Getting a battering

[taylormj4]

Since around mid February, the ride in my Chimaera 450 has got really uncomfortable on rough roads, it's like the tyres are flat or someone has replaced my spring/shock set up with a really rigid one. Not at all nice and the car is getting a right battering (windows rattling, fibreglass creaking etc). Cornering also feels less precise with the back end feeling like it's bouncing a little.

I'm running original shocks and springs, albeit the rears were replaced nealry 6 years ago after the NS rear strut snapped.

The car has recently had a full service and nothing was picked up and all bushings were said to be healthy, although they did observe that the ride was noisy.

Is this just the springs / shocks reaching the end of their useful life and the vibration is the wheel bouncing on the road, or is there some other possible cause ?

I have just replaced the front ARB drop links with TVR parts and the car has had a four-wheel alignment during the service in which the front camber was found to be well out and this has been adjusted (so that may be partially due to the handling change but that should be for the better ?).

[Mark.]

Possibly the springs/shocks getting tired but I'd still say bushes. Got GGP's on mine and it crashes and bangs a bit so going to get the bushes replaced. I know the garage said they were ok, but did they just do a visual check or test them for movement?

[LordGrover]

It's fifteen years old isn't it? How many miles on it?

[scotty_d]

Mark. said:

Possibly the springs/shocks getting tired but I'd still say bushes. Got GGP's on mine and it crashes and bangs a bit so going to get the bushes replaced. I know the garage said they were ok, but did they just do a visual check or test them for movement?

You can jack it up and hang of the wish bones ect give them a good wiggle to see if there is play. When i had all mine of the Cerb i put a screw driver through them and wiggle to test them.

[Twistygit]

Just a quick question to those who have changed their shocks, mine feels twitchy if I keep the power on over raises and mine is also very stiff, and I was just wondering if this will change with new suspenion? It's on my to do list anyway

[Mark.]

If it's on standard shocks anything will be an improvement. Once you are on the new ones I'd give them a while to bed in, then start firming or softening as required.

[Goaty Bill]

It's probably too obvious, but I assume you did check the tyre pressure?
Haven't changed tyres recently?

Mine required completely different pressures from SO2/SO3 when I went to Toyos. I thought the shocks were completely done in. Turned out the Toyos needed more pressure than the SO3s that were fitted previously, and that they were much more sensitive to pressure variance. (softer sidewalls I think(?))

Pushed 4lbs more in than I ever had while on SO2/SO3s and the world changed.

[taylormj4]

Mark. said:

Possibly the springs/shocks getting tired but I'd still say bushes. Got GGP's on mine and it crashes and bangs a bit so going to get the bushes replaced. I know the garage said they were ok, but did they just do a visual check or test them for movement?

It was a full service by a good garage so I would expect check for movement. I did call back after the service and the owner said all bushes were good. Wishbones have been mostly all replaced over the last 6 years. There is also no knocking noise (like when the ball joint went recently) just the whole car banging around a lot more.

[taylormj4]

LordGrover said:

It's fifteen years old isn't it? How many miles on it?

1997 car with 56k. Rear spings/shocks were replaced 6 year ago although under insurance and I think they used second-hand units - they didn't look brand new.

[taylormj4]

Goaty Bill said:

It's probably too obvious, but I assume you did check the tyre pressure?
Haven't changed tyres recently?

Mine required completely different pressures from SO2/SO3 when I went to Toyos. I thought the shocks were completely done in. Turned out the Toyos needed more pressure than the SO3s that were fitted previously, and that they were much more sensitive to pressure variance. (softer sidewalls I think(?))

Pushed 4lbs more in than I ever had while on SO2/SO3s and the world changed.

Know what you mean Goaty Bill. I had a garage put them all at 32-36lbft once after new tyres and the handling was mental. To answer your question though, yes tyre pressures OK and tyres are mid life. I am running Toyos but have been for several years and this is a new thing.

I have changed the front ARB drop links. The old ones were wrecked. That wouldn't make this much difference though would it. The ARB does slow the response of the suspension a bit I believe?