Wide tires on Spider

[Joe Martin Cantrell <agiyo@domain.elided>]

From: "Howard and Pat Warren" <warrenwood@domain.elided>
Subject: Oversized tires for Spider
As I'm putting my Spider back into reliable running condition, the time has
come to look at my baby's shoes. The PO put Continental 205/60 tires on
her. Nothing is rubbing, and I've already calibrated my head for the speedo
difference. However, steering is sloppy, both at slow speed and highway.
I've tentatively put that down to old tie rod ends and plan to replace them.
My question to the experts: could this wider tire be part of the problem?

I've been thinking about this, too, although the moving parts of my 
steering are nearly new, and my steering is good.  The 205/55 15" Kumhos 
I'm running with continuing delight are very heavy in parking maneuvers, 
plus adding noticeably to the jounciness on rough roads.  It's all (Rugh 
springs, Sachs Sporting Gas shocks, AlfaBill bushings) wonderful, most 
places, but when a wheel goes over a bump the impact has to go SOMEPLACE, 
always through the joints.  I'm beginning to sense that 30 Alfa years are 
about equivalent to 56 man years, and this old bod don't take a hit like it 
used to.

My current inclination is that I'd like a set of 185/70 tires for 
winter-around-town driving.  Wouldn't take me 30 minutes to do a pit stop, 
apparently unlike the legion of road grinders around here who run studs 
every legal second, cutting Oregon Trail-like ruts in every freeway, in 
case they happen to be outside when Portland gets its 2 hours/year of ice.

Something like a 185/70 is a lot closer to what the 105 cars were designed 
around, and as various Eldergesti have observed, they got a lot more right 
than wrong.  Matter of fact, a stock suspension, perhaps with Bilsteins, 
has a certain attraction.  If I were you, Howard, that's where I'd go.

Cheers,
Joe

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