Tire tip: Help your tires last longer. - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

deliriousga · 07-13-2005, 08:25 AM

Never get the car aligned when you get new tires put on.

The last time I took the Boxster in for new tires, the guy at the tire place called and said "your last tires were worn on the inside so we should align it too". Of course, being a smart alec, I said "you're kidding, right?". The guy says "What? It will help with the tire wear." I reminded him they had just lifted the car off the wheels to put new tires on it. "Yeah, so?" So the ride height is now 1"+ higher than normal!!! "What are you talking about?" You have to drive the car for awhile for the shocks and springs to compress back down to the correct ride height. Your alignment will last me about 2 miles!! Then he says "Oh, that makes sense".

Of course, he tells my co-worker the same thing a few weeks later when he takes his car in for tires.

Try an experiment some evening when you get home and you're not taking the car out later that night. Measure your ride height somewhere around a front tire. Lift the front tires for awhile (say 30min-1hr). Put them back down and measure the ride height again at the same spot you measured before. It will be a pretty big difference. Then let it sit over night and measure again in the morning. It will compress some, but you will still have about a 1/2"+ difference in height.....and they want to align it 5 minutes after putting new tires on it? I thought those guys were "experts". ROFL

If you do this, don't feel bad, we've all done it before we learned anything about the suspension. Just a little tid-bit to help with your tire wear a little.

99-Boxster-MK · 07-13-2005, 10:45 AM

Good advice...

The first time I was working on my car (not the POrsche) I jacked it and then when I lowered it, it would not come down properly, and I freaked

but all it took was a few minute spin around the lot and all was good. Just takes a few minutes to restore the suspenstion.

Mike

deliriousga · 07-13-2005, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99-Boxster-MK

Good advice...

The first time I was working on my car (not the POrsche) I jacked it and then when I lowered it, it would not come down properly, and I freaked

but all it took was a few minute spin around the lot and all was good. Just takes a few minutes to restore the suspenstion.

Mike

YMMV - The 928 takes 25+ miles to get it back down to ride height. The stiffer the suspension, the longer it will take.

RandallNeighbour · 07-13-2005, 11:28 AM

John, now that's just about the most practical and helpful automotive thing I've learned all year! Thank you for sharing this! Makes all kinds of sense.

Fortunately, I've not messed this up as of yet because I buy tires online, have them mounted and balanced at one shop, and then take them to another shop a day or two later for an alignment. I'll remember this though should I have the same shop do both!

bigislandboxster · 07-13-2005, 11:30 AM

Great tip !

....I will need to get new tires probably by the end of the year, and did not think of that.....I have the stiffer suspension so how many miles do you think I should wait til getting the tires realigned?

Lou

Rail26 · 07-13-2005, 11:58 AM

I learned something too. Great tip!!! You know, the mind is like a table and only so many things can go on a table before something falls off. You have to pick and choose what goes on the table. I have chosen to keep this thread on the table, however, my table is full so something must have fell off. I will call my wife to ask me a few questions to see what I forgot...if I could just remember my wife's name....

RandallNeighbour · 07-13-2005, 12:02 PM

Rail, I don't fully agree with you. I remember all sorts of crap that should have fallen off the table years ago.

While I'm no brain surgeon, I actually think that the more you try and remember, the more of your brain expands to accomodate it. Sure, it's not automatic, but if you work hard to improve your wealth of knowledge, I think the human brain works hard to expand on that weenie little 20% they say it uses to store information.

deliriousga · 07-13-2005, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Rail, I don't fully agree with you. I remember all sorts of crap that should have fallen off the table years ago.

Like the lyrics to every darn Van Halen song from your youth (up to the 1984 album that is).

RandallNeighbour · 07-13-2005, 12:11 PM

Yup, I believe you are right on target there!

Rail26 · 07-13-2005, 12:28 PM

Well that may be true...but if you have forgotten something you would never know right? So how do you know you should have forgotten something? Maybe your mind wanted to remember it...

RandallNeighbour · 07-13-2005, 12:45 PM

One never tries to forget important or positive things. Thankfully, I forget a lot of bad things.

Right now I'm trying to forget that you've confused me with your rhetoric. Get your head back under one of your Porsches and fix something!

It is also painfully clear that neither you nor I have enough to do at the office the way we've been going back and forth all day.

I just started writing the introduction of my third book a half hour ago. I desperately need a vacation, leave next Thursday, and have ZERO desire to be at the office. I think I shall leave work early and go home to sit in front of the TV.

It's good to be the boss.

Rail26 · 07-13-2005, 02:42 PM

Yes, way too much time. I'm actually still in Toronto trying to figure out how to fly this archaic airplane. Its basically a 4 engine bush plane that they use to fly in and out of small strips. It has lots of redundant systems, but the problem is every redundant has a switch associated with it! Two more weeks!