Handling dilema-Not the usual which coilovers

[W17GLE]

Right i'm a country lane warrior and i'm in a major dilema now. The car is a ph1 172 on eibach sportlines and at the minute i'm really struggling keeping ahead of my mates evo on tight twisty roads. I can't go into the corners as fast and i can't get out of them as quick either.

Now will spending a fortune on quality coilovers, geo setup, solid top mounts, poly bushes and lsd make it much quicker or should i just give up and buy an evo?

It seems like the four wheel drive and fancy diffs of the evo are far better than just driver skill lol . I don't want to chuck massive ammounts at the clio for it still to be slower.

The other suggestion is vx220 turbos as these seem really cheap to insure but i still don't think it would match the evo on B-roads.

And it is the evo making him quick as when we both had ph1's we were very evenly matched before people start doubting my driving ability.

 

[Scadden182]

evo - 4 wheel drive, rally derived.

clio - front wheel drive, mad frenchmans idea.

go figure.

 

[W17GLE]

Yeah but loads of deluded people seem to think that even the turbocharged clios don't need lsd as they handle the power well so a standard clio shouldn't have any problems in the corners but it does.

 

[Addz]

Ddjust the damping and rebound (i think) if you can? On bumpy roads it'll help you're wheels on the floor more and less skipping across the surface so you'll have more grip!

 

[W17GLE]

Its only on eibachs at the minute i just don't want to end up spending a fortune if it will never be as quick. Its annoying how quick the evo is in and out of corners i'm not bothered about the straight line speed.

 

[Bazzon]

The LSD made a huge difference on our track car. Best mod we have done.

 

[mg1989]

i wouldnt bother wasting your money on coilovers, the standard setup with eibachs is fine, ive been in the situation ur in before and i went down the coilovers/top mounts route but wish i had gone for R888's and LSD

 

[172Ben]

888's on a road car are pointless, you will never get the heat into them you need, and if you do, you will be replacing them every 3k.

Coilovers are a ver good mod, but i want an evo

 

[W17GLE]

problem with coil overs is it could end up taking for ever to get a decent setup. It would be easier if it was for track but backroads vary so much its near impossible.

rexe has only had the evo a month, so with a bit more experience with it he'll be even quicker.

I think chucking money into the clio will probably be a lost cause.

 

[172Ben]

I need mine setting up properly, can tell that they are not when im braking before a corner it dips and pitches.

You might be right, i would love an EVO, but im gona run the clio into the ground first

 

[W17GLE]

you've already put money into yours though so it makes sense. I might get rid before putting anything into it. I'll see i might find something else i like.

 

[Peperami]

Get a faster car. The clio's hold their own well, but he'll always be pulling on you!

Something with a turbo and sorted handling. Id imagine on a decent b-road a vx220t would hold with him.

 

[mg1989]

888's on a road car are pointless, you will never get the heat into them you need, and if you do, you will be replacing them every 3k.

Coilovers are a ver good mod, but i want an evo

granted you need to be going for it to get the heat in them but if i can get heat in them on a diesel clio im sure a 172/182 will have no problem!

yes you will be replacing them every 3k but if thats what it takes to stick with the evo then so be it lol

 

[Munson]

Buy an Evo, or stop racing on the road before you die.

Not helpful at all but meh. What a stupid reason to be wanting to improve the handling of your car.

 

[KungFuSpaghetti]

I think I would hang myself if I couldn't at least keep up with an Evo around some twisty bends and current setup. I dont have any issues panning the living hell out of my friends Impreza (classic shape with bilstein coilovers, drop links and ARB running 270-290bhp depending on whose RR you use).

Decent coilovers make a world of difference, but not the sub £1000 crap people rave about on here, imo they just give you more confidence to push the car as it feels more stable.

 

[JD]

^^^This car sticks to the road and left an R32 for dust around roundabouts, regardless of the fact that it is supercharged so also quicker in a straight line.

 

[Munson]

...not the sub £1000 crap people rave about on here, imo they just give you more confidence to push the car as it feels more stable.

Surely that equals better handling?

 

[Mike_182]

TBH you're trying to compare an apple and a pear... Give up. Get an Evo or similar to beat an Evo or similar, or enjoy your car for what it is...

 

[Mike_182]

Surely that equals better handling?

Agreed. 'Feeling more stable' - handling, 'More capable in corners' - cornering ability.

 

[Bloooor]

I've always looked at what makes my car 'Fun'. It's not the beating people for me it's having this little chuckable car that always keeps me on my toes! An Evo would wipe the floor with my car but that's not the point to me, I don't think it will have the same fun factor really... I'm hoping im right as i've never drove an Evo, just been a passenger.

If you want to beat him, get a faster car. If not and still want to enjoy the fun factor of the clio, keep it and spend money on it.

 

[Munson]

More importantly keep it on the track! Country roads might seem safe. Everyone thinks that until they're buried in a tree with a fence post sticking out of their chest.

 

[KungFuSpaghetti]

Surely that equals better handling?

Not when you end up in a hedge due to a false sense of improved handling lol

I literally mean 'feels more stable' but actually isn't when pushed. Coilover can give false sense of security imo, like my old FK silverlines... shite.

 

[chrispy.clio]

My oppionion has changed quite a lot in the last 12 months and i think if you do really like driving then get a track car and a comfortable car for the daily. I have a million time more fun on track than i do on the road.

 

[Munson]

My oppionion has changed quite a lot in the last 12 months and i think if you do really like driving then get a track car and a comfortable car for the daily. I have a million time more fun on track than i do on the road.

Yup, and you are far less likely to end up looking like a cabbage, standing next your upside down pride and joy in a field full of cabbages while your mate, who you've just been racing, takes pics.

 

[W17GLE]

I don't like the idea of going round and round on a track, country roads are far more challenging and varied plus i like exploring new places.

As for crashing on country lanes I've been crashed into a tree on a country lane by said evo boy when we were younger and it certainly isn't nice.

I'm just going to give it up and admitt defeat as i really don't want to be chucking loads of cash at it. I think it may be a confidence thing with the clio as my old one tried killing me and this one likes to twitch a lot under braking too.

I'll just use the barge and claim i win mpg game instead lol

 

[Munson]

Your loss dude. Track is where it's at. Far more challenging than a B-road, because making a B-road too challenging means you may as well ask the grim reaper along for the ride. Might have to put the back seats down to fit is sickle in though

 

[KungFuSpaghetti]

Yup, and you are far less likely to end up looking like a cabbage, standing next your upside down pride and joy in a field full of cabbages while your mate, who you've just been racing, takes pics.

even worse when video'd... mate I sold my old valver to managed to roll it on his first ever drive and 2nd lap in at Donny pmsl

 

[W17GLE]

Your loss dude. Track is where it's at. Far more challenging than a B-road, because making a B-road too challenging means you may as well ask the grim reaper along for the ride. Might have to put the back seats down to fit is sickle in though

Plenty of space mate the clio is all stripped out, i've even got a passenger seat in there now as before he'd have had to sit on the floor lol

 

[Dan R]

Right i'm a country lane warrior and i'm in a major dilema now. The car is a ph1 172 on eibach sportlines and at the minute i'm really struggling keeping ahead of my mates evo on tight twisty roads. I can't go into the corners as fast and i can't get out of them as quick either.

Now will spending a fortune on quality coilovers, geo setup, solid top mounts, poly bushes and lsd make it much quicker or should i just give up and buy an evo?

It seems like the four wheel drive and fancy diffs of the evo are far better than just driver skill lol . I don't want to chuck massive ammounts at the clio for it still to be slower.

The other suggestion is vx220 turbos as these seem really cheap to insure but i still don't think it would match the evo on B-roads.

And it is the evo making him quick as when we both had ph1's we were very evenly matched before people start doubting my driving ability.

One main problem the clio has is fairly narrow tyres. A wider tyre will give much more grip but you cant really get a wider tyre on the clio.

 

[DMS]

Yeah but loads of deluded people seem to think that even the turbocharged clios don't need lsd as they handle the power well so a standard clio shouldn't have any problems in the corners but it does.

The turbocharged Clio's don't need an LSD although I suspect they would still benefit hugely from having one.
They can handle the power and put it down on the road just fine most of the time. The limiting factor is the tyres because of how much torque gets thrown at them in one go. Decent tyres go a long way to preventing any wheelspin and make putting the power down easier. An LSD would help to do the same, particularly when exiting corners or pulling off from a standstill.

 

[Brett]

I think your going to struggle to keep with the Evo Chris. If you spent a fortune on the Clio, maybe, but its a lot of money to throw into a cheap car.

I think its best that you enjoy it for what it is or move on to something like an Evo.

What happened to your 120/123d idea?

 

[The Spaniard]

More importantly keep it on the track! Country roads might seem safe. Everyone thinks that until they're buried in a tree with a fence post sticking out of their chest.

Now that's what i call a splinter.