Scary near 100mph
Discussion
I know one shouldn't, but unable to resist I gave in and gave it a little push. Fine up to 95mph then scary things happen. I dared not go over 100mph.
The front end felt light and the ride became bumpy like driving over cobbles. This immediately smoothed out when I backed off the right peddle.
Is this the common front splitter problem or do I need my wheels balancing or is it something more sinister? Thanks for any advice guys (and gals!).
The front end felt light and the ride became bumpy like driving over cobbles. This immediately smoothed out when I backed off the right peddle.
Is this the common front splitter problem or do I need my wheels balancing or is it something more sinister? Thanks for any advice guys (and gals!).
v15ben said:
I have been in Chimaeras at considerably more than that (130-135) and those type of problems never happened!
I dont know the answer, but thats definitely not right!
with all due respect mate, passenger rides would be totally unaware of this sort of light feeling. Its noticeable to the driver only.
My TVR S3 felt light at 100+. When I bought the second TVR that too felt light at hight speed. To help it along, I fitted fully adjustable suspension and raised the back end so it is higher at the back than the front (drag car style but only by a few inches) and recently fitted a front splitter. I am gradually getting it comfortable at 100+ and saw 130 the other day, on a private test track..
if you are referring to this weekend - remember its been bloody windy and on the way back from VW today I didnt go over 95 as the wind makes it twitchy at speed.
Next step for me is to try some max power style corner splitters hidden as far away as i can manage! I am hoping these can "move" the air from the wheels to around the side of the car.
i have often complained of both TVRs being light at speed and its fell upon deaf ears, seems I am in the minority. However, mine seemed twitchy at speed and enough for sweaty palms. Its not as bad now, but compared to Porkers, Ferraris etc (or even my bloody everyday Rover!) it doesnt seem as planted at 100+ speeds.
My Chimaera feels perfectly stable all the way up to ´V fast´. Assuming that you weren´t actually driving over cobbles or being battered by wind, I´d suspect a thrown wheel weight or a loose/worn suspension joint. Best get it checked asap. How about booking it in for an MOT and telling the bloke it goes all wobbly at 100.
40 quid well spent IMHO.
40 quid well spent IMHO.
SOunds like a balancing / suspension issue to me
my chim's never had a front spliter in the 6 years i've had it. and soesnt get light till over 140.
i did have a problem once a bit like that when a front damper part failed. it was damping rebound but not compression, so fast over bumps the front ride hight would drop on one side until the tyre wass bouncing off the wheel arch...
damper rebuild and all was fine again ...
felt like the car was falling apart when it happened though.
G
my chim's never had a front spliter in the 6 years i've had it. and soesnt get light till over 140.
i did have a problem once a bit like that when a front damper part failed. it was damping rebound but not compression, so fast over bumps the front ride hight would drop on one side until the tyre wass bouncing off the wheel arch...
damper rebuild and all was fine again ...
felt like the car was falling apart when it happened though.
G
Ive taken mine to 140 plus and never had anything to worry about perhaps it needs setting up. Occasionally in cross winds at speed it can feel a little unsettled, usually if the wind is at sort of 45 degrees across the car from the front.
(schnozz you must have been very unsettled on the way to LM last year)
(schnozz you must have been very unsettled on the way to LM last year)
CK said:
Buy a Tuscan, they are soooo planted!!
Leavesthreadwithcoatafterhijackingitveryquickly!!!!!!!
Bit of an expensive cure to the problem there CK
. Had this chat with shnozz before, I really do beleive it is down to suspension set up and body rake. Any car, including every day hacks, should not feel nervous at these speeds IMHO.
Harry
My Chimaera is light at over 100mph and over 130mph I would be concerned should anything unexpected, even if it were very slight, occur. I don't like cornering at anything more than 115mph to be honest because the front wheels just don't feel as responsive as I feel they should and I can imagine something like an Impreza feeling much more sure-footed. I think the problem is simply front end lift caused by the shape of the car and fairly old suspension so a splitter of some form might help, though I don't know what it would do to the looks of the car. I certainly wouldn't be happy with a 600lb-ft NO2 Chimaera though without large improvements to the chassis, brakes and aerodynamics.
fatboychim said:
Ive taken mine to 140 plus and never had anything to worry about perhaps it needs setting up. Occasionally in cross winds at speed it can feel a little unsettled, usually if the wind is at sort of 45 degrees across the car from the front.
(schnozz you must have been very unsettled on the way to LM last year)
did I overtake you en route? or was this just when we caught up at Houx?
CK said:
Buy a Tuscan, they are soooo planted!!
Leavesthreadwithcoatafterhijackingitveryquickly!!!!!!!
having said that mate - Krusty reckoned his Tuscan was nervous over 100 and so he fitted that splitter just before eurohoon and was stunned by the difference. He said the car was sure footed once that was fitted and happy to get up to, erm, big speeds with that on there.
shnozz said:
a splitter of some form might help, though I don't know what it would do to the looks of the car.
The splitter I have bought (the TVR one that was originally standard) hides back from the leading edge so its fairly unnoticeable
Interesting.
Just how effective do you think it has been? Have you done any upgrades to the suspension?roadsweeper said:
roadsweeper said:
a splitter of some form might help, though I don't know what it would do to the looks of the car.
The splitter I have bought (the TVR one that was originally standard) hides back from the leading edge so its fairly unnoticeable
Interesting.
yes mate - joospeed fully adjustables all round. Had Joolz set them up for me and its handling sweetly. Rear end slightly raised so the rake of the car adjusted for high speed. The splitter seems to keep it slightly more weighted at the front at speed.
pullingpower said:
Thanks, I'll get the wheel balancing checked.
Should this be ok to get done at a quickfit or do I risk then ruining the security wheel nuts (read this on another thread).
I took mine to Kwikfit .....once. They're ok for a 'normal' car, but whether it was just the lad wot did it or something more substantial in their ability I don't know, (They can't balance wire wheels either - if you have a 'classic') - but it made no difference to the wheel-wobble. A TVR indie re-balanced them - all now ok.
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