Saab 9-5 Aero - winter hack!
Discussion
I'm still on the fence about the dampers, I want more body control, but don't really want to make the ride too harsh. Might just go with something like the B6 dampers and standard springs, then if I feel the need in the future I can fit some lower/stiffer springs.
Also, I almost forgot, back when I did the sump drop I realised that the throttle cable was very slack - well, what an improvement!
When I first got the car I always remember thinking that 'normal' mode ressembled eco mode on my old 850 T5 auto, and that 'Sport' felt more normal.
Now I have tightened the throttle cable it is now feeling much better, and Sport even better still - as long as you aren't in stop start traffic!! Sport is good when you want to press on but I do find it just a little too eager to change down sometimes, almost like the gap between normal and Sport is a little too great. Still, not really an issue!!
Nothing much else to report other than some new boots, the fronts were on the wear bars, and the rears are worn on the inside edge, but I will replace the RTA bushes before fitting new rear tyres.
I had KU39's on the front, and I have nothing against the Khumo's, other than they are quite noisy. I had heard Rainsport 2's were good, and a friend had some RS3's fitted recently and he was impressed - plus they are very reasonably priced imo.
So I opted for a pair of those, nice looking tread pattern as well I think
IMG-20150622-WA0002 by Hallsy01, on Flickr
So next job is front torque mount bushes, RTA bushes, then new rear tyres - always something to do
Also, I almost forgot, back when I did the sump drop I realised that the throttle cable was very slack - well, what an improvement!
When I first got the car I always remember thinking that 'normal' mode ressembled eco mode on my old 850 T5 auto, and that 'Sport' felt more normal.
Now I have tightened the throttle cable it is now feeling much better, and Sport even better still - as long as you aren't in stop start traffic!! Sport is good when you want to press on but I do find it just a little too eager to change down sometimes, almost like the gap between normal and Sport is a little too great. Still, not really an issue!!
Nothing much else to report other than some new boots, the fronts were on the wear bars, and the rears are worn on the inside edge, but I will replace the RTA bushes before fitting new rear tyres.
I had KU39's on the front, and I have nothing against the Khumo's, other than they are quite noisy. I had heard Rainsport 2's were good, and a friend had some RS3's fitted recently and he was impressed - plus they are very reasonably priced imo.
So I opted for a pair of those, nice looking tread pattern as well I think
IMG-20150622-WA0002 by Hallsy01, on FlickrSo next job is front torque mount bushes, RTA bushes, then new rear tyres - always something to do
Looks a beauty
I just ordered a full set of these http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/vredestein/u...
Billy bargain!
I just ordered a full set of these http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/vredestein/u...
Billy bargain!
Good price and great tyres imo, I had a set of those on my 850R.
The RS3's cost me £116 for the pair which I also thought was pretty good. Happy with them so far, quieter than the worn out ku39's, not too crashy, but that is at the expense of slightly soft sidewalls. I do need to put a touch more air in them though.
Not had any rain to test the the wet weather performance yet, which is a good thing with it being summer, lol!
The RS3's cost me £116 for the pair which I also thought was pretty good. Happy with them so far, quieter than the worn out ku39's, not too crashy, but that is at the expense of slightly soft sidewalls. I do need to put a touch more air in them though.
Not had any rain to test the the wet weather performance yet, which is a good thing with it being summer, lol!
Hallsy01 said:
Good price and great tyres imo, I had a set of those on my 850R.
The RS3's cost me £116 for the pair which I also thought was pretty good. Happy with them so far, quieter than the worn out ku39's, not too crashy, but that is at the expense of slightly soft sidewalls. I do need to put a touch more air in them though.
Not had any rain to test the the wet weather performance yet, which is a good thing with it being summer, lol!
Wet grips fantastic mate The RS3's cost me £116 for the pair which I also thought was pretty good. Happy with them so far, quieter than the worn out ku39's, not too crashy, but that is at the expense of slightly soft sidewalls. I do need to put a touch more air in them though.
Not had any rain to test the the wet weather performance yet, which is a good thing with it being summer, lol!
You can go a lot quicker than you should
I think I paid £68 a corner for 235/45/17 from camskil but went for 97xl all round.Watch with the air, I over pressurised mine slightly as they looked flat and killed them in a couple hundred miles, done maybe 4-5k
Glad to hear it
Wet grip is more important imo anyway, let's be honest, most half decent tyres perform more than well enough in the dry, but wet weather performance can make the difference.
I can't say I push the 9-5 that hard anyway, I think it could do with a bit of tlc in the suspension/bushing department - suspect most of it is original (102k). I have learnt though that it has more grip than I have it credit based on feel - you just have to trust it, lol. I would like to tighten it up a bit though.
Wet grip is more important imo anyway, let's be honest, most half decent tyres perform more than well enough in the dry, but wet weather performance can make the difference.
I can't say I push the 9-5 that hard anyway, I think it could do with a bit of tlc in the suspension/bushing department - suspect most of it is original (102k). I have learnt though that it has more grip than I have it credit based on feel - you just have to trust it, lol. I would like to tighten it up a bit though.
Hallsy01 said:
Glad to hear it
Wet grip is more important imo anyway, let's be honest, most half decent tyres perform more than well enough in the dry, but wet weather performance can make the difference.
I can't say I push the 9-5 that hard anyway, I think it could do with a bit of tlc in the suspension/bushing department - suspect most of it is original (102k). I have learnt though that it has more grip than I have it credit based on feel - you just have to trust it, lol. I would like to tighten it up a bit though.
If you haven't joined yet then UKSaabs is worth trying for help on the 9-5. Loads on there now and they can point you in the right direction for handling mods. Last 9-5 I had was the Griffin but kept it standard (scary!!!!!)Wet grip is more important imo anyway, let's be honest, most half decent tyres perform more than well enough in the dry, but wet weather performance can make the difference.
I can't say I push the 9-5 that hard anyway, I think it could do with a bit of tlc in the suspension/bushing department - suspect most of it is original (102k). I have learnt though that it has more grip than I have it credit based on feel - you just have to trust it, lol. I would like to tighten it up a bit though.
I'm a member over on Uksaabs, just don't post a great deal, but yes, lots of great info
Mine feels a little under damped so more than likely needs the shocks replacing, but also turn in/steering feel could do with improvement.
It's not that bad, but as an example my old 850 T5 and 850R felt much better in the handling department, more planted.
I don't want to create too harsh a ride though as this is basically the comfy car of the fleet - just be nice to improve it a touch. I'm going to strip down the front soon to see what needs replacing, then work my way around the bushes, etc.
Still a lot of car for the cash, and still a cool looking car, even if I do say so myself!!
Mine feels a little under damped so more than likely needs the shocks replacing, but also turn in/steering feel could do with improvement.
It's not that bad, but as an example my old 850 T5 and 850R felt much better in the handling department, more planted.
I don't want to create too harsh a ride though as this is basically the comfy car of the fleet - just be nice to improve it a touch. I'm going to strip down the front soon to see what needs replacing, then work my way around the bushes, etc.
Still a lot of car for the cash, and still a cool looking car, even if I do say so myself!!
How have the Rainsport 3's been? I need to replace all four of my 2's due to age and this seems like the most sensible move as I've really liked them.
I'm probably going to sell soon but it feels wrong to put rubbish tyres on a car I still really like (but sadly never really have an opportunity to use).
I'm probably going to sell soon but it feels wrong to put rubbish tyres on a car I still really like (but sadly never really have an opportunity to use).
Been a while................
The Saab has been plodding along nicely, my other half uses it for the daily commute as she decided she only wanted to use her S2000 in the summer........and that's having some paintwork done at the moment.
I still haven't replaced the dampers, but I'm sure it would benefit from a refresh. It's on my list.
One of the rear parking sensors failed, I have a new one to fit......but again, it's on my list. Without a Tech2 it will be a case of trying one at a time, as when the system detects there is a fault, it turns the sensors off, so you can't listen for the one that isn't making a noise - as none of them are!!
The RS3's have been good, nice and comfy, a bit soft, but as expected - great wet grip. For a daily runner they are great value for money imo.
I had an advisory for corroded rear brake pipe on the MOT, so had it replaced as the inspector said it was worth doing if I planned to keep the car for a while. I let the garage do it as I was expecting a fuel tank out job, but they have just replaced the corroded section rather than the full pipe.
The brakes need some attention at the moment, they are squealing quite badly and the pedal has a fair amount of judder. So discs & pads are the next job on the list, hopefully this weekend.
The discs & pads had been replaced not long before I bought the car, so surprised they have worn so quickly, but suspect they were cheapies. I had to replace an ARB drop link not so long ago, which had also been replaced by the same garage at the same time. I fitted an OE one in it's place, and the one I removed looked pretty weedy in comparison.
I keep thinking about replacing Sven for something a bit nicer, maybe an E60 or maybe a P2 V70R - but the reality is, it's probably a small step up in quality/comfort (maybe even a slight side step in the case of the V70) for a fair step up in extra cash. It's easy to forget that these Saab's still represent quite a lot of car for little cash.
He was put to good use a few weeks back.........two four man tents, gazebo, lots of glamping gear.........ideal
2016-06-21_06-30-51 by Hallsy01, on Flickr
The Saab has been plodding along nicely, my other half uses it for the daily commute as she decided she only wanted to use her S2000 in the summer........and that's having some paintwork done at the moment.
I still haven't replaced the dampers, but I'm sure it would benefit from a refresh. It's on my list.
One of the rear parking sensors failed, I have a new one to fit......but again, it's on my list. Without a Tech2 it will be a case of trying one at a time, as when the system detects there is a fault, it turns the sensors off, so you can't listen for the one that isn't making a noise - as none of them are!!
The RS3's have been good, nice and comfy, a bit soft, but as expected - great wet grip. For a daily runner they are great value for money imo.
I had an advisory for corroded rear brake pipe on the MOT, so had it replaced as the inspector said it was worth doing if I planned to keep the car for a while. I let the garage do it as I was expecting a fuel tank out job, but they have just replaced the corroded section rather than the full pipe.
The brakes need some attention at the moment, they are squealing quite badly and the pedal has a fair amount of judder. So discs & pads are the next job on the list, hopefully this weekend.
The discs & pads had been replaced not long before I bought the car, so surprised they have worn so quickly, but suspect they were cheapies. I had to replace an ARB drop link not so long ago, which had also been replaced by the same garage at the same time. I fitted an OE one in it's place, and the one I removed looked pretty weedy in comparison.
I keep thinking about replacing Sven for something a bit nicer, maybe an E60 or maybe a P2 V70R - but the reality is, it's probably a small step up in quality/comfort (maybe even a slight side step in the case of the V70) for a fair step up in extra cash. It's easy to forget that these Saab's still represent quite a lot of car for little cash.
He was put to good use a few weeks back.........two four man tents, gazebo, lots of glamping gear.........ideal
2016-06-21_06-30-51 by Hallsy01, on FlickrGassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff