Corsa Handling

[Russ]

I've fitted a set of Raceland coilovers to my corsa and lowered it around 40-50mm, i then fitted 15" alloys with new tyres, fitted new track rod ends and got a local garage to do the tracking.

Since having all this done, the steering feels light and abit vague, it's like it now has power steering, but it doesn't, its bump steering and i've also noticed that the tyres are starting to wear on the inside edge. Today to raised the suspension half and inch and its got rid of some bump steer and the steering feels abit heavier/less vague but its still not feeling right to me.

So i'm basically trying to figure out why its like this?

[ChasR]

Sounds like the geometry has been thrown out quite a bit. Are your lower arms and track rods parallel and straight with respect to the ground?

Because you raised the car that would have thrown the toe out again. I would be tempted to see how the car behaved with the tracking reset.

[Russ]

The track rods are pointing up slighty at the hub end.

I was thinking of doing the tracking again and seeing if it makes a difference.

[octagonalpaul]

sounds like the toe angle has changed, along with the camber possibly. Those coilovers have adjustable camber so could affect the handling, but I'd think the toe would affect it more overall. Toe can make the steering lighter and more susceptible to bump steer

[Dez]

only toe scrubs tyres quickly, so look there first.

[Russ]

I've set the camber on them but pulling the hub fully out, so the camber looks how it is as standard.

[singerman]

I would get the camber checked , should be done with the equivalent weight of two persons in front seats the car. The steering will feel light if the contact point of the tyre with the road has been altered. Too much negative camber will result in the tyre only running on it's inner edge hence the rapid wear.

[Russ]

Camber is ok, it's set the same as standard.

I tried adjusting the Toe today, turned out the track rods to give more toe in but this made the steering even lighter & more vague, so i set it back to wear it was.

Thinking of getting a wheel alingment guage to check/adjust it myself, not sure if these are any good?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wheel-Alignment-Gauge-Gunson-Trakrite-G4008-LSR12-/120814647676?pt=UK_Measuring_Tools_Levels&hash=item1c211d397c

[singerman]

ok so you say the camber is set to standard but having altered the ride height you will have unintentionally upset other things. The camber is only one of the three main geometry settings the others being king pin inclination and castor trail. All these must be corrected before setting the tracking. As you have also found altering the ride height will alter the relationship between steering rack and steering arm on the hub causing bump steer. It is a fine balance of all these things that ensure your car steers and handles correctly.

[CIH]

Dec 20, 2011 1:12:10 GMT Dez said:

only toe scrubs tyres quickly, so look there first.

Ignore this.

[cobblers]

Dec 22, 2011 23:38:24 GMT CIH said:

Dec 20, 2011 1:12:10 GMT Dez said:

only toe scrubs tyres quickly, so look there first.

Ignore this.

Why? from my experience, it's true.

I ran my lupo with 3 degrees of camber (enough to look broken, absolutely miles out), for 5000 miles. The tyres were fine.

On the other hand, I ran my golf with proper camber and not very good tracking, and it killed some (admittedly halfway gone already) tyres in 500 miles.

curse word tracking will do the tyres in a lot faster than camber - tracking tries to drag the tyres along the road sideways, whereas camber just focuses the normal wear on whatever side is pushed into the road.

[dude]

Most stanceforums agree that as long as you've got 0 toe you can expect almost standard tire wear with quite some camber. Although excessive camber increases tire wear quite a bit if the car gets used "properly"

[Russ]

Yeah i agree, i don't think its camber causing any problems.

I have wondered if the Caster setting has changed and is causing these problems? Although many people seem to just fit coilovers, get it tracked properly and there car is fine...

[penrhynrallycentre]

Simple really get rid of the coilovers and fit Bilstein front struts with Corsa Diesel springs run billstein rears and lower by 30mm this is the best set up for any Corsa....Been there had the tee shirt and rallied one.Corsas don't kie being lowered and having cheap suspension fitted to them Simples really

PRC

[Russ]

Got a tracking gauge today and checked the alignment, it was miles out! The Toe-out on both sides were off the scale, so adjusted both sides to zero toe and the handling has been transformed, feels like it's on rails now