Tires: New wider tires, wheel drive car, 2002 lincoln ls

Question
I have a 2002 Lincoln LS and it came standard with 235/50/17 Michelin HX MXM4 all seasons I recently replaced these with 245/45/17 Pirelli P Nero Zero MS tires.  The car used to be real precise in its steering but now it kind of feels numb with way more body roll in sudden lane changes or around curves.  I've tried taking cloverleafs fast and the tires do stick quite well but the increased body roll still makes me nervous since I don't know when I will reach the limits of adhesion.  The new tires are made of a silica compound to make them quieter and stickier, but it's almost like riding on marshmallows…the tires have a sort of flat feeling.  The new Pirellis were chosen based on their performance ratings on the Tireracks website, they got very high wet and dry rating which I need for a rear wheel drive car.  Can you tell me is it the tire itself(I've never owned Pirellis), the fact that its wider and lower profile screwed up the camber or do I just need to adjust the pressure(the plaquard says 30 PSI).  Any help is appreciated.  

Thanks

Brian


Answer
Brian,

A 245/45R17 requires a minimum rim width of 7 1/2".  Your vehicle came with 7" rims, so unless you've changed rims, the tire is too wide.  This will cause the tread to "arch" and result in the symptoms you describe.

Hope this helps.