Poor handling - outcome of investigation
Discussion
A while back, i posted a thread about excessive feedback rhrough the steering wheel when pressing on in tight corners.
It wa clear that something wasn't quite right, so having had a full service on the car, I decided to also get the Nitrons refreshed. They had done little mileage but were 6 years old. When they came back, i also booked the car in for a geo check.
I've only had the car a couple of months and gradually been working my way through some niggling problems. The car was set up by Steve Guglielmi and the previous owner rated him highly. I'm not sure if they fitted adjustable top wishbones, or if they were fitted prior but it was these that were affecting the handling. Nearside camber was 8 degrees, offside 3 degrees!!!!!!!! No wonder it wobbled in fast corners!
Unfortunately, the camber is so far out, there isn't enough adjustment on the top wishbones, so I'll need to get new standard ones.
Can't wait to get the car back and see how it should handle!
It wa clear that something wasn't quite right, so having had a full service on the car, I decided to also get the Nitrons refreshed. They had done little mileage but were 6 years old. When they came back, i also booked the car in for a geo check.
I've only had the car a couple of months and gradually been working my way through some niggling problems. The car was set up by Steve Guglielmi and the previous owner rated him highly. I'm not sure if they fitted adjustable top wishbones, or if they were fitted prior but it was these that were affecting the handling. Nearside camber was 8 degrees, offside 3 degrees!!!!!!!! No wonder it wobbled in fast corners!
Unfortunately, the camber is so far out, there isn't enough adjustment on the top wishbones, so I'll need to get new standard ones.
Can't wait to get the car back and see how it should handle!
To be honest, it didn't look obvious that it was out at all. I must admit, it seems implausible that it could be that adrift but that's what I was told. (It was a dodgy line on my mobile whilst I was cycling though) Still, I'm pretty sure that's what they said.
They also said that it was a record, never before seen something so badly adjusted......
They also said that it was a record, never before seen something so badly adjusted......
It doesn't take much to knock the alignment out........
been bouncing mine around country lanes for the last 3 - 4 years...... never kerbed or hot big pot hole.... but mine needed it's geo reset amonth ago big time.
Some people think the geo should be set-up once a year anyway..... and IIRC it's actually one of the service items to check (not re-set) .... how many garages actually do ????
been bouncing mine around country lanes for the last 3 - 4 years...... never kerbed or hot big pot hole.... but mine needed it's geo reset amonth ago big time.
Some people think the geo should be set-up once a year anyway..... and IIRC it's actually one of the service items to check (not re-set) .... how many garages actually do ????
Stupid me, just had it confirmed that it was the castor angles that were miles out, 8 degree on one side, 3 on the other. Well, I was cycling at the time that TH Works called....
Not sure whether this was positive or negative but suspect positive.
Hopefully will get it back today and notice a huge difference.
Not sure whether this was positive or negative but suspect positive.
Hopefully will get it back today and notice a huge difference.
That's even more worrying as the castor isn't adjustable (well not unless the top ball joint spacer has been put in the other side of the ball joint, but it would have to be a bit of a muppet who did that, plus the car would pull horribly to one side all the time as the trail on one side would be massively greater than the other ... are you still sure these numbers are correct?)
I am sure the numbers are the ones given to me.
The top wishbones are the round Peninsular ones, with a camber adjustment. According to Austec, they are the culprit and so a pair of standard ones will be put on.
Maybe they were bent somehow. it does sound a bit strange somehow. Oh God, I hope it is the wishbones and not somethingelse!!
I know the spacers are in the correct way as I checked those when i was looking for the original problem.
The top wishbones are the round Peninsular ones, with a camber adjustment. According to Austec, they are the culprit and so a pair of standard ones will be put on.
Maybe they were bent somehow. it does sound a bit strange somehow. Oh God, I hope it is the wishbones and not somethingelse!!
I know the spacers are in the correct way as I checked those when i was looking for the original problem.
culminator said:
I am sure the numbers are the ones given to me.
The top wishbones are the round Peninsular ones, with a camber adjustment. According to Austec, they are the culprit and so a pair of standard ones will be put on.
Maybe they were bent somehow. it does sound a bit strange somehow. Oh God, I hope it is the wishbones and not somethingelse!!
I know the spacers are in the correct way as I checked those when i was looking for the original problem.
Are these the ones with threaded attachments where the bushes/eye bolts go into the wishbone itself or are they non-adjustable?The top wishbones are the round Peninsular ones, with a camber adjustment. According to Austec, they are the culprit and so a pair of standard ones will be put on.
Maybe they were bent somehow. it does sound a bit strange somehow. Oh God, I hope it is the wishbones and not somethingelse!!
I know the spacers are in the correct way as I checked those when i was looking for the original problem.
I have no experience of them at all. But im assuming theyre made with straight tubes (no reason to make them any other way really) so any wishbone damage would be immediately apparent. You could have chassis damage, but the tvr chassis is strong and the rest of that corner would be trashed to bend a chassis, and that would stand out a mile anyway. So at the moment i cant see how this is anything other than a simple adjustment issue. Why do you need new wishbones?
- edited to add the castor is adjustable on those wishbones because you can adjust the bush ends independantly as far as im aware
Edited by spitfire4v8 on Thursday 13th August 12:36
Sorry but that sounds b
ks, the peninsular ones are adjustable.
If you screw out the front adjuster it will increase castor, screw the rear adjuster and it will decrease castor. So you can't just wildly adjust the camber by screwing on a single adjuster.
When you first install them you need to set the camber & castor in steps using both adjusters bit x bit.
The drawback might be that the rear OS adjuster may foul on the steering rack, mine needed to be trimmed down a little. If the castor has been set too far out you will be puuting far too much stress on the bushes which have to take up that angular adjustment.
If you are really at the limits of being able to set the castor it might be the BJ's - some where reported as needing spacers in odd positions and as the Peninsular wishbones rigidly fix the BJ's that may be out of alignment range for the wishbone design?.
ks, the peninsular ones are adjustable.If you screw out the front adjuster it will increase castor, screw the rear adjuster and it will decrease castor. So you can't just wildly adjust the camber by screwing on a single adjuster.
When you first install them you need to set the camber & castor in steps using both adjusters bit x bit.
The drawback might be that the rear OS adjuster may foul on the steering rack, mine needed to be trimmed down a little. If the castor has been set too far out you will be puuting far too much stress on the bushes which have to take up that angular adjustment.
If you are really at the limits of being able to set the castor it might be the BJ's - some where reported as needing spacers in odd positions and as the Peninsular wishbones rigidly fix the BJ's that may be out of alignment range for the wishbone design?.
I've now got the car back and now that a geo check has been done and new wishbones have been fitted, it is a transformed car!!
One of the old wishbones looks like it is very slightly out of line and hence the badly effected caster angle on one side.
The tracking and camber were out as well, no wonder it didn't handle that well.
It now feels much more like a sportscar and can be thrown into corners with much more confidence.
A good end to an ongoing issue.
One of the old wishbones looks like it is very slightly out of line and hence the badly effected caster angle on one side.
The tracking and camber were out as well, no wonder it didn't handle that well.
It now feels much more like a sportscar and can be thrown into corners with much more confidence.
A good end to an ongoing issue.
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