Driving experience - rear end twitch
Discussion
Looking to buy a Chimaera having sold my E-type. Interested in the discussions going on about costs. Definitely will be cheaper to run than than my E.
A question. I drove one yesterday for the first time. Great acceleration, excellent brakes, steering positive, overall was very impressed.
But I was concerned that the back end felt very rigid and unforgiving, seemed to be a few rattles coming from the rear and it felt as if there was very little spring in the back. I was not expecting the rear to wallow around, but I didn't expect it to be so rigid. I was going for this model rather than the Grif as I thought the setup was softer. I obviously need to drive a few more to get a feel for the model, but I wondered what you could advise me on how the back end should feel.
Thanks for your help and advice in advance.
A question. I drove one yesterday for the first time. Great acceleration, excellent brakes, steering positive, overall was very impressed.
But I was concerned that the back end felt very rigid and unforgiving, seemed to be a few rattles coming from the rear and it felt as if there was very little spring in the back. I was not expecting the rear to wallow around, but I didn't expect it to be so rigid. I was going for this model rather than the Grif as I thought the setup was softer. I obviously need to drive a few more to get a feel for the model, but I wondered what you could advise me on how the back end should feel.
Thanks for your help and advice in advance.
Podie)? 
ok - I'll say it... my rear end twitches regularly when giving it some eeky! 
Hello and welcome, if you dont do track days then i would sudgest adjusting suspension to a much softer setting as in the real world is is eminently safer and much, much faster. the ride will be comfortable too...it is only the die hard that have rock hard suspension, i had new springs and shocks fitted to my car a while ago and when it came back it was leathal, there was more bounce in the tyres than suspension(very scarey) i asked for it to softened considerably and i found i could drive on the b roads at a much greater speed and had alot more idea of when the rear was going to snap out. i know it sounds daft but have you ever driven at speed on anything other than the flatest black top and not bounced around like a kids funfare ride.
Only recently I did a driver training and took the two cars to it I thought to be the most dangerous to drive and found it a good idea doing the training with both.
One was of course the Griffith, the other an XK120 vintage.
Sadly I can´t compare to an E-Type but I think the philosophy of both Jags is similar.
As I always found the rear of the XK very twitchy I have been very suspicious about its handling.
The Griff is its own story anyway.
The drivers training included some sessions on simulated icy surfaces but without wintertires it was only interesting as a matter of experience.
Very interesting was breaking in a straight line on a flooded surface doing a panic brake at 30-40 mph.
The XK slided in a straight line, even without ABS or hidden helpers at all it was always possible to escape crashing into further positioned obstacles (kind of water fountains).
The same in the Griffith was very different.
Hitting the brakes at the same speed leaded to oversteering and skiding quite immediately.
No chance to catch it, you had to brake hard further anyway and usually got a good wash through or in the obstacles.
After several turns you could sometimes handle the situation.
At the same time not one problem with the Jaguar.
Most worrying was the skidpad.
Again doing between 30 and 40 mph on a flooded surface you are crossing a pad that pushes your cars reartires and puts your car in a skiding process immediatly and you should react fast and catch it.
A scary process because the first time you lose the car for sure.
But not a problem in the XK again.
Again completely different the Griff, no chance to catch it at all.
Finally I managed to catch it after lots of turns only to learn that the instructor just before had easied the pad force because of all their symphaty to me poor sod.
As we all know TVRs are extremely dangerous and the short wheelbase is doing its further part.
What I have learnt is that if things get out of hand in the Griff you have not many chances left to catch it. Just hit the brakes and kill speed and pray.
Of course there are much better and experienced drivers out there who can handle a TVR much better, but if you are not one of them, please be careful.
But that is all part of the TVR experience and we all know:
"Heros never ever die in bed!"
One was of course the Griffith, the other an XK120 vintage.
Sadly I can´t compare to an E-Type but I think the philosophy of both Jags is similar.
As I always found the rear of the XK very twitchy I have been very suspicious about its handling.
The Griff is its own story anyway.
The drivers training included some sessions on simulated icy surfaces but without wintertires it was only interesting as a matter of experience.
Very interesting was breaking in a straight line on a flooded surface doing a panic brake at 30-40 mph.
The XK slided in a straight line, even without ABS or hidden helpers at all it was always possible to escape crashing into further positioned obstacles (kind of water fountains).
The same in the Griffith was very different.
Hitting the brakes at the same speed leaded to oversteering and skiding quite immediately.
No chance to catch it, you had to brake hard further anyway and usually got a good wash through or in the obstacles.
After several turns you could sometimes handle the situation.
At the same time not one problem with the Jaguar.
Most worrying was the skidpad.
Again doing between 30 and 40 mph on a flooded surface you are crossing a pad that pushes your cars reartires and puts your car in a skiding process immediatly and you should react fast and catch it.
A scary process because the first time you lose the car for sure.
But not a problem in the XK again.
Again completely different the Griff, no chance to catch it at all.
Finally I managed to catch it after lots of turns only to learn that the instructor just before had easied the pad force because of all their symphaty to me poor sod.
As we all know TVRs are extremely dangerous and the short wheelbase is doing its further part.
What I have learnt is that if things get out of hand in the Griff you have not many chances left to catch it. Just hit the brakes and kill speed and pray.
Of course there are much better and experienced drivers out there who can handle a TVR much better, but if you are not one of them, please be careful.
But that is all part of the TVR experience and we all know:
"Heros never ever die in bed!"
Griffithy said:
Just hit the brakes and kill speed and pray.
That's very good advice. If you keep trying to get it back under control you can cover an awfully long distance forwards and sideways - even if you do eventually get it back together (which is a challenge in itself) you rarely have enough space to do it on public roads. If you don't manage it, you are likely to be moving quite fast when you hit the scenery and also spinning which means you are likely to wipe out several corners not just one. With all wheels locked you will keep moving in a straight line and stand a good chance of staying on the back stuff, and you will lose speed quickly so if you do hit anything you will be moving relatively slowly.
Griffithy said:
Only recently I did a driver training and took the two cars to it I thought to be the most dangerous to drive and found it a good idea doing the training with both.
One was of course the Griffith, the other an XK120 vintage.
Sadly I can´t compare to an E-Type but I think the philosophy of both Jags is similar.
As I always found the rear of the XK very twitchy I have been very suspicious about its handling.
The Griff is its own story anyway.
The drivers training included some sessions on simulated icy surfaces but without wintertires it was only interesting as a matter of experience.
Very interesting was breaking in a straight line on a flooded surface doing a panic brake at 30-40 mph.
The XK slided in a straight line, even without ABS or hidden helpers at all it was always possible to escape crashing into further positioned obstacles (kind of water fountains).
The same in the Griffith was very different.
Hitting the brakes at the same speed leaded to oversteering and skiding quite immediately.
No chance to catch it, you had to brake hard further anyway and usually got a good wash through or in the obstacles.
After several turns you could sometimes handle the situation.
At the same time not one problem with the Jaguar.
Most worrying was the skidpad.
Again doing between 30 and 40 mph on a flooded surface you are crossing a pad that pushes your cars reartires and puts your car in a skiding process immediatly and you should react fast and catch it.
A scary process because the first time you lose the car for sure.
But not a problem in the XK again.
Again completely different the Griff, no chance to catch it at all.
Finally I managed to catch it after lots of turns only to learn that the instructor just before had easied the pad force because of all their symphaty to me poor sod.
As we all know TVRs are extremely dangerous and the short wheelbase is doing its further part.
What I have learnt is that if things get out of hand in the Griff you have not many chances left to catch it. Just hit the brakes and kill speed and pray.
Of course there are much better and experienced drivers out there who can handle a TVR much better, but if you are not one of them, please be careful.
But that is all part of the TVR experience and we all know:
"Heros never ever die in bed!"
Griffithy,
This sounds pretty extreme
. Is the set up of your Grif factory standard. I know my Chimaera 4.5 was reasonably predictable, i.e. sufficiently to get the tail out on some MK roundabouts. R
Yes, my Griff is unmodified and standard.
What was very interesting to see, that watching the instructor doing sessions in the Griff - because I wanted him to try just to know if somebody does better - it was obviously that the rear tires locked earlier than front.
Before you ask, the Griff is well maintained and fine.
What was very interesting to see, that watching the instructor doing sessions in the Griff - because I wanted him to try just to know if somebody does better - it was obviously that the rear tires locked earlier than front.
Before you ask, the Griff is well maintained and fine.
greenv8s said:
TVR consistently put too much rear brake bias for my liking, IMO the combination of rear bias with lots of engine braking and low speed bleed on the rear dampers leads to some fairly disconcerting handling characteristics under braking.
Surely there is a big difference between too much rear bias (for your liking - and fair enough) and the sort of thing Griffithy is talking about. I have a Griff with standard brakes save pads and fluid. During a series of emergency stops from 70 mph on a very slippy North Weald, the car only ever locked the front wheels. On the first stop I depressed the clutch early on and the car was uncomfortable but after being instructed to leave the clutch alone until the very last second, all was fine.
Can the same brake set up (ie the factory one) perform very differently on different cars or does rear wheels locking mean something must be broken/not working as it should?
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff