[AlanBDahl]

Up here in Washington I-90 was recently resurfaced and grooved similar to California's freeways except not as straight. This appears to confuse my Fiesta which has problems maintaining a straight line despite (or maybe because of) the active nibble control. My Solstice handles it just fine but it has a much wider track and much larger tires which might explain it. Have any of our California members noticed anything similar? Right now I am blaming the Hankook tires which I plan to ditch soon but it could also be something as simple as alignment.

 

[dfw.embalmer]

Kumho Tires

I have the Kumho's and we have lots of grooved concrete freeways here in Dallas and I have not had an issue....

 

[cosmicrhino]

I live in California and I haven't noticed anything strange in particular, however I also have the 15 inch kumho tires on the SE trim

 

[Reddog99]

I have the 195/50-16 Hankooks and notice the same thing on the concrete brushed pavement here around San Diego. The car goes in a straight line, but feels as if it's pulling side-to-side while driving. I too, don't know whether to blame the tires or the nibble control, but I know my Yaris with it's stock Goodyears didn't do it.

 

[IB-5]

I'm in Michigan, and we too have grooved freeways.
I have the 15" Kumho tires, and you're right, they don't track
very well on this road surface.
But, I also own a 1999 4WD Toyota Tacoma that has 31x10.5
Michelin tires on it.
It doesn't track well on this road surface either!
I think it is more of a problem with the road surface than it is
with the tires or the car!

 

[eRic]

it's the road. parts of m-10 were resurfaced with grooves and I feel it pulling the car from side-to-side. it's more noticeable with grippy summer tires. you don't feel as much when the pavement changes to smoother concrete.

 

[Drivenapollo]

I have the same problem in vegas. Some of our highways are grooved, and it only pulls there. I think it has to do with the tread design. My dad has a set of Falken tires on his Sentra and it does it also. But it didn't do it before with the BFGoodrich tires he had before. I blame it on the tread design. Havn't looked at it much, but thats my guess.

 

[AlanBDahl]

I blame it on the tread design. Havn't looked at it much, but thats my guess.

Me too, guess that's just one more reasons to get the all-season Continentals I've been looking at sometime before it's wintertime.

 

[Casca]

It's referred to as tramlining

Tire Tech Information - Tramlining: Coping with the Ruts in the Road

 

[Drivenapollo]

very nice find. Good info in that article...