[Cas]

I run Pirelli P Zero tires with no problems, BUT the rubber composite has a shelf life of about 2 years, after that they will harden and you will notice the difference in handling. So, new tires every 2 years or sooner depending on miles driven and make sure your car is aligned to at least factory specs for normal driving. By the way, most of the tramlining complaints have come from owners of right hand drive cars. Always keep two hands on the steering wheel and one foot on the gas!

 

[hornetball]

Anybody talking about ADDING weight to a 4C needs to have their car confiscated. I'll be over shortly. I'll find something heavy on Craigslist to leave with you.

 

[ecohen2]

@Rosso4CTampa Which size rims do you have? Adjusting the tire pressure on the 18/19s makes a big difference.. I don't know about the 17/18s...

 

[HeavyFoot]

@Rosso4CTampa Which size rims do you have? Adjusting the tire pressure on the 18/19s makes a big difference.. I don't know about the 17/18s...

This!
Moving 2 below door card PSI is necessary for me. I can tell a difference immediately.

 

[Braces]

Agree that it can be dangerous at high speeds. The 4C would not be my 1st choice for a sprint on the autobahn. But for myself and medium speed maneuvers .... it is part of the charm of a light weight, twitchy, Italian sportscar. So many modern cars do all the driving for you. So boring. The 4C forces you to DRIVE the car. Two hands on the wheel. Eyes constantly examining the road ahead of you looking for bumps, irregularities, etc. I see an uneven patch ahead ..... I grip the steering wheel that much harder. It just forces you to drive.

But of course. Check the alignment (mine has been perfect since I purchased the 4C new). Check the tire pressure and age. But ... no on adding weight or ballast to the front.

 

[B-T]

I would go for new tires and a good alignment. Zero, or Very slight toe in on front, and very small tow in on the rear makes the car much more stable. I agree that the front end feels light at speed, and definitely gives an uneasy feeling. If you are the passenger it is a more pronounced feeling of impending doom!

 

[JSTACOG]

I would go for new tires and a good alignment. Zero, or Very slight toe in on front, and very small tow in on the rear makes the car much more stable. I agree that the front end feels light at speed, and definitely gives an uneasy feeling. If you are the passenger it is a more pronounced feeling of impending doom!

Explains why I feel like I'm in a church based on what I hear from passenger seat.

 

[Philster]

Put on new, overinflated tires if you want to feel a flight sim effect.

Also, I know people who have owned 4C's since 2015, who are completely underqualified to comment on its handling characteristics after 1500 miles of non-impressive driving. Oh, if you own a 4C you can comment on the looks. If you drive a 4C, then opinion starts to -- maybe -- matter.

Contributors to a light front-end feeling and or other handling quirkiness:

• Drove boosted steering cars exclusively​
• Not familiar with a front end that isn't overloaded (i.e., most fwd and awd cars)​
• Not familiar with the wheelbase-track ratio tendencies to wander (it's pretty square and this cannot be corrected, obviously)​
• Tires that bear too little weight (fronts are stout in size and rating for the weight) -- lower the pressure to create a virtual ballast.​
• Low profile tires​
• Tire tread (really, the more there is, the worse life is). It exists for wet and is a nuisance in all dry weather​
• You under-chin air dam is gone​
• Not enough seat time (took me 7500 miles to feel at home and I had other rear-engined car experience). I rattle off 7500 miles on other cars in six months. Took two plus years to get in the 7500 miles to make the 4C feel like I was part of it, and all drives were targeted to be fun and spirited.​
• I have seen the speedo read 152 MPH / 245 KPH redlined in 5th and it never felt light like I shouldn't approach it.​
  • Tires were nearly at wear indicators (a good thing)​
  • temps 55f / 13C​
  • Road surface was abrasive​
  • Tires at time were stock PZeros.​
    • PSI about 2 below door jamb placard numbers​
  • Done with stock alignment that is darty on off-camber and rutted roads.
• Driving on summer tires in temps below 60 (if Pirellis) - I MEAN... GOOD LUCK driving fast on hard, slick, scary hockey pucks. Ice Ice, Baby is what Pirelli Pzeros are when not very warm/hot. All summer tires, but PZeros are the worst. UNDER DISCUSSED ISSUE

 

[lpspeedster]

Contributors to a light front-end feeling and or other handling quirkiness:

• Not enough seat time (took me 7500 miles to feel at home and I had other rear-engined car experience). I rattle off 7500 miles on other cars in six months. Took two plus years to get in the 7500 miles to make the 4C feel like I was part of it, and all drives were targeted to be fun and spirited.​

I've experienced this exact thing repeatedly every 3-5 years when I (Rimabambito that I am) look at my air cooled 911, dust it off and drive it cross continent.
Toronto to Mississauga (Non-highway, wow this car feels way to light in the front, are the tires inflated to 75 PSI?)
Mississaugua to London, Ontario (Highway, wow this thing really does feel like it's going to lift off)
London to Chicago (Ok....this rain sucks and I cannot keep the car pointed in a straight line)
Chicago to Kearney, Nebraska (Wow, this car is finally settled in and driving like I remembered it 25 years ago, FK Tornado/warning / TORNADO)
Kearney to Denver, Colorado (ok THIS thing is FINALLY LISTENING to ME)
Denver to LA ( 🏎🏇)

Yes, part of it are the parts moving about and doing their proper job, MOST of it is "ME" re-learning a car-type that I clocked over 160k kms in... Rear/Mid engine cars drive different and definitely have a 'lightness' to them.

p.s. when I've driven 4WD 911/911 Turbos, the front end lightness (and 'relative' FUN FACTOR) went bye-bye.

 

[MultiAlfaOwner]

I had the car properly aligned and swapped the tires side to side and all of the issues went away. You are going to feel some tramlining in any car as light as a 4C and without power steering. That is why we like the lack of PS, you get to feel what the front tires are doing. Try driving anything with good steering no PS and wide front tires and you can feel the tire "nibbling" at the road surface. BMW's famous road feel is the same but the PS dampens some of the effect so you don't feel the tramlining. Actually, after the alignment even my wife noticed the difference as a passenger... She has RA and commented that the car was much nicer to drive after correctly aligning the suspension.

 

[Rosso4CTampa]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. The consensus seems to be (and I was half-joking about adding ballast to the front):

-front end alignment
-maybe new tires
-get used to driving a little beast like this, with all its quirks

I’m game!

 

[lpspeedster]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. The consensus seems to be (and I was half-joking about adding ballast to the front):

-front end alignment
-maybe new tires
-get used to driving a little beast like this, with all its quirks

I’m game!

make sure all is mechanically sound and Enjoy in Great Health!!
btw, in my older 911s you could actually tell how much gas was left in the tank (mid front mounted) by the lightness of the steering

 

[4Canada]

make sure all is mechanically sound and Enjoy in Great Health!!
btw, in my older 911s you could actually tell how much gas was left in the tank (mid front mounted) by the lightness of the steering

True dat.

I had some hot laps with an instructor in a Carerra S, and he remarked at how much better the steering felt on our run (first one after lunch) than it had been before the break. Then he realized that the car had just been refueled, vs the morning sessions that were run after driving in from the GTA.

Refusing to believe that it was the lasagna they served us, that was the real culprit!

 

[Alf Alpha]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. The consensus seems to be (and I was half-joking about adding ballast to the front):

-front end alignment
-maybe new tires
-get used to driving a little beast like this, with all its quirks

I’m game!

... and tyre/tire pressures...

Pay attention LOL

 

[evomind]

I put my air pressures at 2psi lower than the door sticker and it got me the low tire light.
I added 1psi and it went out.

 

[HeavyFoot]

I put my air pressures at 2psi lower than the door sticker and it got me the low tire light.
I added 1psi and it went out.

Really? Mine didn't trigger until they were stupid low. I can't remember specifically, but I think it was under 20!

 

[alfa1105]

I run Pirelli P Zero tires with no problems, BUT the rubber composite has a shelf life of about 2 years, after that they will harden and you will notice the difference in handling. So, new tires every 2 years or sooner depending on miles driven and make sure your car is aligned to at least factory specs for normal driving. By the way, most of the tramlining complaints have come from owners of right hand drive cars. Always keep two hands on the steering wheel and one foot on the gas!

So true, I am running cup2 and the rears are almost done after 10,000km 17 months. Cold recently there a mess, feels like I've got an extra 50 horses. Hot there still unbelievable. Regarding lightness in the front at speed, I'm got experiencing this at all.I have a LE with 18 19 225 and 255 set up with 15mm lower springs, no blocks and still factory alignment. I don't want to touch it. Maybe Bruno got it Wright that day, I don't know. You get on a shit road with truck dips and yes of course it's going to wonder.

 

[Alfanut]

So true, I am running cup2 and the rears are almost done after 10,000km 17 months. Cold recently there a mess, feels like I've got an extra 50 horses. Hot there still unbelievable. Regarding lightness in the front at speed, I'm got experiencing this at all.I have a LE with 18 19 225 and 255 set up with 15mm lower springs, no blocks and still factory alignment. I don't want to touch it. Maybe Bruno got it Wright that day, I don't know. You get on a shit road with truck dips and yes of course it's going to wonder.

I’ve still got that little front underside air deflector attached. That’s bound to have some affect, as the only direction the air can be forced is down to get past it and to every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.

 

[alfa1105]

I’ve still got that little front underside air deflector attached. That’s bound to have some affect, as the only direction the air can be forced is down to get past it and to every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.

Ok that on mine was ripped off after 3 months of ownership, a brick in the middle of the road, thank Christ no other damage. I found that even in the wet at the Creek that night it was ok at 200 down the straight, who knows the Maxton out front might be helping a little also.

 

[goldmax]

Ok that on mine was ripped off after 3 months of ownership, a brick in the middle of the road, thank Christ no other damage. I found that even in the wet at the Creek that night it was ok at 200 down the straight, who knows the Maxton out front might be helping a little also.

Apparently that air damn is to produce low pressure behind it and help air cooling the rad