Sponsored

Is it tramlining?

velocityblue5.0

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2021
Threads
26
Messages
905
Reaction score
860
Location
new jersey
Vehicle(s)
21 Stang GT Premium, 22 F150 XLT Sport, 07 Tacoma
Hey guys, 2021 GT here, and lately i've been noticing that certain roads, the car will pull left or right without any feedback from me, which causes me to have to correct....i've seen tramlining as an issue for shelbys and people running wide tires but.......mine is 100% stock. i'm not a PP, it's a GT Premium Package with the black pocketed rims, and they're the 18's so i think they're 275s maybe? i don't remember, but they're the pirelli pzero's. i've got about 9700 miles, and the thing is i don't remember this happening around this time last year when she was brand new. i've never had an alignment or anything, but i had a rotation and all around checkup when i did my first oil change in august. any thoughts if this is actually tramlining or something else is wrong? thanks guys!
Sponsored

 

DopamineQuest

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2021
Threads
16
Messages
623
Reaction score
1,465
Location
Ohio
Website
www.instagram.com
Vehicle(s)
2021 GT500 Carbonized Gray
Hey guys, 2021 GT here, and lately i've been noticing that certain roads, the car will pull left or right without any feedback from me, which causes me to have to correct....i've seen tramlining as an issue for shelbys and people running wide tires but.......mine is 100% stock. i'm not a PP, it's a GT Premium Package with the black pocketed rims, and they're the 18's so i think they're 275s maybe? i don't remember, but they're the pirelli pzero's. i've got about 9700 miles, and the thing is i don't remember this happening around this time last year when she was brand new. i've never had an alignment or anything, but i had a rotation and all around checkup when i did my first oil change in august. any thoughts if this is actually tramlining or something else is wrong? thanks guys!
If the alignment's good it probably was just tramlining. I've experienced it on PP GT's before, rarely. If there's a big enough line or groove in the road it can definitely happen.
 
OP
OP
velocityblue5.0

velocityblue5.0

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2021
Threads
26
Messages
905
Reaction score
860
Location
new jersey
Vehicle(s)
21 Stang GT Premium, 22 F150 XLT Sport, 07 Tacoma
crazy thing is i'm not noticing anything in the road. i was even purposely driving over those crack lines to see if it would do it, and it didn't. it just seems to randomly pull both directions and i have no clue if it's tramlining or not.
 

ORRadtech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2019
Threads
21
Messages
2,490
Reaction score
2,188
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
First Name
Dave
Vehicle(s)
18 Mustang EcoBoost convertible, 14 Ford Fusion SE
I found the P Zeros to be bad about tramlining once they got about half worn out. I never got too much more than 20k out of them so at 9700 you're probably pretty close to half way,
 

NightmareMoon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2015
Threads
41
Messages
5,623
Reaction score
4,641
Location
Austin
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT PP
Vehicle Showcase
1
crazy thing is i'm not noticing anything in the road. i was even purposely driving over those crack lines to see if it would do it, and it didn't. it just seems to randomly pull both directions and i have no clue if it's tramlining or not.
alignment (toe out) can cause darting in both directions, get the alignment checked.
 

Sponsored

PC_GUARD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2022
Threads
37
Messages
628
Reaction score
501
Location
Fl
First Name
Scott
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT PP1
alignment (toe out) can cause darting in both directions, get the alignment checked.
Tramlining is ALMOST always an alignment issue. Yes, tires can (especially worn or inflated wrong) but usually it's toe/and or camber and sometimes bad dampers. 98% of the time it's alignment In an irs car, it can be the rear fork lift steering, making it seem like you're chasing the front.

At 9700 miles, everything is about broken in fully. Getting the car square, a proper alignment can really change how the car handles.
 
OP
OP
velocityblue5.0

velocityblue5.0

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2021
Threads
26
Messages
905
Reaction score
860
Location
new jersey
Vehicle(s)
21 Stang GT Premium, 22 F150 XLT Sport, 07 Tacoma
cool, thanks guys! with my old mustang, i had a lifetime Firestone wheel alignment on it, and i think it goes by the plate, not the vehicle...and i have the same plates on it. i should really go over there and see if they'll do an alignment on the new stang. if not, what do you guys suggest? any special places to go for an alignment?

also i can't believe the pzeros are really that bad! i had them on my last mustang and never had any tramlining issues. hmm
 

Rev68

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 12, 2022
Threads
4
Messages
122
Reaction score
168
Location
20852
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1
I found the P Zeros to be bad about tramlining once they got about half worn out. I never got too much more than 20k out of them so at 9700 you're probably pretty close to half way,
This.
 

TopJimmyCooks

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2016
Threads
5
Messages
269
Reaction score
317
Location
Raleigh, NC
First Name
James
Vehicle(s)
2017 GT Prem PP; 2019 EcoBoost Prem
Vehicle Showcase
1
cool, thanks guys! with my old mustang, i had a lifetime Firestone wheel alignment on it, and i think it goes by the plate, not the vehicle...and i have the same plates on it. i should really go over there and see if they'll do an alignment on the new stang. if not, what do you guys suggest? any special places to go for an alignment?

also i can't believe the pzeros are really that bad! i had them on my last mustang and never had any tramlining issues. hmm
I wish Ford would stop with the P-Zeroes. There are so many better options.
 
OP
OP
velocityblue5.0

velocityblue5.0

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2021
Threads
26
Messages
905
Reaction score
860
Location
new jersey
Vehicle(s)
21 Stang GT Premium, 22 F150 XLT Sport, 07 Tacoma
what's something everyone suggests? i don't track the car or anything, but i'm in NJ and drive all season so i don't want summer tires.
 

Sponsored

Rapid Red

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2019
Threads
45
Messages
5,071
Reaction score
4,089
Location
Woodstock GA
First Name
Greg
Vehicle(s)
GT PP2 RaceRed Roush> Steeda> preformance
Vehicle Showcase
2
crazy thing is i'm not noticing anything in the road. i was even purposely driving over those crack lines to see if it would do it, and it didn't. it just seems to randomly pull both directions and i have no clue if it's tramlining or not.

It's just the road surface, no big deal.
 

Angrey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2020
Threads
92
Messages
2,349
Reaction score
2,392
Location
Coral Gables
Vehicle(s)
2016 GT350
Caster help the stability of the steering tremendously. The more caster, the more stable the front driveline, however it'll also make the steering heavier with more effort. If you were to eliminate all caster and go to zero or even negative, the car is very unstable and wants to wander and dart all over on it's own. A very positive caster makes the car self stabilizing to return back to straight after you've stopped any steering input. I like to run more caster than recommended, it doesn't directly affect the tire wear but it does mean the power steering components have to work harder with more input to get the same turn response.
 

ORRadtech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2019
Threads
21
Messages
2,490
Reaction score
2,188
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
First Name
Dave
Vehicle(s)
18 Mustang EcoBoost convertible, 14 Ford Fusion SE
what's something everyone suggests? i don't track the car or anything, but i'm in NJ and drive all season so i don't want summer tires.
I have Continental DWS's on mine now. They're wearing great and handle well. They're also all season and have handled very heavy rain really well. We haven't had any snow yet this year but I'd suspect they will do fine in light snow. With the low ground clearance I wouldn't want to be out on much more than a couple of inches anyway.
 
OP
OP
velocityblue5.0

velocityblue5.0

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2021
Threads
26
Messages
905
Reaction score
860
Location
new jersey
Vehicle(s)
21 Stang GT Premium, 22 F150 XLT Sport, 07 Tacoma
It's just the road surface, no big deal.
i'd be fine with that except i never noticed this in my 2014 stang, and i don't notice it in my '22 f150 or my '07 tacoma. that's the only reason i worry, because i also never noticed this when i first got the stang.
 

Angrey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2020
Threads
92
Messages
2,349
Reaction score
2,392
Location
Coral Gables
Vehicle(s)
2016 GT350
Tramlining is a first world problem. It's actually a good thing if the suspension and alignment are all proper. It means the tires are gripping so well, that they "fight" each other over imperfections in the driving surface.

In what most of us would consider a "normal" car, the suspension and grip is very compliant and forgiving. This makes for a more pleasurable driving experience.

In high performance setups with wide front tires and lower roll center, tramlining is a result of each front corner saying "You give" when the road surface is imperfect. It's a sign that the tire/corner isn't wanting to yield or be compliant.

It's most noticeable if the alignment isn't proper but usually even then only among cars with wide(r) tires for more grip.

A lot of guys complain about it and in fairness, it does make non-spirited driving/use more taxing. On a long trip, it's best to keep both hands on the wheel because at any moment the car can dart and struggle with the roadways (which as we know aren't perfect). But in the end, after you've resolved any alignment or suspension deficiencies, it's largely "racecar life."

"I swapped to these tires and the tramlining went away." If no other changes to the car were made this is almost always equal to "I reduced the front grip."

Think of it this way, if the brake systems were perfect (meaning you had INSTANT RESPONSE and UNLIMITED GRIP and STOPPING) if you even brushed the brakes it'd send you into your restraints and try to plant your face in the windshield. That would be pretty unnerving to many/most auto consumers, but for those looking for max performance, it would be "racecar life." The same with steering input/feel.
Sponsored

 
 




Top