Even though the Hankooks have a narrower sidewall and are more performance oriented, they give me less steering response and more "squish" than my Goodyears. Nonetheless, an alignment will help a LOT!