(most) Slammed Clio's DO NOT Handle!

[The Boosh!]

Hello!

Thought i'd give my un expert opinion on this.

Basically my 182 WAS really low. The back sat right in the arches and I scraped on every speed bump.

OVer the weekend I have fitted some new wheels and tyres and decided enough was enough with the lowness and put the car to a sensible height. I must say, the cornering capabilities of my 182 have improved 10 fold! Night and day difference!

I can't work out why this is though, as I always persumed that the lower the better (center of gravity and all that shite).

In my case - Obviously not!

 

[Greeny.]

Correct for a road car at least! Mine handles like a beast how it currently sits:

 

[The Boosh!]

^^ Mine is a simular height to yours Greeny. Although mine is higher at the back at the moment. Still need to fiddle with it a little.

 

[sideways danny]

mine's LOW. Handles fine. Arch gaps FTL

 

[drhowser]

Lower is definately not always better.

There are a lot of different things working at once with suspension, the one most affected by a low car is the relationship between roll centre and centre of gravity.

Imagine a line following the angle of the wishbones, going towards the centre of the car, the point where they cross is the roll centre. So if you're car is extremely low the roll centre is effectively underground.
As you corner the centre of gravity makes the car try to roll around the roll centre, the greater the distance between the two the more leverage there is.

Because a very low car is normally stiffer and has less suspension travel it won't actually roll more, but the force pushes the car sideways. I.e understeer.

At least that's what I was told by an ex F1 engineer. :approve:

 

[The Boosh!]

Yup, mine understeered like a b**ch before I raised it. Now I can nail it around the twisties :approve:

 

[drhowser]

That's it. A lot of people think they are going faster because they get thrown around more, but it's actually wasted energy.

Here's how mine sits.

 

[Gray]

Told you!

Low is just for show...

 

[Scrooge]

I had mine a little lower than this and it was rubbish, notched up a bit and it's now fantastic!

 

[Gardus]

We should consider the geometry of the suspensions. They're made to work in a range of movements, lowering the car too much means that they work out of this range when they are compressed. You'll have poor handling, more tyre and bushes wear, you could even end up with a broken axle.

 

[Fred@BTM]

That's it. A lot of people think they are going faster because they get thrown around more, but it's actually wasted energy.

Here's how mine sits.

not anymore it doesn't

 

[Gally]

Arch gap FTW!

 

[medici999]

Hello!

Thought i'd give my un expert opinion on this.

Basically my 182 WAS really low. The back sat right in the arches and I scraped on every speed bump.

OVer the weekend I have fitted some new wheels and tyres and decided enough was enough with the lowness and put the car to a sensible height. I must say, the cornering capabilities of my 182 have improved 10 fold! Night and day difference!

I can't work out why this is though, as I always persumed that the lower the better (center of gravity and all that s**te).

In my case - Obviously not!

Any idea what yours is lowered by now then luke?

 

[Gray]

Its lower by the different type of suspension he has fitted to the car?

 

[The Boosh!]

:lolup:. Not a clue. I just had it up and down on the jack until I was happy with how it looked. But I still want to lower the rear a tad.

Will get some pictures up now of what it looks like. Gray - Know any engineering places up north that will change me the hub spacing on a set of 172 coilovers?

 

[Scrooge]

Arch gap FTW!

The centre of gravity is low on the FRPs anyway isn't it? I though you had a yellow puma.

 

[medici999]

what are these new wheels you speak of luke?

 

[Gally]

The centre of gravity is low on the FRPs anyway isn't it? I though you had a yellow puma.

I did.

 

[Soot1e]

Also, if it is too low you'll be riding on the bumpstops at every pothole and every lean at corners.
I never was a fan of coilovers, they seem too bouncy on tracks when riding the kerbs, anyone else think the same?

 

[saltyhair81]

get it set up properly. makes the world of difference

 

[TimR26]

If the wheels are off now I can pick them up tomorrow night if you want.

 

[Malky]

Car manufacturers spend a shed load of cash developing suspension. Then some boy racer comes along, chucks a set of £30 lowering springs on and expects it to handle better

 

[Mr Burns]

Different people have different ideas on what handles and what doesn't too. Some people think that if you can take and island at 35mph then the car is on rails lol.

 

[planetx]

try driving a stock Trophy with Sachs on 32......tis perfect, no need to lower.

Ok I know some go for the Mark Fish Setup, but from stock I think it is great.

 

[Gaz_]

Out of intrest is a MF setup for track or road?

 

[Jamie]

MF has two set ups, well, from what I could tell...

Fast road &
Track.

What makes it track is if you go for revalved ones on a very hard setting.

 

[jack_davey]

A lot of people think they are going faster because they get thrown around more, but it's actually wasted energy.

?
If you're being thrown to one side of the car when you corner, that's because your body is experiencing lateral forces due to the speed you're cornering at!
If you're thrown to one side harder than you were before, the car is handling better.

 

[Dave..]

Hard coilovers = epicly s**t handling on the road.

People don't realise how much you bounce around over the surface of the road with stiff suspension. I.e feet bouncing off the pedals, and car skipping over bumps.

 

[Gaz_]

This ^

It's all about the travel tbh! I'm only running about 15mm lower than a stock Cup with my B14's. Epic tbh!

 

[Neat]

?
If you're thrown to one side harder than you were before, the car is handling better.

Certainly you're cornering faster, harder - but handling better? Surely handling is about the feel, the experience, level of fun. A car that can theoretically corner faster due to lower stiffer suspension, bigger wheels and lower profile tyres, whatever, isn't always faster overall either - they can be more tricky on the limit, taking away some of the drivers confidence to push on.

 

[Cunney]

Hard coilovers = epicly s**t handling on the road.

People don't realise how much you bounce around over the surface of the road with stiff suspension. I.e feet bouncing off the pedals, and car skipping over bumps.

Agreed mate, mine is terrible on bumpy roads, wants to bounce off the road constantly, not because the suspension is bouncy but there's just no real give in the suspension so the car itself takes all the energy and you're left with erratic steering

 

[Gaz_]

Raise it, a good 15mm you'll be surprised

 

[drhowser]

?
If you're being thrown to one side of the car when you corner, that's because your body is experiencing lateral forces due to the speed you're cornering at!
If you're thrown to one side harder than you were before, the car is handling better.

Not always, the example i used was where a car has been lowered too far. In this case it's wasted energy caused by different chassis elements working against each other.
A car like that could be set up to be much more neutral, yet have a higher apex speed.

 

[Alex_X93]

Cornering is one thing and road handling i.e bumps etc is another bump stear is a nono.

 

[Fred@BTM]

Mr Mark Fish is the guv, but there is a new fish in the pond

75bhp 1.2 16V being chased by a 172? Suspension setup IS important

 

[Dave..]

Famous little video that is now Fred! Just out of curiosity, what set up was it running as a 1.2? I'm in the market for new suspension see.

 

[Fred@BTM]

I got FK to custom make me that setup, its still on the front of that car now (7years later LOL! i think its a bit tired!) Bilstein are doing me some new front struts now

 

[maynard]

i was only shown that video a couple weeks ago for the first time whilst i was having my own set up done, pretty impressive

 

[hargo14]

So is there an ideal height that clios handle best at? (obviously the quality of suspension is the main factor but as a general guideline?)

 

[leeds_182]

Clio's look mint slammed though! It's a personal choice I guess, whether you want more show or more go.