Michelin has released a new Pilot Supersport tire. Do you know anything about them, and would you consider them to be a appropriate tire for our various generation Vipers? Any suggestions or concerns.
Also, as our Vipers get older, do you suggest any specific suspension maintenance to help keep the handling performance on a par to when they left the factory?
And let me be the first on this chat to say thanks to you engineers for the fantastic work that you have accomplished by making the Viper such a fantastic driving experience.
As you have leared with the Viper specific PS2 versus the regular PS2, just because two tires have the same model name and tread pattern, they are not necessarily the same. A non-Viper spec PS2 is a much more pedestrian supercar tire than the Viper spec units. All we know that we can tell you is what Michelin says in their advertising, that the new tire is stickier and more durable in track use. This seemed to be true at the 2011 One Lap of America. Tires, like cars, generally evolve to be better. But if they get too different, they can not be a good match to the suspension.
For suspension maintenance, owners need to be sure that the shocks are in good condition. If they don't leak, have compression damping, and have rebound damping you should be good. This is easy enough to check on the bench if you take the spring off. Also make sure all balljoints and tie rod ends front and rear as well as inner tierod pivots front and rear do not have lash. Finally, make sure the pivot bushings are in good condition with no reverted (overheated) or dried out rubber.
