Suspension & brakes help
Discussion
My S3 sems to be sitting lower on the drivers side than the passenger side - I can get my fist in easily between the wheel arch and the top of the tyre on the passenger side but not on the driver side. Quick guess would be perhaps be 1 inch max difference.
Why is this?
Secondly I need to replace the front brake discs & hoses. Has anyone upgraded the brakes on their cars and if so to what?
Any help appreciated, its off to the garage soon to have the water pump and a full hose kit fitted, plus a clean underneath/waxoyl so it makes sense to have these two issues looked at whilst its there.
Why is this?
Secondly I need to replace the front brake discs & hoses. Has anyone upgraded the brakes on their cars and if so to what?
Any help appreciated, its off to the garage soon to have the water pump and a full hose kit fitted, plus a clean underneath/waxoyl so it makes sense to have these two issues looked at whilst its there.
Don't panic. Mine does exactly the same... and I've had new shocks and springs all round, corner weights done and everything. Some of them I guess just do (TVR individuality and all that). Still worth cheking your set up though, just in case. If you've not noticed any difference in the stability of the car I wouldn't worry.
As for the brakes etc. I can recommend Steve Guglielmi. Once I have enough coffers I'll be investing in improved braking. I believe, although stand to be corrected, that the brakes are standard sierra.
As for the brakes etc. I can recommend Steve Guglielmi. Once I have enough coffers I'll be investing in improved braking. I believe, although stand to be corrected, that the brakes are standard sierra.
coolcatmaz said:
My S3 sems to be sitting lower on the drivers side than the passenger side - I can get my fist in easily between the wheel arch and the top of the tyre on the passenger side but not on the driver side. Quick guess would be perhaps be 1 inch max difference.
Why is this?
Becauswe the body molds wern't perfect,to check if the suspension is oki do the followingWhy is this?
Parke car on flat level ground and measure the distance from the outriggers to floor
The front two should be the same the rear two should be the same but the rears might be slightly different from the front
coolcatmaz said:
Secondly I need to replace the front brake discs & hoses. Has anyone upgraded the brakes on their cars and if so to what?
I fitted 260mm discs and calipers to mine sierra I think
I fitted 260mm discs and calipers to mine sierra I think
coolcatmaz said:
Any help appreciated, its off to the garage soon to have the water pump and a full hose kit fitted, plus a clean underneath/waxoyl so it makes sense to have these two issues looked at whilst its there.
Ignore the bodywork height. The body isn't always mounted level on the chassis and in any case the body itself isn't symmetrical. In fact it isn't *any near* being symmetrical. To check the ride height you need to find a flat level piece of ground and then measure the height of the chassis. You can't judge how flat the ground is by the naked eye well enough for this so you will need to get the spirit level out if you're doing it properly.
Not sure if it applies here but I also have this problem at the rear.
I have a worn outboard bush on my drivers side trailing arm - and if you remove both wheels and jack up the rear end the 'rest' position of the trailing arm on the passenger side is somewhere in the mid range, and with a bit of pressure it will go down to the lowest possible position. I assume the bushes are giving some compliance and 'holding' the trailing arm up slightly.
The drivers side is at the lowest point of travel when jacked up - I assume because the trailing arm bush is buggered and not giving any compliance on this side.
I'd say my ride height difference is about 25mm each side at the rear (Lower Drivers side).
The shocks / springs are brand new all round and are adjusted identically on each side.
The trailing arm is coming off shortly and will be paying a visit to Adrian Venn.
Chris
I have a worn outboard bush on my drivers side trailing arm - and if you remove both wheels and jack up the rear end the 'rest' position of the trailing arm on the passenger side is somewhere in the mid range, and with a bit of pressure it will go down to the lowest possible position. I assume the bushes are giving some compliance and 'holding' the trailing arm up slightly.
The drivers side is at the lowest point of travel when jacked up - I assume because the trailing arm bush is buggered and not giving any compliance on this side.
I'd say my ride height difference is about 25mm each side at the rear (Lower Drivers side).
The shocks / springs are brand new all round and are adjusted identically on each side.
The trailing arm is coming off shortly and will be paying a visit to Adrian Venn.
Chris
Edited by Barkychoc on Monday 17th September 18:25
I've been through various brake upgrades on the V8S but that's starting from disc brakes all round. Is there any particular problem you're looking to fix by an upgrade? It'd be surprising if you were getting the brakes hot enough to cause trouble on the road, assuming they're in good working order.
Talk to Dave at gulielmis, he has transformed my car, and will give an honest opinion.
If necessary im sure he would post the parts for the brake mod for fitment yourself, it is an uprated disk and caliper front and a new disc and caliper rear.
hi btw
If necessary im sure he would post the parts for the brake mod for fitment yourself, it is an uprated disk and caliper front and a new disc and caliper rear.
hi btw
Edited by stourbridges2tvr on Monday 17th September 21:39
Haven't seen you drive it's true, but my S2 used to get absolutely caned on track and the brakes. although marginal at times, never actually overheated. If you're overheating them on the road either there's something wrong with them or (dare I suggest?) with the way you're driving.
To start with I suggest you get new discs and pads up front, either plain discs or grooved (no more than 12 grooves per side) - never drilled. Make sure you get a good brand of fast road pad such as Ferodo DS2500 Tarox XF etc. Flush through with DOT5.1 fluid, check the hoses are in good condition, callipers cleaned and sliders cleaned and greased. Most important, bed the brakes in according the manufacturers problems. Often ignored but it makes a world of difference.
If you decide to go for a brake upgrade you need to decide whether to upgrade the fronts + rears or only the fronts. My S2 (same brakes as yours) was quite nicely balanced under braking so I wouldn't have wanted to change the balance much. In comparison the V8S (with the rear disc brakes) had far too much rear bias for my liking and a 285 big brake conversion (original callipers spaced out) improved the balance and also sorted out the overheating problem. I do question whether you need a brake upgrade though, and I'd certainly advise you to make sure the existing brakes are working properly before you spend hundreds upgrading them.
To start with I suggest you get new discs and pads up front, either plain discs or grooved (no more than 12 grooves per side) - never drilled. Make sure you get a good brand of fast road pad such as Ferodo DS2500 Tarox XF etc. Flush through with DOT5.1 fluid, check the hoses are in good condition, callipers cleaned and sliders cleaned and greased. Most important, bed the brakes in according the manufacturers problems. Often ignored but it makes a world of difference.
If you decide to go for a brake upgrade you need to decide whether to upgrade the fronts + rears or only the fronts. My S2 (same brakes as yours) was quite nicely balanced under braking so I wouldn't have wanted to change the balance much. In comparison the V8S (with the rear disc brakes) had far too much rear bias for my liking and a 285 big brake conversion (original callipers spaced out) improved the balance and also sorted out the overheating problem. I do question whether you need a brake upgrade though, and I'd certainly advise you to make sure the existing brakes are working properly before you spend hundreds upgrading them.
coolcatmaz said:
just the front needs looking at, dont want to spend too much money as I'm selling it shortly
Then why bother "upgrading" ? you wont get a decent return when you sell, just get a decent mechanic to check the brakes over and keep the invoice to show purchasers - job done.GreenV8S said:
Haven't seen you drive it's true, but my S2 used to get absolutely caned on track and the brakes. although marginal at times, never actually overheated. If you're overheating them on the road either there's something wrong with them or (dare I suggest?) with the way you're driving.
To start with I suggest you get new discs and pads up front, either plain discs or grooved (no more than 12 grooves per side) - never drilled. Make sure you get a good brand of fast road pad such as Ferodo DS2500 Tarox XF etc. Flush through with DOT5.1 fluid, check the hoses are in good condition, callipers cleaned and sliders cleaned and greased. Most important, bed the brakes in according the manufacturers problems. Often ignored but it makes a world of difference.
If you decide to go for a brake upgrade you need to decide whether to upgrade the fronts + rears or only the fronts. My S2 (same brakes as yours) was quite nicely balanced under braking so I wouldn't have wanted to change the balance much. In comparison the V8S (with the rear disc brakes) had far too much rear bias for my liking and a 285 big brake conversion (original callipers spaced out) improved the balance and also sorted out the overheating problem. I do question whether you need a brake upgrade though, and I'd certainly advise you to make sure the existing brakes are working properly before you spend hundreds upgrading them.
I'm quite a safe driver and I dont overheat the brakes, nor do they overheat. The disks need replacing full stop, will probably stick to standard disks for the type of driving I do.To start with I suggest you get new discs and pads up front, either plain discs or grooved (no more than 12 grooves per side) - never drilled. Make sure you get a good brand of fast road pad such as Ferodo DS2500 Tarox XF etc. Flush through with DOT5.1 fluid, check the hoses are in good condition, callipers cleaned and sliders cleaned and greased. Most important, bed the brakes in according the manufacturers problems. Often ignored but it makes a world of difference.
If you decide to go for a brake upgrade you need to decide whether to upgrade the fronts + rears or only the fronts. My S2 (same brakes as yours) was quite nicely balanced under braking so I wouldn't have wanted to change the balance much. In comparison the V8S (with the rear disc brakes) had far too much rear bias for my liking and a 285 big brake conversion (original callipers spaced out) improved the balance and also sorted out the overheating problem. I do question whether you need a brake upgrade though, and I'd certainly advise you to make sure the existing brakes are working properly before you spend hundreds upgrading them.
Suspension'n'Brakes
Well next to tyres (and steering) these are the parts that one should never scrimp on and can often be overlooked when safety is concerned. I'd sooner replace discs/pads sooner rather than later even if I were to sell a car as I would have a clear conceince. So good for you!
Not knowing the power output in bhp of your car, but having experienced it at first hand, unless you are track daying it or doing regular high spirited driving (which I know is not your style) then OEM Brakes/Pads should be fine. Thus using OEM will be a more cost effective option even if you were to sell the car.
As you know I too have a fairly high powered car and the only change to my brakes that I have made are EBC Red Stuff (based on cost £90/set as per £170/set of OEM) and when the brake fluid was changed I opted for DOT 5.1 which simply has higher boiling point. This setup has been used on all road situations/track days and high speed private roads without an issue - I admit that I am heavy on the brakes and go through pads/discs quicker than some but as I said earlier...these components affect not only my safety but that of my passengers and those around me on the road!
As for your suspension ... feels ok to me!
Edit
As for the no return, I had a Remap and a Miltek with Hi Flow Cats fitted to mine, both of which I will see no return. I did to improve a couple of what I considered design defects and am sure many others on here pay out for cosmetic/audible upgrades knowing there return will be little or nothing. So don't worry about it - your expenditure is safety related!
Well next to tyres (and steering) these are the parts that one should never scrimp on and can often be overlooked when safety is concerned. I'd sooner replace discs/pads sooner rather than later even if I were to sell a car as I would have a clear conceince. So good for you!
Not knowing the power output in bhp of your car, but having experienced it at first hand, unless you are track daying it or doing regular high spirited driving (which I know is not your style) then OEM Brakes/Pads should be fine. Thus using OEM will be a more cost effective option even if you were to sell the car.
As you know I too have a fairly high powered car and the only change to my brakes that I have made are EBC Red Stuff (based on cost £90/set as per £170/set of OEM) and when the brake fluid was changed I opted for DOT 5.1 which simply has higher boiling point. This setup has been used on all road situations/track days and high speed private roads without an issue - I admit that I am heavy on the brakes and go through pads/discs quicker than some but as I said earlier...these components affect not only my safety but that of my passengers and those around me on the road!
As for your suspension ... feels ok to me!
Edit
As for the no return, I had a Remap and a Miltek with Hi Flow Cats fitted to mine, both of which I will see no return. I did to improve a couple of what I considered design defects and am sure many others on here pay out for cosmetic/audible upgrades knowing there return will be little or nothing. So don't worry about it - your expenditure is safety related!
Edited by bigburd on Monday 17th September 22:09
Edited by bigburd on Monday 17th September 22:11
GreenV8S said:
Haven't seen you drive it's true, but my S2 used to get absolutely caned on track and the brakes. although marginal at times, never actually overheated. If you're overheating them on the road either there's something wrong with them or (dare I suggest?) with the way you're driving.
To start with I suggest you get new discs and pads up front, either plain discs or grooved (no more than 12 grooves per side) - never drilled. Make sure you get a good brand of fast road pad such as Ferodo DS2500 Tarox XF etc. Flush through with DOT5.1 fluid, check the hoses are in good condition, callipers cleaned and sliders cleaned and greased. Most important, bed the brakes in according the manufacturers problems. Often ignored but it makes a world of difference.
If you decide to go for a brake upgrade you need to decide whether to upgrade the fronts + rears or only the fronts. My S2 (same brakes as yours) was quite nicely balanced under braking so I wouldn't have wanted to change the balance much. In comparison the V8S (with the rear disc brakes) had far too much rear bias for my liking and a 285 big brake conversion (original callipers spaced out) improved the balance and also sorted out the overheating problem. I do question whether you need a brake upgrade though, and I'd certainly advise you to make sure the existing brakes are working properly before you spend hundreds upgrading them.
Sometimes I wish I could borrow your brain for a day or two Peter To start with I suggest you get new discs and pads up front, either plain discs or grooved (no more than 12 grooves per side) - never drilled. Make sure you get a good brand of fast road pad such as Ferodo DS2500 Tarox XF etc. Flush through with DOT5.1 fluid, check the hoses are in good condition, callipers cleaned and sliders cleaned and greased. Most important, bed the brakes in according the manufacturers problems. Often ignored but it makes a world of difference.
If you decide to go for a brake upgrade you need to decide whether to upgrade the fronts + rears or only the fronts. My S2 (same brakes as yours) was quite nicely balanced under braking so I wouldn't have wanted to change the balance much. In comparison the V8S (with the rear disc brakes) had far too much rear bias for my liking and a 285 big brake conversion (original callipers spaced out) improved the balance and also sorted out the overheating problem. I do question whether you need a brake upgrade though, and I'd certainly advise you to make sure the existing brakes are working properly before you spend hundreds upgrading them.
Let me know if you ever decide to get rid of it Barkychoc said:
coolcatmaz said:
just the front needs looking at, dont want to spend too much money as I'm selling it shortly
Keep every receipt for every penny you have spent - it all helps the history & makes the car easier to sell.Chris
Still 60:40 as to whether I sell it or not......I change my mind every time I drive it!!!!!
Cheers guys for those of you that have given useful information regarding the brakes. I'm on the case and am looking into it so the car can go off to the garage whilst I'm sunning myself on holiday next month (brakes, water pump, full hose kit and clean waxoyl underneath).
I have been PM'd by someone of here offering 278 x 24 discs (new disks & pads) with overhauled calipers from a Scorpio Cosworth, supposed to be an improvement over the standard 240mm.
What do the brains of the S series think, urmmm, not about getting parts off this guy but what product he is offering? Will the upgrade be OK for the rear brakes as they are staying the same or will I need to do those as well. I dont want to upset the balance of the braking cus its really good as it is
I have been PM'd by someone of here offering 278 x 24 discs (new disks & pads) with overhauled calipers from a Scorpio Cosworth, supposed to be an improvement over the standard 240mm.
What do the brains of the S series think, urmmm, not about getting parts off this guy but what product he is offering? Will the upgrade be OK for the rear brakes as they are staying the same or will I need to do those as well. I dont want to upset the balance of the braking cus its really good as it is
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