edogger

C55ers

I have a 2005 C55 all with original factory equipment. Sometimes when I push it (60mph+) as its going around a corner I feel it slipping and not sticking to the road as much as I'd like it to

Anything I can do to tighten it up?

Do you guys feel the same thing?

Shouldn't the 18inchers do the trick?

Looking forward to everyone's thoughts and comments

Bif powell

Tires? Is the whole car letting loose, or just the front (it's pushing instead of turning)?

Heavier duty sway bars might help in general.

fivepointfivev8

what tires are you using now and what are your air pressures front and rear?

Fifth Ring

Slow down?


Size of the wheel will not make a difference. It's all about the tires. If you use all-season tires, they'll grip less than summer tires.

At the limit, the C55 will understeer. It's a safety issue.

edogger

the factory P Zero rosso 225 40 ZR 18 -- no new tires yet (13K miles on the car)

Is there something better? Should I switch it up?

I also increased the PSI on the tires by a few since that's the recomendation for high speed driving

edogger

whole car is not letting loose its just sliding a bit around the croner --not holding the road as much as I'd want

Fifth Ring

Sounds like you're just reaching the limit of the tires, assuming inflation is in the ballpark. You can lose grip by underinflating and overinflating. For street use, go a few pounds over the recommended inflation.

Those are good quality tires, and at 13K should be in their prime. It would be silly to toss those tires now. Maybe pick up a used Miata as a "going around the corner fast" car?

PC Valkyrie

If you're negotiating a 90 degree turn at 60+mph (which is 96+km/h in my part of the world), you are exceeding the grip of the tires on a stock C55. On a track, the fastest I can negotiate a 90 degree turn with a stock C55 setup is about 85-90km/h, and that's at the limit with tires screeching, but with no obvious understeering or sliding yet...and that's driving on a racing line around a curve, which you cannot really do on everyday roads.

Just slow down, approach the turn slower and apply progressively more throttle gradually after you turn in. You'll end up covering the entire turn faster than if you were on the absolute limit through the entire turn when you cannot apply any throttle until you're straight again. You're not driving a go-kart.

The best way to get more cornering grip is to get sticker tires.