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Author Topic: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.  (Read 947 times)

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Offline PinPan

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Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« on: September 10, 2018, 10:40:10 AM »
I’ve got a 72 pinto, all stock.  When I put some 13 x 6” mags on with 205/60 tires, the front end wobbles starting around 50MPH. The steering wheel shakes bad.

I talked to a good friend who used to race pintos back in the 80’s and he said the same thing happened on his pinto, no amount of balancing ect could correct it.

Anyone have  this problem and know of things to look at to address it?

Thanks in advance.

Offline LongTimeFordMan

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2018, 04:37:25 PM »
I have a SLIGHT wobble around 62-67, tight front end, new tie rod ends, recently aligned unknown how tires are balanced.. otherwise the car tracks straight even with no hands on steering wheel.. also.. do you have an engine vibration at the affected speed.. 2.0 engines seem to have a vibration somewwee between 3000 and 5000 . This could 8nduce some front end vibration.
Red 1973 pinto wagon DD, SoCal desert car, Factory 4 speed, 3.40 gears, Stock engine, 14" rims and tires, 60 K original miles

Offline Wittsend

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2018, 04:47:15 PM »
I have Sumitumo HTR 200's 175-70-13" on Factory Rallye wheels.  As I get into that 65 MPH range the car just seems light in the front (it even feels like the car rises) and the tires have a feeling of loose front wheel bearings. Is that the sum total of a 45 year old suspension, on nearly new - but nonetheless Craigslist tires that were bubble balanced by myself??? Or does the Pinto just have a natural lifting at speed that enhances ever little wear or imbalance culminating into the shake many seem to have???

Offline LongTimeFordMan

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2018, 04:58:31 PM »
Mine has no lifting and feels really solid, corners and tracks well. Have you checked the tie rod ends and alignment...  i have driven t on long hauls on the pinto stampedes at speeds up to 75 and except for slight wobble at 62-67 no issues.

Last alignment was 5000 miles ago and i haven had the wheels balanced in the 4 years i have had the car, the PO put them on..

In past years i have restored mgbs which are noteworthy for their handling and my 73 wagon seems to handle as well or better..

I have 14 inch rims and p205 14 Cornell radials on all four corners on american racing alloy rims and they feel great..

Ps.. i would strongly recommend upgrading to the 14 inch american racing wheels and 205 14 tires.. with a 4 speed and 3:40 gears its great for freeway drivng
Red 1973 pinto wagon DD, SoCal desert car, Factory 4 speed, 3.40 gears, Stock engine, 14" rims and tires, 60 K original miles

Offline robertwwithee

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2018, 07:01:01 PM »
No issues on any of mine ever.  Could be tires would be my guess.  The only way my front end lifted was when 11 people were in my wagon! 

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Offline LongTimeFordMan

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2018, 08:52:55 PM »
I would try having the tires/wheels spin balanced.. sometimes the tires are out of round or out of balance side to side.. bubble balancing sometimes doesnt fix that..
Red 1973 pinto wagon DD, SoCal desert car, Factory 4 speed, 3.40 gears, Stock engine, 14" rims and tires, 60 K original miles

Offline PinPan

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2018, 01:56:16 PM »
I had the wheels balanced at Wal-Mart on their machine, maybe helped a tiny bit. 
I have ordered new BF Goodrich T/A's.  I'll let people know if that works out.
Forgot to mention they are 13" tires.

If anyone out there has beat this problem, let me know.

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2018, 05:51:06 PM »
Also.. you might check tosee8f the mounted tires are round.. sometimes they have runout which can make them vibrate..

Jack up one wheel at a time under the a frame till the tire just clears the ground..then spin the tire to see 8f the distance between the tire and the ground changes as the tire rotates..

You can also insert a wooden wedge against the tire and spin it .. this will show any out of round as 5he clearance between the tire and wedge will vary if the tire is out of round..
Red 1973 pinto wagon DD, SoCal desert car, Factory 4 speed, 3.40 gears, Stock engine, 14" rims and tires, 60 K original miles

Offline LongTimeFordMan

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Re: Wide front tires on a stock Pinto.
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2018, 06:04:57 PM »
Also.. to the poster with the light front end.. do you have power steering.. some5imes 5hat will get too aggressive and to both.. check the steering rack mounts and tie rod ends for wera and or play..

I dont have power steering and before i replaced my tie rod ends, there was vibration.

Also.. sometimes the tie rods wear where they connect to the steering rack. To eliminate the play there you need to drive or drill out the locking pins in the adjusting nuts on the rack ends and loosen the jam nuts, then adjust the nuts to eliminate any slack there. Then align the hopes andninsert new pins or just tighten the jam nuts really tight so they dont work loose..  i just tightened the jam nuts and so far so good after 10 k miles.

If your boots are worn.. this is a good time to change them. The racks are normally filled with gear lube but you can just dis assemble the connections between the rack and tie rods and smear a LOT of wheel bearing grease on the joint before you reassemble, also liberally grease the rack.  Then if you dont use gear oil, your boots wont leak..
Red 1973 pinto wagon DD, SoCal desert car, Factory 4 speed, 3.40 gears, Stock engine, 14" rims and tires, 60 K original miles