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Jun 15, 2011 12:24:19 GMT
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My Acclaim is running fine (apart from a flat spot in power between 3500-4000 revs) and the suspension has been on my agenda for quite a while now. Also the breaks need doing (front and back) as they are very squeaky, i think this is the only problem for the impending MOT at the end of the month. I have fitted 15" wheels with lower profile tires, and i think this has had a detrimental effect on the handling. It tram lines a lot with dodgy road surfaces and going over white lines/cats eyes etc. But it has improved wet weather grip considerably. (and looks a lot better) I believe this is down to the lack of play in the tyre sidewalls? Now the suspension needs doing (lowered and uprated springs here - www.spaxdirect.com/product_info.php?cPath=129_1366_1367&products_id=2270) but i don't know what shocks to get. I also have a big problem with side winds especially on the motorway, is this not helped by the aging suspension and low profile tires? There is an uprated anti roll bar available from Club Triumph which apparently improves 'handling' a lot, its around £50 iirc. I guess the suspension bushes will need doing as well? Now i will only have around a couple of hundred pounds, what would be best doing first? (excluding the breaks which will be done) Cheers, Rob |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jun 15, 2011 15:58:13 GMT
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if it tramlines a lot, it would suggest youve got too much toe-in on either the front or rear, or a bend/buggered/out of line suspension component.
its usually easier to 'feel it' on the rear- if it feels like the back end snaps across to follow the front, look there. if it feels like the car pulls across to fall into tramlines, look at the front. how long you had the tyres on? any more than a few hundred miles and theyll be starting to wear funny i expect, so will show you were to look. do they have asymmetric rear arms? could be the bushes on those, or the front inner bushes.
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Jun 15, 2011 18:16:03 GMT
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Yep, as Dez hints at it sounds geometry related, check out all the bush's and see if you can get it on some alignment gauges.
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Tim
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,340
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Jun 15, 2011 19:07:37 GMT
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My EG Civic came with 205/40/17 's on it. Tramlined noticeably. They had high backspacing
Looked a bit naff, and when the tyres wore out i changed them for Vti wheels - 175/60/14
stopped tramlining and handled much better.
Not sure what the point here is :-)
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jun 15, 2011 20:14:45 GMT
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He is on 175/50R15s, and IIRC Asymmetric tyres.
Considering the offset is correct (is it less than the old rims or more?) I think you will always have a little bit of tramlining present.
I think the other thing to bear in mind is that whilst the suspension was probably ok when you had the car (being stored etc.), putting it into daily use (with quite a few miles being covered) would not help the bushes etc. which are suspected to be the factory originals/around 30 years old now.
The wind of the motorway scenario I would say is more down to suspension wear and setup. The bigger wheels will only help highlight that a little more. Whenever I have had bigger wheels on a car for motorway use, it seems to drive similar on the motorway, maybe a little better in terms of wind resistance.
FWIW, the MGB is a much better car on the motorway on the 15s than it was on the 14s. A fresh suspension setup has helped no doubt, but originally it was like a boat and quite frankly a little scary when corners came up on motorways!
Are you down in Reading for good now or are you back this weekend?
I would first (you know where I am) check out the bushes etc. but as you said, the dampers are quite tired on the car. On that basis I would do the dampers and springs first. The brakes should hopefully either just need greasing up or new pads with the miles the car has done.
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Last Edit: Jun 15, 2011 20:19:15 GMT by ChasR
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Yeah I think i will stick some new pads on the brakes anyway, as they are cheap! The offset of the wheels is ET45 iirc (15x5.5) and the original ones were ET45-50 i think (13x4.5) I am down id Reading for good now  |
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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Jun 16, 2011 21:39:56 GMT
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Playing with the tyre pessures can help +/- a couple of psi. If it was okay before the wheels were changed it's unlikely to be wheel alinment/geometry.
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