Does anyone have experience with using 245 tires up front in a FC with a manual steering rack? If so, what is the steering effort like? I found a surprising increase going from 205 to 225s. I'm concerned about the steering being too tough and reducing my accuracy and quickness on tight turns (eg. think autoX).

Thanks.

 

If you want accuracy and quickness keep the manual rack. Have you ever driven without the manual rack? I blew the power steering belt on my last lap at a solo1 event. Lets say just say it sucks. When you have all your might fighting the steering wheel trying to make thr corner and the car oversteer snaps back at you on the gas the steering wheel wants to rip your arms off. With your power steering that effect is dampened. And you can kiss making small minute changes at teh cornering limits good bye. You are fighting the force of the wheel/cornering forces so much to make the turn. You can't even try to crank it more 1/2 way into the turn to readjust your line slightly.
LEAVE the POWER STEERING ALONE!
Go find a wrecker car for coponents if your's is broken. If you want to save weight find it welsewhere.

btw this was with 225/50/16 R compounds. 5.1 degrees caster

 

Ummm... Jason what are you talking about? My question is about how tough it will be to turn the wheels if I slap on some 245s.

 

Basically you awnt to keep your PS

 

it's not hard. in fact i like the way it feels with 245's and no p/s. woot!

 

you guys are wussies. I run 275's up front with a p/s rack with the lines routed to a catch can and NO p/s pump at all... for autox it feels great. if the pavement is especially rugged and the setup was new to me it was entertaining. when the tires grabbed at tar or bumps in corner entry it required some muscle to keep it in check but otherwise its nice. Once I got close enough to the steering wheel and found the right tire pressures, it drove like I wanted it to.

I daily drive the car too and I like the way it feels, effort is higher than a manual rack but I like the feedback and quick ratio, its only a pain for parallel parking and I rarely need to do that.