HIGH SPEED STABILITY!
Discussion
I was wondering what you enthusiasts would recommend regarding the above.
I've had a few quickish cars in the past & none have scared me at speed as much as the Griff.
It is an early model Dec 93 & at high speeds ( 120 plus - local law permitting ) I find the front end very light & giddy.
So far I have only had the b***s to go to 150, which I did in a Fiat Coupe 20V turbo & it felt much more composed.
What in order of likely improvements would you all recommend & at what cost.
Dampers & shocks.
I live in Essex so recommendations within an hour or so drive would be appreciated.
PS - Probably spelt wrong but at a recent sprint day, Steve Guiglemi in Northampton was recommended.
PPS - Should a well set up Griff feel stable at high speeds???
I've had a few quickish cars in the past & none have scared me at speed as much as the Griff.
It is an early model Dec 93 & at high speeds ( 120 plus - local law permitting ) I find the front end very light & giddy.
So far I have only had the b***s to go to 150, which I did in a Fiat Coupe 20V turbo & it felt much more composed.
What in order of likely improvements would you all recommend & at what cost.
Dampers & shocks.
I live in Essex so recommendations within an hour or so drive would be appreciated.
PS - Probably spelt wrong but at a recent sprint day, Steve Guiglemi in Northampton was recommended.
PPS - Should a well set up Griff feel stable at high speeds???
mine felt ok at 150 ish, many tines thru germany, france italy etc.
now even better with Nitrons, polys etc.
also have a splitter (by peninsula) increases airflow thru rad (cooler) and holds the front better as far less turbulance.
mines one they did to my spec, buy i'm sure they could do one mail order for you. its clear so you can hardly see it so doesn't spoil the lines.
now even better with Nitrons, polys etc.
also have a splitter (by peninsula) increases airflow thru rad (cooler) and holds the front better as far less turbulance.
mines one they did to my spec, buy i'm sure they could do one mail order for you. its clear so you can hardly see it so doesn't spoil the lines.
Last time I was at Bruntingthorpe I had the opportuntiy to 'give it large' in my Griff. Got a bit floaty at 150, but then seemed to settle down and kept on pulling.
Have a good look at the bushes, balljoints and rack for wear. You may have to use considerable force to move these components as the suspension spring exerts a great deal of load, making them seem solid rather than loose.
If in doubt consult a professional.
Have a good look at the bushes, balljoints and rack for wear. You may have to use considerable force to move these components as the suspension spring exerts a great deal of load, making them seem solid rather than loose.
If in doubt consult a professional.
The first thing I would do is get the steering and suspension geometry checked/set up. I recently had the steering rack replaced on the S and post change the car felt a lot more nervous than pre change 
. I subsequently got the front end geometry checked out and found it needed re setting. The car was a lot more stable and I had nothing but confidence in it at Bruntingthorpe yesterday 
, albeit at slightly lesser speeds than the one being quoted here 
.
Harry
Usual AIMHO etc............
. I subsequently got the front end geometry checked out and found it needed re setting. The car was a lot more stable and I had nothing but confidence in it at Bruntingthorpe yesterday , albeit at slightly lesser speeds than the one being quoted here . Harry
Usual AIMHO etc............
Consensus (well, mine anyway 
and I had a 500 ) would seem to suggest that the 'floaty' feeling is due to the aerodynamics of the Griff.
If you look at it from the side profile, it's cross section is very similar to that of an aircraft wing. It's this that causes the front to lift at high speed and as such, all the geometry changes in the world won't sort it.
A front splitter would probably be the best bet!
and I had a 500 ) would seem to suggest that the 'floaty' feeling is due to the aerodynamics of the Griff. If you look at it from the side profile, it's cross section is very similar to that of an aircraft wing. It's this that causes the front to lift at high speed and as such, all the geometry changes in the world won't sort it.
A front splitter would probably be the best bet!
most embarrassing! Rich...Very hard to tell whether there's a real problem here as it is all very subjective and largely a matter of confidence.
Small changes in the geometry make a big difference at high speed. There will always be some lift, but with the right geometry this won't be enough cause any problem. One thing that is often overlooked is that the amount of lift is heavily dependant on the rake of the car. Drop the front half an inch and lift the rear the same amount and it cuts the lift by about (from memory) 25%. Also, it seems common for people to associate light steering with a feeling of insecurity/floatiness/perceived instability. Small changes in tyre pressure and front suspension geometry make a huge difference to the steering weight. Finally, small undulations throw the car around more at higher speed and if there is any problem with any of the dampers this can unsettle the car. It may be that just by turning the front dampers up a click the car will track better and wallow less and just make the difference between a car that feels rock solid, and a white knuckle ride.
Small changes in the geometry make a big difference at high speed. There will always be some lift, but with the right geometry this won't be enough cause any problem. One thing that is often overlooked is that the amount of lift is heavily dependant on the rake of the car. Drop the front half an inch and lift the rear the same amount and it cuts the lift by about (from memory) 25%. Also, it seems common for people to associate light steering with a feeling of insecurity/floatiness/perceived instability. Small changes in tyre pressure and front suspension geometry make a huge difference to the steering weight. Finally, small undulations throw the car around more at higher speed and if there is any problem with any of the dampers this can unsettle the car. It may be that just by turning the front dampers up a click the car will track better and wallow less and just make the difference between a car that feels rock solid, and a white knuckle ride.
Agreed, but of course that assumes one has adjustable dampers which standard Griff's don't
GreenV8S said:... It may be that just by turning the front dampers up a click the car will track better and wallow less and just make the difference between a car that feels rock solid, and a white knuckle ride.
Rich...
RichB said:Agreed, but of course that assumes one has adjustable dampers which standard Griff's don't
GreenV8S said:... It may be that just by turning the front dampers up a click the car will track better and wallow less and just make the difference between a car that feels rock solid, and a white knuckle ride.
Are you sure? I don't know either way, but I know the Konis that the S came with were adjustable but couldn't be adjusted on the car. I guess you're using Bilsteins or some such these days?
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff