First Road Trip

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gregpenn
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Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2017 4:17 pm

First Road Trip

Post by gregpenn »

65 Monza 140 convertible. Drove it about 200 mi. Running about 60-65 mph, the rear of the car feels like it wants to drift to the right. More pronounced in a curve to the left, the rear seems to be swinging too easily to the right. On a straightaway, with the tendency to drift right, I get the feel that it would be easy to put the car in a fishtail. I have new shocks. Could this be an alignment issue?

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bbodie52
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Re: First Road Trip

Post by bbodie52 »

Rear wheel alignment could cause handling issues, as could loose or worn suspension components. Are all four tires identical and in good condition? What tire pressures are you running? (Back in 1969 I was cleaning and tuning my parent's 1965 Corsa convertible. I made the mistake of rotating the tires — switching the front tires to the rear and the rears to the front. That turned out to be a mistake because at the time my father had mounted radial tires on the rear, and bias-ply recaps on the front. This arrangement worked OK, but when I rotated the tires and put the bias-ply tires on the rear, I found out that the significant differences in the internal structure of the two types of tires created a huge stability problem for the Corvair. When I drove the car at slow street speeds it seemed to be OK. But when I pulled onto the freeway and increased my speed to 50 mph or so, the car became uncontrollable and began to fishtail! Greater speed just made it worse!! I managed to slow and stabilize the car and limped home. My father then told me something about mixing tire designs and if mixed tires were to be run on the same car the radial tires had to be on the rear. I switched the tires back and the car was once again stable at highway speeds).
A radial tire allows the sidewall and the tread to function as two independent features of the tire. A bias tire consists of multiple rubber plies over lapping each other. The crown and sidewalls are interdependent. The overlapped plies form a thick layer that is less flexible and more sensitive to overheating.

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A radial tire allows the sidewall and the tread to function as two independent features of the tire.

A bias tire consists of multiple rubber plies over lapping each other. The crown and sidewalls are interdependent. The overlapped plies form a thick layer that is less flexible and more sensitive to overheating.
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
gregpenn
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Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: First Road Trip

Post by gregpenn »

4 new radials all around. Stabilization bushings old and worn. Previous owner put 2 lifters in each rear coil spring. Don't know why.

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bbodie52
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Re: First Road Trip

Post by bbodie52 »

The factory recommended tire pressure settings were selected to dial in understeer and provide a comfortable ride on bias ply tires being the important conditions. Although radial tires are much more forgiving, you should still maintain a pressure differential of 8 to 10 pounds front to rear, but you can improve the responsiveness and handling by raising the tire pressure up to about 27 front, 35 psi rear for street use (don't exceed the maximum tire inflation on the sidewall). Autocross use is a bit trickier, as the construction of the tire has an effect on the amount of pressure in the tire. In short, there are now three types of "Street" tire:
:link: http://autoxer.skiblack.com/tires.html

With correct tires and tire pressures, wheel alignment may be an issue that needs to be checked, but only after you complete any repairs needed and complete an inspection of the front and rear suspension.

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:link: https://ssl.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalo ... N&page=140
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Experienced Corvair owners may be able to help you with analysis of your handling issues. You might benefit from joining one of the CORSA (Corvair Society of America) club chapters in Ohio. Cincinnati may be the closest to you. These family-friendly clubs often offer technical training and assistance, local advice, competition events and car shows, group scenic drives, etc.

Corvair Club of Cincinnati :link: http://www.corvair.org/chapters/chapter452/
Corvair Club of Cincinnati, c/o Mike Demeter, 2440 Brenda Drive, Hamilton, OH 45013

Mid-Ohio Vair Force eMail: martzo@live.com, :link: https://www.facebook.com/Mid-ohio-vair- ... gL71Q5iMqQ
Mid-Ohio Vair Force, 2976 Russell Road, Ostrander, OH

Friends of Corvair, :link: http://friendsofcorvair.com/
President: Lee Laubacher, 5006 14th St. SW, Canton OH 44710, Phone: (330) 477-3355, Email: laubacher38@gmail.com

Vacationland Corvairs, Email: rampside@ncweb.com
Vacationland Corvairs, 11903 Concord Hambden Road, Painesville, OH

Dayton Corvair Club, :link: http://daytoncorvairclub.wixsite.com/daytoncorvairclub
The DAYTON CORVAIR CLUB founded in 1972 is located in southwest region of Ohio. We are a friendly family oriented club with a passion toward our favorite car, the CORVAIR. We welcome past, present, and future CORVAIR owners, as well as those who are simply curious about these unique vehicles. We welcome CORVAIRS of every degree of restoration or modification, including other vehicles utilizing CORVAIR components. CORVAIR OWNERSHIP IS NOT REQUIRED! All are welcome to come to our monthly meeting and annual club activites.
CORSA Chapter Locator :link: https://www.corvair.org/index.php?optio ... crmSID=3_u
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
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JassyKel
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Re: First Road Trip

Post by JassyKel »

I used to love car rides. But after I moved to Europe, I realized how destructive it is for the environment and now I prefer trains.
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Bruins_Fan
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Re: First Road Trip

Post by Bruins_Fan »

JassyKel wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 2:21 pm I used to love car rides. But after I moved to Europe, I realized how destructive it is for the environment and now I prefer trains.
Lol, wrong forum. :think:
'66 Monza Convertible 110hp Powerglide
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