Mazda Rotary Club

Cars by Model Type => 3rd generation RX-7's => Topic started by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 11:03:06 AM

Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 11:03:06 AM
Last weekend, I took my RX7 from London to Leeds, and have now that i\'ve spent some time in the car, i\'m starting to feel how it handles, but I think somethings wrong.
Crusing to 100kmh is fine, its once over 120kmh-140kmh it feels like it driving on marbles. A couple of times it would slide either left or right so I back off. This isn\'t when pushing it either, just crusing passing someone in fifth gear.:3gears-lh
 
Do you think its the Jap tyres (probably not in the best condition) or the tracking or alignment?
 
This is my 3rd RX7, but my first FD, and my others handled much better at higher speeds!!!
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: clive on May 16, 2008, 11:13:29 AM
An FD should feel much more stable at the speeds you describe than the earlier models so I would sugest that a four wheel alignment check / suspension/ check will be the very first thing to check
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 11:18:17 AM
Thanks Clive,
 
Its very, very low (I stuggle to get over speedhumps) So I think perhaps the various potholes in the street may have played havoc with the suspension.
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: iaint on May 16, 2008, 11:22:20 AM
The back end of mine felt very detached from the steering input at speed - you\'d change lane and it\'d feel as though the back end caught up a few minutes later.

Turned out to be almost completely failed dampers (probably tired springs too).

Swapped the standard setup for a Tein Flex system and it transformed the car.  Probably still need to change the bushes - 16 years and 67k miles.
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 11:41:13 AM
Quote from: iaint;499465Turned out to be almost completely failed dampers (probably tired springs too).
 
Swapped the standard setup for a Tein Flex system and it transformed the car. Probably still need to change the bushes - 16 years and 67k miles.

I\'ve got Bilstein suspension, so hopefully the springs should be fine, I would say the bushes, etc.
 
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg24/rotaryguru/Suspension.jpg)
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 11:44:04 AM
Quote from: iaint;499465The back end of mine felt very detached from the steering input at speed - you\'d change lane and it\'d feel as though the back end caught up a few minutes later.

Its not so much the changing lanes, thats fine, just in a straight line at higher speeds, it just seems to get abit twitchy.
 
Heres my plan of action: check alignment, suspension and bushes etc, and if not - its the tyres....
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: dthebuk on May 16, 2008, 11:46:32 AM
does it have a spoiler at all?

ive heard some people mention that they really do need the big spoilers as they make the car much more stable at higher speeds
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: logicalChimp on May 16, 2008, 11:51:27 AM
Hmmm

Thats sounds fairly similar to how my fd is handling, although you can add tramlining to my woes...  mind you, it is a \'92 with ~145k chassis KMs - and still on the original suspension setup.

Can\'t afford to do anything about it yet, but i would be interested in knowing how you manage to sort your handling out, Rotaryguru
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 11:53:16 AM
Quote from: dthebuk;499476does it have a spoiler at all?
Yep, but maybe its causing lift?
 
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg24/rotaryguru/931.jpg)
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: D2BBA on May 16, 2008, 11:54:38 AM
Recently had my car 4 wheel aligned and the tracking etc done.  I didnt realise how far it was out, but its made a big big difference!

Chris
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: RemarkLima on May 16, 2008, 11:58:27 AM
Personally I\'d 99% say some bushes are on their way out, you should be able to go well into highly illegal speeds without a wobble, and certainly without a spoiler!

If it was tracking / alignment (which it could be as well) then you\'d tend to feel a pull one way or the other all the time.

If the shocks are knackered you should feel an extra "bounce" or two over bumps, as the springs are just left to their own devices to spring away merrily over any bumps :D

Have you just picked the car up? The MOT should have seen if any of the bushes are knackered... Unless it\'s "one of those" MOT\'s ;)
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: m4drx on May 16, 2008, 12:40:47 PM
bushes or mounts in my opinion.

I have had a diff, engine mounts, diff mounts, 4 wheel alignment, balancing etc etc

it all basically and i found that coming on and off the power my jerkiness was to do with the diff iteself more than the mounts but both helped alot.

the biggest difference was with the engine mounts, one of mine had collapsed and it made the car extremely unstable. to the point that i felt uncomfortable to drive fast at all (i mean quiker in an astra) and it made hardened fd nuts who drove it sweat!.

hope this helps.

Let me know if you need more info as to where to look for them.
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: m4drx on May 16, 2008, 12:43:17 PM
good UK rubber is a very good way to go also, i had a problem whereby if i accelerated hard and went over a bump the car would skip or wheel spin, this was solved by removing the jap rubber for some uk good quality stuff and made the world of difference. I can even accelerate through corners now.

i went for Falken 452\'s at £520 a set but worth every penny.
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 01:30:48 PM
Quote from: RemarkLima;499481Have you just picked the car up? The MOT should have seen if any of the bushes are knackered... Unless it\'s "one of those" MOT\'s ;)

Only had on the road for two months after importing. I had heaps of trouble getting registered etc, see my other posts! But the MOT was a strict one.  :reallymad
 
Hence why I din\'t expect any handling problems!!
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Rotaryguru on May 16, 2008, 01:32:00 PM
Quote from: m4drx;499492good UK rubber is a very good way to go also, i had a problem whereby if i accelerated hard and went over a bump the car would skip or wheel spin, this was solved by removing the jap rubber for some uk good quality stuff and made the world of difference. I can even accelerate through corners now.
 
i went for Falken 452\'s at £520 a set but worth every penny.

Yeah, will be on the look out for some new rubber come payday:2Rolleyes!!
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: RemarkLima on May 16, 2008, 01:42:38 PM
Quote from: Rotaryguru;499503Only had on the road for two months after importing. I had heaps of trouble getting registered etc, see my other posts! But the MOT was a strict one.  :reallymad
 
Hence why I din\'t expect any handling problems!!

Well that\'s a good sign... But as M4DRX said, they\'d not check diff bushes and the like I\'d guess...
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: m4drx on May 16, 2008, 01:44:42 PM
feel free to come by if you like and i can help diagnose it for you.
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: iaint on May 16, 2008, 04:35:16 PM
Quote from: dthebuk;499476does it have a spoiler at all?

ive heard some people mention that they really do need the big spoilers as they make the car much more stable at higher speeds

No need for a big spoiler for streight lines.  Had mine up to 172 (timing beam equipment) and it\'s rock steady.
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: memski on May 16, 2008, 05:33:38 PM
Get a 4 wheel laser align dude.
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: Aikio on May 16, 2008, 09:43:52 PM
I\'ve got a bare ass FD, and I don\'t know what most of you are talking about... Mine feels like it\'s got better handling and downforce when I pass 120km/h than it does at lower speeds.. It\'s easier to drive it when cruicing at 120 than at 80...

On track is a different matter :P
Title: RX7 Handling
Post by: adib on May 16, 2008, 10:54:47 PM
i was running on jap rubber for a year or so after buying my rex, now got new tyres and handles so much better and i found in wet jap rubber will let go so easy in wet and back end will over take you :eek: