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New 2025 RTL with heavier steering than previous 2019 - anyone else noticed this? What would help?
- Thread starter heliboy
- Start date
The newer model Spyders (2020+) have noticeably less steering assistance than the 2019 & earlier Spyders while your Spyder is stopped but running; more steering assistance once you actually start moving; then as it has always done, the steering assistance tapers off as you go faster and need less assistance to keep things smooooth! 
So unless you have little or no steering assistance between about 5 mph & 35 mph, then it's probably got the normal amount of steering assistance for that generation of Spyder; altho if you are running your front tire pressures significantly too low then that could make your steering feel a lot heavier than is ideal. By too low, I'd say anything 2psi or lower than the placard recommendation for the OEM Kendas or any of their derivatives/clones; or anything much lower than about 16 psi for a 'real' car tire with stiffer/higher load carrying capable sidewalls.
The OEM Kendas &/or any of their derivatives/clones really NEED that placard recommended pressure to carry the (relatively lightweight) load of the Spyder, so varying their pressure by anything more than +/- 2 psi is not really a great idea; but the significantly strong/higher load carrying capabilities of any tires (NOT Kendas/clones) that are safe to operate under a car means they need no more than about 18 psi to carry the load of a Spyder! However, you also need to be aware that going too much lower than about 2 psi lower in any real car tire (ie, about 16 psi) means that they'll be under-inflated enough to raise concerns that you might pop the tire bead off the rim during cornering, and that can be deadly!
So unless you have little or no steering assistance between about 5 mph & 35 mph, then it's probably got the normal amount of steering assistance for that generation of Spyder; altho if you are running your front tire pressures significantly too low then that could make your steering feel a lot heavier than is ideal. By too low, I'd say anything 2psi or lower than the placard recommendation for the OEM Kendas or any of their derivatives/clones; or anything much lower than about 16 psi for a 'real' car tire with stiffer/higher load carrying capable sidewalls.
The OEM Kendas &/or any of their derivatives/clones really NEED that placard recommended pressure to carry the (relatively lightweight) load of the Spyder, so varying their pressure by anything more than +/- 2 psi is not really a great idea; but the significantly strong/higher load carrying capabilities of any tires (NOT Kendas/clones) that are safe to operate under a car means they need no more than about 18 psi to carry the load of a Spyder! However, you also need to be aware that going too much lower than about 2 psi lower in any real car tire (ie, about 16 psi) means that they'll be under-inflated enough to raise concerns that you might pop the tire bead off the rim during cornering, and that can be deadly!
A good quality car tire will almost certainly make the Spyder safer than continuing with the problematic and 'renowned for issues & failure' OEM Kendas, and running that car tire at 18 psi to cater for the lighter load of a Spyder, a tire capable of carrying a full sized car when inflated to 28-30 psi, it should also give you much better traction, steering, ride, handling, and more.
Running stronger/heavier car tires at 18 psi will likely feel 'different', possibly even 'spongy' initially; you may even feel as if the tire feels like it's flexing (or folding under??) too much during hard cornering, especially if you've been running them at anything much over 20 psi for a while before dropping them to a lower pressure more suitable to the lighter load. But that'll just be because you've become used to the lack of sidewall flex and compliance in the tire; when at a lower, 'more appropriate to the lighter load' pressure, the softer tires should be working to your advantage by keeping the whole face of the tire tread flat on the road surface. When they're over inflated, they don't do that, you'll scrub the edges of the tire tread during cornering, wear the centre of the tread more, and they'll be giving you an 'overly direct' steering feeling, and a lack of ride compliance, traction, etc, which is something you get used to and sorta 'expect' if you've been running them over-inflated for a while. You need to get over that feelingi, and remember that Radial tires are MEANT to 'bag' a little more in the sidewalls; and they should feel softer and more compliant in their ride than the old cross plies that many of us became used to in the early days of our vehicular use/history.
But if you persist with running car tires at 18 psi for a while, the improved ride, traction, and handling this brings will very quickly overcome those odd feelings and the Spyder will likely astound you with how well it can actually corner and brake, as well as giving you great ride comfort and stability.
Running stronger/heavier car tires at 18 psi will likely feel 'different', possibly even 'spongy' initially; you may even feel as if the tire feels like it's flexing (or folding under??) too much during hard cornering, especially if you've been running them at anything much over 20 psi for a while before dropping them to a lower pressure more suitable to the lighter load. But that'll just be because you've become used to the lack of sidewall flex and compliance in the tire; when at a lower, 'more appropriate to the lighter load' pressure, the softer tires should be working to your advantage by keeping the whole face of the tire tread flat on the road surface. When they're over inflated, they don't do that, you'll scrub the edges of the tire tread during cornering, wear the centre of the tread more, and they'll be giving you an 'overly direct' steering feeling, and a lack of ride compliance, traction, etc, which is something you get used to and sorta 'expect' if you've been running them over-inflated for a while. You need to get over that feelingi, and remember that Radial tires are MEANT to 'bag' a little more in the sidewalls; and they should feel softer and more compliant in their ride than the old cross plies that many of us became used to in the early days of our vehicular use/history.
But if you persist with running car tires at 18 psi for a while, the improved ride, traction, and handling this brings will very quickly overcome those odd feelings and the Spyder will likely astound you with how well it can actually corner and brake, as well as giving you great ride comfort and stability.
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