Grooves on motorways

[trevorx]

Driving to work this morning (nice long Manchester - London commute !!!). I noticed how the grooves in the motorway (you know the ones left by heavy lorries in the slow lane) really throw my IS200 around. Is this just the nature of very sensitive steering and lovely large tyres ....

Do you chaps / chapess' suffer this ?

[altezzaz]

With my last car I found that the more worn the tires the more it followed the grooves - will have to find out with this one.....

[trevorx]

Altezzaz,

Can you u2u (or reply here) what differs with your motor comparied to our is200's. I'm fascinated as I'd never come across one until joining this club.

Cheers,

Trev.

[Aristo V300]

My car's steering does the same ever since I got wider rims and tires

[Blue Thunder]

I have the same problem on the M3 it is very noticable. But you know the answer dont you....get out of the slow lane...slow coach!!

[trevorx]

Blue Thunder,

.... this time in the morning I just can't think of a witty response :?:

Your right.

[Andy_IS200]

Mine does the same but only when I'm in the slow lane, I hate being there though cause of the stones that fly up from the trucks. Can't have the paintwork damaged so have to drive a little faster in one of the other lanes.

[Grangey]

You sure you didn't take a wrong turn onto the west coast line, instead "Sorry your train is late this morning, there was a Lexus on the line!"

[trevorx]

Would get you there alot quicker than the usual rolling stock

[Zee007]

Yep - I have the same problem in the slow lane - can be kinda fun though.... just let the car sit in the grooves and chill out - auto steering...

[lexicon]

Originally posted by altezzaz

With my last car I found that the more worn the tires the more it followed the grooves - will have to find out with this one.....

I noticed that too - I just swapped the fronts (not very worn) with backs (well worn) and it tramlines a lot more now.

No doubt there is some good technical reason for this :?:

[djanderso]

I wish the IS had self-centering steering, my Accord Coupe had this and it was great for going round corners, you just let it slide back to straight between your palms (Oh-err) :)

[Riken]

the correct term for this is 'nibbling'. It comes from using wider tires and/or negative camber. Reason: as a tire is leaned to one side(camber) it will pull that way. Usually when stock width tires are switched in favor of wider ones it accentuates the neg. camber of the car. hence both tires want to drive toward eachother and depending on the angle of the road beneath each tire, it will try to go that way.

[Monster-Mat]

:wow::o:wow:

also known as tramlineing...........

id preferre to say when the cars full of ppl......."dam,the cars tramlineing" rather than "nibbling" otherwise ppl might think im wearing tight under crackers:(

[lexicon]

Originally posted by djanderso

I wish the IS had self-centering steering, my Accord Coupe had this and it was great for going round corners, you just let it slide back to straight between your palms (Oh-err) :)

A few ppl have mentioned this, but mine self-centres OK - admittedly not as much or as quick as a FWD car, but the difference isn't so great as to say it doesn't self-centre.

[jenners]

Can't comment on the 'nibbling' or the tramlining but I do think that either more people in the south prefer not to drive on the inside lane because of this effect or there are more beemer drivers down south because nobody seems to drive on the inside lane apart from lorries !!

[javadude]

I leave the left and middle lanes for GS drivers.... :D

[Rodders_UK]

Originally posted by javadude

I leave the left and middle lanes for GS drivers.... :D

I really didn;t wanna bite but I just can't help it:bounce:

Any time you wanna put you ickle baby car up against my GS mate - just say the word.

[Aristo V300]

I'll second that. This GS would be about 10 car lengths ahead before you'd figure out what hit you:lol:

[javadude]

I'll second that. This GS would be about 10 car lengths ahead before you'd figure out what hit you

bait taken....

Most lexus drivers I see on the M4 seem to pootle along quite sedately (even IS drivers). I must admit there was an exception on Monday - I moved over to let a GS fly past at about mach 1. :wow: It was black with gold badges (and a hint of red shift) in case it was anyone here. I don't think he saw my club sticker, or even the car?!

[Ezzer]

I concur....... I frequently brake hard at these set of lights after a wide wide curve.... and just at this bit of tarmac before the lights, it's very very grooved for some reason (as the rest of the road is perfectly fine)..... and the car 'nibbles' or tramlines alarmingly. Almost like tourque steer on a FWD car. definately somethign to do with the tyre and wheel size.