Where to go for FD handling advice?

luckyNot · December 30, 2013, 10:51:04 PM

Hi,

I live in Berkshire, UK and have recently had some driving lessons on road and track with my FD. Fast road lesson was good and the car felt great. Track lesson did not go well, the car did not \'sit well\'.
Between the two I had tyres changed and front drop bar replaced. Obviously tyres will make a difference but the car \'feels\' wrong. My instructor said the same. My car is largely stock but I no longer trust it.

Can anyone recommend someone that I can trust to help me?

mikey-t · December 30, 2013, 11:08:29 PM

replace bushes, check suspension dampers with a bump test, look underneath for anything that looks "wrong"

clive · December 31, 2013, 09:14:51 AM

As above, check all the bushes then look at a 4 wheel alignment check.

Next up would be dampers, if standard I have never stripped a set of dampers off an FD with over 50K on them that could be used again.

We you say \'feels\' wrong" if you can expand on this it would help, i.e. was there no grip on the front or the back or did it feel wrong one way and not the other ??

boosted · December 31, 2013, 09:23:26 AM

Have you any clonking when moving backwards in reverse to moving off in first? Mine had a rear bush on the control arm worn and it made the backend feel loose. Has it been lowered as will need 4 wheel alignment after. The FD is a fantastic handling car and should feel very planted so prob best to get down your local alignment place and talk through your problem. They will suspend car with the weight of the wheels and get the levers out to check all the bushes.

luckyNot · January 02, 2014, 10:31:10 PM

Thanks for the replies.

Clive - I am away from my RX at present. I will get back to it this weekend and give get some more details. The car did not feel as grounded/stable. The grip front and back was worse on the replacement tyres, but the \'feel\' was the concern. I will get out for drive and see if I can find the words to describe this, hopefully these words will not include \'feel, funny, off or dodgy\'

If I fail I might need a referral to a friendly garage in Berkshire

mikey - full bush replacement. What is the best/most cost effective way of doing this?

boosted - I have no clonking but I do get a what I think is a hard vibration noise when pulling up to stop at slow speeds <5mph typically, I think it originates from the back of the car, although neither I nor my passengers can pin point it. It has been suggested that this could be bearing related but I cannot locate it and my local garage said they cannot find it, but are sure it is not brake related (they changed pads and discs and I then started getting this noise..)

luckyNot · January 02, 2014, 10:45:53 PM

I would also add that I had 4 wheel alignment done after the brakes/discs change - this was when it felt good.
Since then I have changed wheels and alloys and replaced both front roll bar links. Now it does not \'feel good\'.
Car has about 65k on the clock. I think suspension is stock

Bone · January 02, 2014, 11:30:35 PM

Wheel alignment needs doing again buddy.

boosted · January 03, 2014, 05:11:25 AM

Just a thought....when you changed the wheels are these after market? And did they come with spigot rings for the centre bore of the wheels for correct alignment when fitting?

marf · January 03, 2014, 12:07:10 PM

Take it to Wheels in Motion :yes

Rzla · January 03, 2014, 01:08:47 PM

Quote from: luckyNot;870714Thanks for the replies.

Clive - I am away from my RX at present. I will get back to it this weekend and give get some more details. The car did not feel as grounded/stable. The grip front and back was worse on the replacement tyres, but the \'feel\' was the concern. I will get out for drive and see if I can find the words to describe this, hopefully these words will not include \'feel, funny, off or dodgy\' If I fail I might need a referral to a friendly garage in Berkshire

mikey - full bush replacement. What is the best/most cost effective way of doing this?

boosted - I have no clonking but I do get a what I think is a hard vibration noise when pulling up to stop at slow speeds <5mph typically, I think it originates from the back of the car, although neither I nor my passengers can pin point it. It has been suggested that this could be bearing related but I cannot locate it and my local garage said they cannot find it, but are sure it is not brake related (they changed pads and discs and I then started getting this noise..)

Hey mate what\'s your email address?

samoht · January 03, 2014, 01:49:41 PM

So you were happy with it, then you change the wheels and tyres and the front ARB links, and now you\'re not ? The first things to check are the last things you changed before the problem started.

Do you still have the original wheels and tyres? If so, recommend putting them back on and seeing if that fixes it.
Check that the new front ARB links are both still connected properly - if the ARB is disconnected this will likely make the front too grippy, making the car pointy, loose and tail-happy.

What brand of tyres did you buy? If you bought cheap tyres this would 100% explain your symptoms. In fact, if you can quote the brand and dimensions of the previous and new set of tyres, that would help us help you.

If the new wheels, tyres and ARB links check out, then I\'d look at the more typical issues that others have mentioned.

cona2k · January 04, 2014, 03:27:33 PM

Quote from: luckyNot;870560Hi,

I live in Berkshire, UK and have recently had some driving lessons on road and track with my FD. Fast road lesson was good and the car felt great. Track lesson did not go well, the car did not \'sit well\'.
Between the two I had tyres changed and front drop bar replaced. Obviously tyres will make a difference but the car \'feels\' wrong. My instructor said the same. My car is largely stock but I no longer trust it.

Can anyone recommend someone that I can trust to help me?

If your in Berkshire pop over and see dave Thompson he knows a thing or two on track set up

luckyNot · January 15, 2014, 08:48:28 AM

Thank you all for your comments. Flooding and DIY demands from the mrs have meant no time for the fun that is my RX7

Bone and boosted - Ok, I did not know that. Thanks, will do. Hopefully following Marf\'s recommendation

samoht and boosted - I was previously running Continental Sport Conact 2 all round. I liked them. My alloys were old and dented so I swapped them for a better second hand set. The tyre fitter said the \'beading\' (?) had gone on some my tyres and that this was not safe, so they kept my tyres and I got the ones on the second hand alloys - namely a pair of Fortuna (??) on the front and a pair of Potenza RE50 on the back, with less tread. Both pairs are 235 40 R17.

Marf, thanks for the recommendation

cona2k - silly question, but how do I contact Dave Thompson?

The amount of water on the road has not allowed me to test the handling in any meaningful way, so I have nothing further to add just yet.

roborangefd3s · January 15, 2014, 09:55:29 AM

yes wheels in motion must be good as they still havent bothered to respond to my quote enquiry so obviously booked solid, I will drive down and chase him for a quote once I finish my bushing install

boosted · January 15, 2014, 10:14:51 AM

Im assuming after market wheels? If the car felt fine on the old tyre wheel combo then problem is surely with this set.
Tyre bead is the part of the tyre that joins and seals with the alloy. Its re-enforced with still wire. Never had beading damage myself though.

Potenza re50 are a sports tire and re50a are run flats with a very stiff side wall (bmws) so check that. Fortuna never heard of them. If you look are the side there is a tread wear rating number something like 160 is a soft tyre 220 is harder etc...Wanli ditch finders s01\'s are tread rating 300 gives an indication of how performance orientated the tyre is.

Id be checking spigot rings fitted, direction fitted correctly, age of tyre in terms of tread wear is the the rubber on the tread worn smooth or does it look like its torn like tarmac. Any cracking on side walls indicate an old tyre. These tyres may have sat in someone\'s shed for 5 years and tyres do go off.