e-man

Hey guys, 2006 GS430 with 18s. In June, I replaced a set of Michelin A/S Plus (not the A/S 3, but the previous generation with the directional tread pattern) with a set of Continental DWS06 (size 245/40/18). My initial impressions were great. The DWS06 are quiet, comfortable, corner relatively well, handle great in the rain, etc. However, 95% of my miles are highway miles, and the one thing I’ve noticed that is really bothering me is that the tires tend to wander, not just in one direction, but both left and right, and require constant steering correction. And to make matters worse, the steering response is relatively numb (not sure if that’s the right term), so adjusting the steering wheel slightly left or right sometimes does not correct enough. Anyway, the result is that I’m finding that the car is drifting left and right in the lane, and I'm constantly adjusting the steering wheel. Not fun.

This can’t be normal, right? I still have a few weeks still to take advantage of the Continental warranty, but I’m just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience with these tires. Thanks for the help.

e

ibidu1

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like your lower rear control arm bushings are bad, happened to me aswell. Super easy fix, and pretty cheap! Only takes a few mins to swap out with regular hand tools, I didnt even take off the wheel lol

You will need an alignment after you finish

e-man

Thanks, that could be, but I have 145k miles on the car and this did not become an issue until I put on the new tires. Almost seems like it would have to be something with the tires, psi, etc., no?

ibidu1

iTrader: (1)

Tire psi could be a factor, but considering your at 145k and drive on rough roads of IL. More then likely those bushings are shot, my car did the same thing

primavera

DWS are all season tires (Dry/Wet/Snow) and these tires tend to have softer sidewall than summer performance tires to allow for some comfort of driving.
I installed Pirelli P7 Cinturato (all season touring tires) and feel the same thing at high speeds. They feel great in the city but are little too soft while changing lanes on highway.
Increasing the tire pressure might correct the problem.
As ibidu1 is saying replacing lower control arm bushings will stiffen up the front end with great steering response. Even though those bushings might look ok to the eye, with your mileage they are most likely shot.

e-man

Is it the front lower control arm bushings or the rear ones that could be the culprit?

ibidu1

iTrader: (1)

https://trademotion.com/parts/2008/L...iagram=F885050

the diagram is for awd but its #12

msrp $70.00 each from the dealer

They make them aftermarket but most ive seen cost more then oem. But if these bushing were worn out it would allow side to side movement in the lower control arm. essentially rocking your steering wheel side to side

e-man

Thanks ibidu1.

Here's the thing. I never experienced this at all until I removed the Pilot Sport A/S Plus and installed the Conti DWS06. I'm sure it's possible that the front lower control arm bushings are worn, but I also think it has something to do with going from a firmer directional tire to a softer asymmetrical tire. I upped the PSI last night from 33 to 37 and that seemed to make a nice difference on the highway this morning in terms of road feel and steering response. It still has the drift going on, but it doesn't seem to be as severe.

Thanks for everyone's help.

ArpusTT

i have this issue with my Extreme Contacts. new tires, new alignment, figs lower inner control arm bushings and new lower ball joints. car wanders. maybe upper ball joints? idk.

e-man

What tires did you have before the conti's?

e-man

So I increased the psi from 33 to 37. It made a difference in terms of road feel and handling, but I still have this wandering thing on the highway every day.

I’ve been thinking about it some more. I never had this issue with the Pilot Sport A/S Plus, but those tires were directional and closely followed the crowning of the road. In the far left lane, the car would drift left, in all other lanes the car would drift right, but it was consistent so I basically only needed to apply slight pressure to the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the pull in order to keep the car straight.

The Conti’s are not directional, so now the car drifts left and right requiring constant correction. I’m wondering whether the directional tread pattern of the Pilot Sport A/S Plus may have masked the problem that the front lower control arm bushings were worn. In other words, the problem may have been there for a long time, but with the directional tires, I never felt it because the car always pulled slightly in one direction based on the crowning of the road, and all I needed to (probably subconsciously) was apply slight pressure to the steering wheel in the opposite direction.

The techs at my Lexus dealership are currently on strike so there’s nothing I can do about this now. I had contemplated removing the Conti’s and replacing them with Pilot Sport A/S 3+, but there are just too many people out there complaining about harsh ride quality with these tires (which is consistent with my experience with the original A/S 3s).