Odd Handling

[Eeyore]

Hello People. Really dont know if this is a problem or me!

Right my tyres were illegal so i got 4 195/50/15 uniroyal rainsport 2s for £33 a corner. Bargain!

Got them fitted for £20 but not balanced. National tyres wanted £12.50 to fit each tyre so was happy with £5! Even if i need to get them balanced its still cheaper! Was a bank holiday so i was desperate to get them done!



Anyway since fitting the handling has changed and its making me wonder if something is wrong. Driving on the limit it feels fine but small sharp steering it feels like its rolling around and steering too much! For example over taking someone I almost shat myself as the car lurched towards the opposite bank and had to correct it massively. This has happened quite a few times now.

Is it just because its a heavy estate and im down a profile and not used to grippy tyres? Ive never had to change tyres and always been on budgets. Wheel bolts are all tight and pressure is at 36psi.

Sorry if this is a vague and stupid thread but its really bugging me!

[Niall]

Lowered at all?

[Eeyore]

Nope standard ride height on standard shocks :/ Im hoping hitting it with a lowering stick will solve the problem!

Just odd that the only thing that has changed is better slightly smaller tyres :/

[declantg]

Sam does it feel like driving on ice?

[Eeyore]

no i can really hoon it and there is loads of grip but just randomly now and gain itll just feel like its steering too far. If i steer from side to side i can get a good weave on to the point where its quite scary. Shocks on their way out?

[declantg]

That sounds a LOT like what I have.

Going round the slightest corner just feels wrong, then I have to correct it and it just goes crazy

[THE_Liam]

Dead shocks won't help, but it sounds to me like your track rod ends might be knackered too...

[Scott]

These tyres have pretty soft sidewalls too so the flex and roll may also be contributing.

[Sambarker]

I had this problem on the 309 and was a knacks red bottom ball joint on the n/s

[Toms306]

Sam, I didn't realise you were only running 36PSi, try 40ish, they must be really flat and wallowy at 'normal' pressure. As you know I've got them on the Vec and felt like riding a sponge at the standard pressures lol...

Going round the slightest corner just feels wrong, then I have to correct it and it just goes crazy

I should probably point out I had a shitty pants moment when driving Rowells HDi exactly like that, coming round a 'damp' NSL corner, not even fast, and just slid out and I had to majorly correct it resulting in overcorrection and nearly a head on!

I blamed the Proxes.....maybe it wasn't their fault (for once!)


I wondered if a worn beam could affect the front like that? And tracking using lasers on a leaning beam would put the tracking out as well wouldn't it? It did scrub a few times loaded up with me, which the china didn't??

Also, the shock plate under spring on the OSF was pretty old with large rust lumps falling off it (I was worried about excessive rust failing MOT 6 months ago!) so if that's anything to go by, the shock itself may be failing by now...

[declantg]

Tom, you just described EXACTLY what happened to me

[Ruan]

Sounds like a combo of bad tracking causing dodgy steering angles when one tyre loses grip, worn out bushes and bad beam mounts.

I used to have these moments where the amount of steering angle you put in seemed to change each time you turned, and would even change mid corner requiring a readjust and often throwing the car off balance and often almost ending with you entering a ditch backwards.

Check all bushes, ball joints, mounts etc - they're the usual culprits on 306s - they don't last, especially if they're motorfactor parts rather than genuine!

Judging by the tyre wear, the tracking is to shit!

[Eeyore]

The tracking was done about 3 weeks ago now. It was 5 degrees out on the front hence the old tyres being badly worn.

Apparently the rears were 8 degrees? Dont know if thats a lot. If i look at the rear it isnt noticeably at an angle. Ive seen 306s with bad beams and its nothing like that :/

I think it must be a combination of lots of roll and soft tyre walls. Ill bump the tyre pressure up to 40 when i get them balanced anyway. What should the standard pressure be?

---

Whislt we are on topic of my car being a bit funny... What can people tell me about the rears?



The discs arent bad but obviously it looks like the calipers are fooked. There is lots left on the passenger side pad and the drivers side definitely needs replacing. Thoughts? Calipers seized and need rebuilding? Also i cant get the fooking disc bolts out. its like this on nearly all the discs now and i have replacement bolts but cant get the old ones out Ill give it a better go when im home for the summer.

[Toms306]

Standard 'clone pressure is 35PSi........but rainsports need a bit more as they're so soft. 38 might be fine, just trial and error really.


As for that brake.....that doesn't look good. Those disc screws, get a small flat head that just fits and hammer it into two of the star points, it'll come straight out then.

[Eeyore]

rears are like that on both sides. It still doesnt brake badly. Seems better than the 1.8 did and that was on gti6 brakes!

[puglove]

Id go with ruan on this. Go through and rebush everything.


When i bought tge sigma ph1 it was like you discribed. Upon taking it apart all the bushes & ball joints were fecked.

[Mattcheese31]

check P bushes as well . . .

[Kezzieboy]

I reckon it'll be the soft sidewalls on the rainsports as much as anything, tbh.

[Eeyore]

Yeh. Ill have to up the pressure a bit. Oh well!