DeTomaso Mailing List: August 2000, Message #117

Note- the following are my own opinions; your opinions may differ.
First, get a second pair of 8x15 Campys for the front. They fit with 245-50x 
15 tires, with only a bit of hammer-contouring. They lessen the scrub radius 
of the front end which leads to easier steering. The wider tires decrease the 
designed-in understeer markedly.
Second, use Hall's 'spherebar' hookups on both your swaybars. They are well 
worth the money. Other vendors now sell them. They are needed on the a-arms 
where the bars hook up, unless you still run rubber at that point. Use 
urethane for the bar pivots in both front & rear. Urethane on the a-arms will 
eventually crack the mounts
Third, buy or make a pair of steering rack spacers to lessen the bump-steer 
of the front end. IMHO this is easier to do, more dependable and cheaper than 
any other method of correcting this nasty little problem.
As for running 'mixed' tires, I've cmpeted in Panteras at very high speeds 
with Hoosier 275-50x15 belted-bias rear tires and Yokohama radial 225-50x 15s 
on the front, with no effect except winning.....  I never felt anything weird 
happening frt or back. Just don't mix them on the same end: for instance, a 
left-front Hoosier and a right-front Yoko would be a no-no. Speed up 
progressively and feel out the handling. Some car/tire combinations with some 
drivers need different toe & caster/camber settings, or air pressures, so 
feel free to experiment at the track. Thats what open-tracks are for, tuning, 
not just blazing around. Oh, and be prepared to replace all your brake pads. 
They go away amazingly fast at open track events... Good luck- J DeRyke