Nitron Adjustments - thoughts?
Discussion
My car is in for a 6K service, I have also asked them to look at the Nitrons. I wonder what you guys think?
I had the Nitrons rebuilt, corner weighted etc a couple of months ago (cost a few bob). I have also more recently put 225-40-18s on the front (rather than 35s).
The car feels a little too high at the front - both to look at and just feels less planted at the front than it did. Almost feels like it has a rearward rake! It is also rubbing (towards the outer bottom rearmost edge of the front off side wheel arch - if that makes sense). I cant feel it rubbing but you can see it is doing it - I am not sure if that is when it is turning or in compressions etc). I think it also did this before the suspension / tyres were done but not as much maybe.
So I am stuck re how best to approach this......
the two obvious options seem to be:-
i) Bin the 40's and go back to 35's and then take the car back to get it dropped slightly and reset etc...
ii) Try and play with the settings myself - maybe if I drop the front slightly the rubbing MIGHT go away (or reduce) without the expense of changing the (new) tyres.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
I had the Nitrons rebuilt, corner weighted etc a couple of months ago (cost a few bob). I have also more recently put 225-40-18s on the front (rather than 35s).
The car feels a little too high at the front - both to look at and just feels less planted at the front than it did. Almost feels like it has a rearward rake! It is also rubbing (towards the outer bottom rearmost edge of the front off side wheel arch - if that makes sense). I cant feel it rubbing but you can see it is doing it - I am not sure if that is when it is turning or in compressions etc). I think it also did this before the suspension / tyres were done but not as much maybe.
So I am stuck re how best to approach this......
the two obvious options seem to be:-
i) Bin the 40's and go back to 35's and then take the car back to get it dropped slightly and reset etc...
ii) Try and play with the settings myself - maybe if I drop the front slightly the rubbing MIGHT go away (or reduce) without the expense of changing the (new) tyres.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Edited by Gazzab on Tuesday 28th June 16:58
Bin the 40 s and go back to 35 s
Did it leave the factory with 35 s ? if so id stick with the factory spec.
My cars on 40s and they dont rub, but the car ride height is set very low so the tyre fits in the front arches as perfect as possible.
I had my car set up and corner weighted at the same place as yours, but ive changed the set up to suit how the car feels under me, i find its an on going thing, im still not happy with the way it handles, but i want it to be perfect as possible.
Did it leave the factory with 35 s ? if so id stick with the factory spec.
My cars on 40s and they dont rub, but the car ride height is set very low so the tyre fits in the front arches as perfect as possible.
I had my car set up and corner weighted at the same place as yours, but ive changed the set up to suit how the car feels under me, i find its an on going thing, im still not happy with the way it handles, but i want it to be perfect as possible.
Edited by Gray_101 on Tuesday 28th June 17:08
Gray_101 said:
Bin the 40 s and go back to 35 s
Did it leave the factory with 35 s ? if so id stick with the factory spec.
My cars on 40s and they dont rub, but the car ride height is set very low so the tyre fits in the front arches as perfect as possible.
I had my car set up and corner weighted at the same place as yours, but ive changed the set up to suit how the car feels under me, i find its an on going thing, im still not happy with the way it handles, but i want it to be perfect.
The car MIGHT have left the factory with 40's - some of the later cerbs did (I think!).Did it leave the factory with 35 s ? if so id stick with the factory spec.
My cars on 40s and they dont rub, but the car ride height is set very low so the tyre fits in the front arches as perfect as possible.
I had my car set up and corner weighted at the same place as yours, but ive changed the set up to suit how the car feels under me, i find its an on going thing, im still not happy with the way it handles, but i want it to be perfect.
I want to set the car lower - and I think that the tyre might fit better in the front arches if the car is set lower.
When parked at the very front of my drive the nose used to be about 5mm above the ground (theres a slight incline into the drive) it is now probably 10cms or more above the ground.
In that case you could lower each corner by 5mm and i dont think it would upset the corner weighting to much
( but im no expert as you know )
Or for peace of mind ask the garage when its goes in for the 6K service.
If you decide to DIY it, pm me, i can give you a hand one evening if your un sure
( but im no expert as you know )
Or for peace of mind ask the garage when its goes in for the 6K service.
If you decide to DIY it, pm me, i can give you a hand one evening if your un sure
Gray_101 said:
In that case you could lower each corner by 5mm and i dont think it would upset the corner weighting to much
( but im no expert as you know )
Or for peace of mind ask the garage when its goes in for the 6K service.
If you decide to DIY it, pm me, i can give you a hand one evening if your un sure
Hmmm but it seems fine at the back , its just the front. I am tempted to drop it right down all round and then keep lifting till it feels right...... But I think that might be a disaster. Dont a lot of people just set their cerbs up by simply measuring the clearance from chassis to the ground? A capable pair of hands would be useful though! ( but im no expert as you know )
Or for peace of mind ask the garage when its goes in for the 6K service.
If you decide to DIY it, pm me, i can give you a hand one evening if your un sure
Don't know how you can account for your car on the drive clearances going from 5mm to 10cm, that's a whopping 95mm, over 3" in old money 
.
The change from 35 profile to 40 is only 22mm dia or 11mm in ride height. I'd be inclined just to reduce the front by the 11mm or as close to as you can get to it to re establish the original set up.
. The change from 35 profile to 40 is only 22mm dia or 11mm in ride height. I'd be inclined just to reduce the front by the 11mm or as close to as you can get to it to re establish the original set up.
I was in a not dissimilar position - 40s fouling the front arches and a newly refurbed set of Nitrons (they know how to charge, don't they?).
My strategy for the rubbing was a combination of shaving the arches (where they caught on the inner lip and leading edge), raising the front ride height by about 7mm, and stiffening the shocks all round (dry settings).
If the car is visibly pointing up at the front, then maybe its running a bit low at the back. When I first took my (i.e. your old) car to Joo, he raised it by about half an inch all round and the handling improved markedly (although difficult to specifically isolate that, as other changes were also made in that step).
You say it feels a bit vague at the front - perhaps try loosening off the adjustment at the rear a bit (relative to the front).
FWIW, the best adjustment settings I've found (for my tastes) are:
Wet/road cruising - Front +10 (from full soft) rear +5
Dry/track - Front +15 Rear +10 (plus an extra click each if it's properly hot)
p.s. when you say "corner weighted" do you mean you switched spings, or just adjusting damper stiffness?
My strategy for the rubbing was a combination of shaving the arches (where they caught on the inner lip and leading edge), raising the front ride height by about 7mm, and stiffening the shocks all round (dry settings).
If the car is visibly pointing up at the front, then maybe its running a bit low at the back. When I first took my (i.e. your old) car to Joo, he raised it by about half an inch all round and the handling improved markedly (although difficult to specifically isolate that, as other changes were also made in that step).
You say it feels a bit vague at the front - perhaps try loosening off the adjustment at the rear a bit (relative to the front).
FWIW, the best adjustment settings I've found (for my tastes) are:
Wet/road cruising - Front +10 (from full soft) rear +5
Dry/track - Front +15 Rear +10 (plus an extra click each if it's properly hot)
p.s. when you say "corner weighted" do you mean you switched spings, or just adjusting damper stiffness?
Edited by Nefarious on Wednesday 29th June 08:35
Nefarious said:
I was in a not dissimilar position - 40s fouling the front arches and a newly refurbed set of Nitrons (they know how to charge, don't they?).
My strategy for the rubbing was a combination of shaving the arches (where they caught on the inner lip and leading edge), raising the front ride height by about 7mm, and stiffening the shocks all round (dry settings).
If the car is visibly pointing up at the front, then maybe its running a bit low at the back. When I first took my (i.e. your old) car to Joo, he raised it by about half an inch all round and the handling improved markedly (although difficult to specifically isolate that, as other changes were also made in that step).
You say it feels a bit vague at the front - perhaps try loosening off the adjustment at the rear a bit (relative to the front).
FWIW, the best adjustment settings I've found (for my tastes) are:
Wet/road cruising - Front +10 (from full soft) rear +5
Dry/track - Front +15 Rear +10 (plus an extra click each if it's properly hot)
p.s. when you say "corner weighted" do you mean you switched spings, or just adjusting damper stiffness?
Corner weighting is when the car is put 4 electronic scales, one under each wheel. And the balance of weight is moved into the optimal position by adjusting the springs, but I don't think you ll ever get a road car set up as well as a race car, due to to many variables. Like passengers and luggage.... but it's worth doing if your a keen driver My strategy for the rubbing was a combination of shaving the arches (where they caught on the inner lip and leading edge), raising the front ride height by about 7mm, and stiffening the shocks all round (dry settings).
If the car is visibly pointing up at the front, then maybe its running a bit low at the back. When I first took my (i.e. your old) car to Joo, he raised it by about half an inch all round and the handling improved markedly (although difficult to specifically isolate that, as other changes were also made in that step).
You say it feels a bit vague at the front - perhaps try loosening off the adjustment at the rear a bit (relative to the front).
FWIW, the best adjustment settings I've found (for my tastes) are:
Wet/road cruising - Front +10 (from full soft) rear +5
Dry/track - Front +15 Rear +10 (plus an extra click each if it's properly hot)
p.s. when you say "corner weighted" do you mean you switched spings, or just adjusting damper stiffness?
Edited by Nefarious on Wednesday 29th June 08:35
If it isn't rubbing massively - and only inside the arch - then I'd just take a file to the offending area and black it up again after. There's loads of meat in the fibreglass and you can see it getting thin a long time before you go through. Just remember to wear a decent pair of gloves as it creates loads of horrible, irritating shards of glassfibre which will work their way into you skin!
As for the ride height and corner weighting. just drop the front by a set number of turns on the collar - ie - mark the collar, wind it down it two turns and then see how it is. If worst comes to worst you can just return it to the original position and won't have upset the corner weighting.
I really see no reason why you can't make it drive as well on 40's as on 35's. I made the switch, admittedly at the same time as putting the SP12's on, but am very happy with how it drives.
As for the ride height and corner weighting. just drop the front by a set number of turns on the collar - ie - mark the collar, wind it down it two turns and then see how it is. If worst comes to worst you can just return it to the original position and won't have upset the corner weighting.
I really see no reason why you can't make it drive as well on 40's as on 35's. I made the switch, admittedly at the same time as putting the SP12's on, but am very happy with how it drives.
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