When it's just right...
Discussion
...it's just right!
I know I posted before about how much of a transformation having Joo set up the suspension and geo was, but yesterday I discovered a new depth to the set-up.
I've generally always had a relatively neat'n'tidy driving style, and other than occasional hairpin holliganism generally refrain from deliberate oversteer (not least because the car always used to be quite snappy if you started letting the tail get loose).
Well, I was out playing yesterday morning on a makeshift drag strip (industrial access road), and because I'd been driving my brother's Westfield all last week, I just turned the car round at the end on the throttle without thinking. Then I thought, "Hey, it's not usually that controllable". So I did it again. Perfect 180. No drama, no fuss.
So I found a large empty carpark and had a little play. Granted, it's not quite got the "pick an angle and hold it as long as you like" stance of the Westie, but it's a million times more controllable than its ever been before. Don't you just love it when you discover new depths to a car, after nearly 2 years of ownership!
(Now just wait for the "I've wrapped it round a tree/lamppost" post)
I know I posted before about how much of a transformation having Joo set up the suspension and geo was, but yesterday I discovered a new depth to the set-up.
I've generally always had a relatively neat'n'tidy driving style, and other than occasional hairpin holliganism generally refrain from deliberate oversteer (not least because the car always used to be quite snappy if you started letting the tail get loose).
Well, I was out playing yesterday morning on a makeshift drag strip (industrial access road), and because I'd been driving my brother's Westfield all last week, I just turned the car round at the end on the throttle without thinking. Then I thought, "Hey, it's not usually that controllable". So I did it again. Perfect 180. No drama, no fuss.
So I found a large empty carpark and had a little play. Granted, it's not quite got the "pick an angle and hold it as long as you like" stance of the Westie, but it's a million times more controllable than its ever been before. Don't you just love it when you discover new depths to a car, after nearly 2 years of ownership!
(Now just wait for the "I've wrapped it round a tree/lamppost" post)
Gazzab said:
Them nitrons were set to girlie settings when i sold!! having my current ones revalved etc
They've been messed with twice since then. At some earlier juncture, I decided that to go as close as possible to full hard all round would be the best way. I was wrong. Not only was the ride so harsh that I needed runner's tape to stop my nipples chaffing on my shirt, but, combined with a very low ride height, it made the car far to skittish - any movement from the rear happened almost instantaniously and the "catch" was always messy.
Totally against my intuition, Joo's now raised the ride height quite a lot, and set everything to 2 clicks off full soft all the way round (remember it's all poly'd now) and the whole thing is a revelation, both up to and beyond the limits of outright grip (although I may still nudge the settings up or down a couple of notches when I finally manage to get a fully dry trackday).
When i got my car 18 months ago it had a low ride height (with lots of nasty graunching noises over bumps) and was very skittish and a real handful in the wet.
Now I have raised the ride height to the recommended height and softened up the dampers which has improved handling and traction out of bends no end.
I have AVO dampers at present but will swap to nitrons with new springs when I do the chassis rebuild.
Now I have raised the ride height to the recommended height and softened up the dampers which has improved handling and traction out of bends no end.
I have AVO dampers at present but will swap to nitrons with new springs when I do the chassis rebuild.
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