Is It Just Me Or Are These Cars Really Twitchy Above 90mph?
Discussion
On track (of course) and accelerating hard, I don't get a "planted" feeling at all...indeed it's really quite scary. The handling becomes very difficult and keeping it in a straight line is a task. I had a Chim that was standard and then SC'd and in both forms I was really confident in the car right up to 150... Christ, I'd be pooing my pants at 120 in the Tuscan.
Apparently it has Tuscan 'S' shocks (whatever they are) just fitted & adjusted so I'm a little perturbed. I know everyone says 'fit Nitrons' but I don't really want to spend a further £2k on this so is this behaviour normal for a Tuscan and are Nitrons the only solution?
Cheers
Apparently it has Tuscan 'S' shocks (whatever they are) just fitted & adjusted so I'm a little perturbed. I know everyone says 'fit Nitrons' but I don't really want to spend a further £2k on this so is this behaviour normal for a Tuscan and are Nitrons the only solution?
Cheers
Not driven a Tuscan but had the same in a grif, I guess the same principles apply. I had a full geo done at trackvRoad and was amazed at the difference. Car felt totally planted afterwards. Best £100 upgrade you can get. So unless you have already done it get the geo set up properly. After that check your tyre pressures and age/quality of your tyres.
Mine was twitchy when I first had her, any bump under hard acceleration and it felt like I was fighting to keep control, but after having the geo setup it was like a different car, it actually went where I wanted it too. I've since had Nitrons and Eibach springs fitted and is even better, and although I don't, what you described can be performed with just one hand on the wheel.
Basil Brush said:
When you say Tuscan S shocks, do you mean the later Bilstein factory units?
Unfortunately I don't know. I only bought the car some 8 weeks ago (from a very well known TVR dealer/repairer) and was told that all of the shocks had needed replacing and so had been replaced by 'S' shocks.Not knowing there was a difference in the shocks between standard and 'S' I guess I just expected a ride at least as good as my old Chimaera. The Geo was adjusted when these were fitted (I'm told) - but this isn't an area I'm versed in.
im said:
Unfortunately I don't know. I only bought the car some 8 weeks ago (from a very well known TVR dealer/repairer) and was told that all of the shocks had needed replacing and so had been replaced by 'S' shocks.
Not knowing there was a difference in the shocks between standard and 'S' I guess I just expected a ride at least as good as my old Chimaera. The Geo was adjusted when these were fitted (I'm told) - but this isn't an area I'm versed in.
If your dealer/repairer is who I think it is, may I suggest you take a pinch of salt with what you've been told and pop along to one of the main stream dealers to have the geo setup.Not knowing there was a difference in the shocks between standard and 'S' I guess I just expected a ride at least as good as my old Chimaera. The Geo was adjusted when these were fitted (I'm told) - but this isn't an area I'm versed in.
Was doing 140+ whilst in Germany last year and it was fine in my MK1.
B3NNL said:
If your dealer/repairer is who I think it is, may I suggest you take a pinch of salt with what you've been told and pop along to one of the main stream dealers to have the geo setup.
Was doing 140+ whilst in Germany last year and it was fine in my MK1.
Who do you think it was thenWas doing 140+ whilst in Germany last year and it was fine in my MK1.
Assuming your tire pressures are ok (?), this is classic wonky geo symptoms. Your tires might need looking at as they may have worn oddly due to a previous bad geo setup. Get it redone by a proper outfit and at the same time fit the 3mm spacers. You'll be amazed at the difference.
From there on as your budget dictates, better shocks and a proper corner weight will take it to the next level, and then the S spec spoilers for high speed stability. Done 170+ on autobahns for extended periods and it was remarkably solid and confidence inspiring.
From there on as your budget dictates, better shocks and a proper corner weight will take it to the next level, and then the S spec spoilers for high speed stability. Done 170+ on autobahns for extended periods and it was remarkably solid and confidence inspiring.
Yes, they are. I remember collecting mine on a wet day, part exchanging my old Cerb. On the main road out of the industrial estate, the car gave an almighty wobble in a straight line, on trailing throttle at 55mph. At the next roundabout, I pulled up into the services and put my head in my hands wondering what on earth I'd just betrayed my Cerbera for. The journey home was quite atrocious, one arm jammed against the door card and the other against the transmission tunnel, and still it weaved.
This was fully geo'd on Gaz Gold suspension. Wheel spacers did make a difference, and experimenting with tyre pressures is worth doing too. To be honest, after a few months I tuned in to the car's behaviour. Rather than squeezing the steering wheel so tightly your knuckles go white, I found loosening my grip and allowing the front end to wander a little without sawing back at the wheel was the best way to drive it. You can overcompensate by "micro correcting" through the wheel when actually there is no need to and the car will settle itself. They take a lot of getting used to, but they do become bearable and tahere is nothing else gives so much of an adrenalin rush.
Still went back to a Cerbera though.
This was fully geo'd on Gaz Gold suspension. Wheel spacers did make a difference, and experimenting with tyre pressures is worth doing too. To be honest, after a few months I tuned in to the car's behaviour. Rather than squeezing the steering wheel so tightly your knuckles go white, I found loosening my grip and allowing the front end to wander a little without sawing back at the wheel was the best way to drive it. You can overcompensate by "micro correcting" through the wheel when actually there is no need to and the car will settle itself. They take a lot of getting used to, but they do become bearable and tahere is nothing else gives so much of an adrenalin rush.
Still went back to a Cerbera though.
^^^^ You clearly have something very wrong with your car! They should not not be scary or wobbly to drive in the least. You should be able to cruise comfortably and relaxed for hours on end, fingers on the wheel without the thought of it misbehaving even entering your mind.
If anything my car really needs to be aggressively provoked to get it to even think about wobbling, and then it's totally predictable.
If anything my car really needs to be aggressively provoked to get it to even think about wobbling, and then it's totally predictable.
dvs_dave said:
^^^^ You clearly have something very wrong with your car! They should not not be scary or wobbly to drive in the least. You should be able to cruise comfortably and relaxed for hours on end, fingers on the wheel without the thought of it misbehaving even entering your mind.
If anything my car really needs to be aggressively provoked to get it to even think about wobbling, and then it's totally predictable.
I'm talking about hard acceleration up through the gears that gets a little twitchy when it reaches 90mph...not motorway cruising at (say) 80 to 85 which I can do with no issues.If anything my car really needs to be aggressively provoked to get it to even think about wobbling, and then it's totally predictable.
I'd have to agree with you , just brought my Tuscan and had the first real blast out down to Goodwood breakfast club a few weeks back , scared the bejesus out of me a few times , seems when hitting pot holes or uneven roads the car wants to launch its self all over the road 
.
Just received the wheel spacers but going to bite the bullet and fit Nitrons ,anyone recommend a garage around Guildford area ????
Paul.
.Just received the wheel spacers but going to bite the bullet and fit Nitrons ,anyone recommend a garage around Guildford area ????
Paul.
Paul U said:
I'd have to agree with you , just brought my Tuscan and had the first real blast out down to Goodwood breakfast club a few weeks back , scared the bejesus out of me a few times , seems when hitting pot holes or uneven roads the car wants to launch its self all over the road .
Just received the wheel spacers but going to bite the bullet and fit Nitrons ,anyone recommend a garage around Guildford area ????
Paul.
Again something seriously wrong... my car "only" has Gaz Gold pros on it and I can drive it one handed. It has had the geometry and corner weighting set though. I also did the blast down to the breakfast club early morning and it was a great run. .Just received the wheel spacers but going to bite the bullet and fit Nitrons ,anyone recommend a garage around Guildford area ????
Paul.
I think you had a post with a pic of your car and it was an X reg. Mid to late 2001 I beleive TVR changed the suspension arms....
Edited by m4tti on Wednesday 16th October 21:10
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