Roadholding Robin Hoods

[Bob Tucker]

Ive done a few track days at Brands in mine, also a sliding pillar conversion with Gaz shocks, using standard Sierra rear suspension, with a well tweaked 2.0 Pinto & michelin Exalto tyres.

 

The days had a mixture of Caterhams, Elises, Exiges, westfields, daxs, tigers, a Noble, porkers, beemers, XJs, & a few hot hatches.

 

The only cars I couldnt match round bends (or on the straights!) were the Exiges. I could corner quicker than the Elises, but they were quicker on the straight. The Dax had a V8 & was all over everything on the straight, but me, the elises & exiges were faster on the corners. The Caterhams were nowhere.....not because the cars werent capable, but to a man (&several girls) the drivers werent up to it!

 

Make sure the front suspension settings are right & fit decent tyres & these things will fly.

Bob

[Guest Takumi]

I was at Brands on sunday, and never having been there before, thought it looked like a fantastic place for a trackday..

[Guest art stringfellow]

hi

I have ordered gaz coilovers for the back with 300 lb springs the fronts will have to wait a bit longer.I will probably use 350lb springs on the front as the front coilovers are angled at approx 40degrees maybe slightly less. camber is 1 degree neg caster is now approx 6.5 degrees facing back. the car steers much better now and the steering now self centres as someone says you have to keep trying to improve things and it is rewarding to get it handling better thanks again stringy

[Guest Takumi]

I've now got 13"GAZ+350lb (8")springs.. from what I've seen, the 300lb seem to get close to binding..:S

 

The difference from the zimers is quite alot.. well worth changing if your serious about handling..

[Guest timswait]

TBH I find my 300lb springs on the front a little soft for track use, but about right for the road. If my car was a track only car I'd defo run 350lb, but I clock up over 5000 miles a year, so I don't want to go too stiff, the 300lb ones don't bind though.

 

I could corner quicker than the Elises

Suprised by that, I strongly suspect that's down to the driver again!

not because the cars werent capable, but to a man (&several girls) the drivers werent up to it!

Not so suprised by that!

 

If I ever get round to making those camber gauges then I'll know what my settings are, but I reckon I've probably got more than 1 degree -ve camber on the front, I'd guess maybe upto 2.5. Probably wouldn't need to have so much if I had the extended dummy mcpherson strut mod like Taku.

Stringy: post some pictures of your front susp, the wishbone conversions are always a little different to each other, I'd be intereted to see how yours is done. What do you mean when you say your coilovers are at 40 degrees? Is that towards the vertical or towards the horizontal? Some people have had problems with the bottom mount of their coil over being mouned too far inboard away from the wheel, which puts undue stress on the bottom wishbone.

[Guest art stringfellow]

my zeemers are 40 degrees from vertical. my wishbones are angled up to the wheel by about 10 degrees if I try to lift it up by winding up the springs to get it horizontal the bottom balljoints run out of movement so I have to drop it a bit the zeemers are 310mm extented so I keep them at 295mm this I feel is the best compromise sorry I have no photos what do people think of this setup is it safe? thanks stringy

[Guest allenr03]

The first few times I took my SS out I was dissapointed. I thought it would be mentally fast around the twisty bits but in reality I found it difficult to go much faster than my diesel 407!! Thats said the 407 handles really well and the 9 air bags etc make you feel a lot safer.

 

Once I got used to the car andthe vunerability you inevitably feel things perked up, it is significantly faster and as one of the guys has said it can easily embarrass the bikers on the bends, I even had one let me pass him on a twisty road because he knew he was slowing me down!!

 

I've never driven a Porsche or Lotus (yet) but I reckon the'd have to be very good to beat me.

 

I think it comes down to bravery, lol.

 

Rich

 

Obviously I never exceed the speed limit

[Guest timswait]

What's the ride height like if the wishbones are angled up? Sounds very low. Ideally the bottom wishbone should be horizontal and the top one slightly angled up (see the thread in chit chat from a few weeks ago started by Takumi), but you should be able to get away with having the bottom wishbone slightly angled up.

Do the zimmers only compress by 15mm under the weight of the car ? I was under the impression that the springs on the zimmers were too soft, but this doesn't sound very far. Or have you just wound a lot of preload onto them? In which case you will have less than ideal handling on bumpy roads because the suspension wll keep running out of travel in rebound. It might be worth looking at ways to modify the bottom wishbone so you can get more movement on that botom ball joint.

[Guest docter fox]

I used to get fed up getting stuck behind bikes on the twisty bits, trouble was they'd usually disapear on the straight bits...

[Grim]

i've been playing about with suspension setup, and i can say it is really worth the effort to get it set right. I've transformed my car by changing the camber slightly, feel so much better, and easier to drive. I think the standard 2b wishbones aren't great (but i can't say i've driven one), they get a lot of positive camber when the suspension compresses, and also suffers from a chronic lack of castor. The rear suspension has too much camber, but some people have sorted that with camber wedges, which is something i want to investigate.

 

I'm quite happy with my front springs at 350lbs, reduces some of the body roll, which i think is as important as smoothness over bumps in terms of comfort.. The rears are 300lbs, and i can feel the suspension moving nicely over bumps, and i don't find it at all uncomfortable (and i've driven about 12k in the last year).

[Guest Takumi]

i've been playing about with suspension setup, and i can say it is really worth the effort to get it set right. I've transformed my car by changing the camber slightly, feel so much better, and easier to drive. I think the standard 2b wishbones aren't great (but i can't say i've driven one), they get a lot of positive camber when the suspension compresses, and also suffers from a chronic lack of castor. The rear suspension has too much camber, but some people have sorted that with camber wedges, which is something i want to investigate.

 

I'm quite happy with my front springs at 350lbs, reduces some of the body roll, which i think is as important as smoothness over bumps in terms of comfort.. The rears are 300lbs, and i can feel the suspension moving nicely over bumps, and i don't find it at all uncomfortable (and i've driven about 12k in the last year).

 

 

I like 350lbs on ours - Definately less body roll , but I'm sure I've lost a bit of grip under braking..the front resisting weight transfer with the hard springs.. The back end now feels soft compared to the front now, and gives a fair bit of understeer until you lift-off, then it drifts out nicely.. so next is coilovers on the back, maybe new polybushses too, I'm sure their all knackered at the back. - And a Zetec conversion.

[Grim]

well, i'd say the coilovers were more important than the polybushes on the rear, i've not bothered with polybushes at the rear, and i have no faults with the rear, other than the camber. I've not reached the limits of grip with my new tyres all round, but i'd suggest that the rears are lacking grip in the wet, due to the amount of camber not making the tyre flat on the road due to needing more body roll for that to happen.

 

Personally i'd have to leave it till i have got used to the rears before making any more changes, but i am making steps forward.

[Guest vacinc]

did another track day on sunday, handle"in is excellent ,was up there with scooby"s, skylines, mk2 escorts (not standard 380 to 400 brake ) etc. and the only car apart from a few bike engine monsters, that give me a hard time was a mk1 VW golf (don"t no what was in it, but it was quick )

had most on the corners, but ran out of legs on the straights, great day but apart from the bit when you get home and then notice you need another set of tyres ? again