My car wanders at high speed - is it normal?

My car wanders at high speed - is it normal?

Author
Discussion

RRTuscan

Original Poster:

58 posts

279 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all

Has anyone else had probs over say 110+ whereby the car is all over the road and feels like its going to break loose any moment?

Ive always put it down to the 18" wheels but I now think it must be something else.

Apparently the 'S' is totally different in terms of suspension mountings etc. Is this because all us Red Rose option people found high speed driving more than a bit freaky.

I'd be interested in other drivers opinions.

Rgds
RR

olly

2,174 posts

291 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all
A few months ago (can't remember the date) a Tuscan at an airfield day (Elvington) orgainised by the Lancashire TVRCC got to an indicated 160 and had a massive spin...

Luckily, no damage done......

plotloss

67,280 posts

277 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all
quote:

indicated 160 and had a massive spin...

Luckily, no damage done......



I bet that day, that driver discovered that adrenaline is brown!

Matt.

rthierry

684 posts

288 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all


Righty oh!
So I am not the only to find our beloved TVR a bit hairy a 110+mph. Yesterday I let loose on a nice stretch of motorway with no-one around, climed to 140 on the counter (surely must be wrong ). I was so freaked that I took my foot off the right pedal after a few second. Blimey, felt like the slightest bump could have sent me flying around the moon. I am really impressed when people say they push their Chimaera above 150mph. May be they have upgraded the suspensions, or may be it is just my car...

olly

2,174 posts

291 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all
I think the early Tuscans are renowned for being a bit more tail happy.... Thats one of the reasons the Tuscan S came along with modified suspension pickups & little spoilers....

Our Cerbera is rock solid at 160.....
(I presume the Chims & Griffs are the same ?)

bertie

8,566 posts

291 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all
My new Tuscan (8 weeks old) appears to have similar high speed instability.
See my previous post "Self steering Tuscan."

If there is any camber or ruts in the road they seem to dart up and / or down them with worrying alacrity.
I nearly Sh£t myself the other day.

And yes the Cerbera, Chimaera and Griffith were not like this.

rthierry

684 posts

288 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all
quote:
Our Cerbera is rock solid at 160.....
(I presume the Chims & Griffs are the same ?)


Well, as I said mine isn't. In fact it is far from it. As far as I know, Chimaeras or Griffiths have never been reputed for the quality of their handling. It'll be interesting to hear other people voicing their opinion.
Cheers
Roms

richb

52,749 posts

291 months

Wednesday 5th December 2001
quotequote all
I've not reached stella-speeds of some owners (in the TVR that is) but certainly at 130mph my Griffith feels sound. Still I guess it's only a slightly harder press on the throttle to find out what 165 feels like R...

RRTuscan

Original Poster:

58 posts

279 months

Thursday 6th December 2001
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies.
I wonder if anything can be done about the problem on the tuscans?

Have asked for the same front spoiler as supplied with the tuscan S, but the factory is refusing. You would have thought they would want their customers to feel a bit safer in their cars.

RR

sixspeed

2,061 posts

279 months

Thursday 6th December 2001
quotequote all
Guys,

Have you had your wheel alignment checked.

The latest Mole Valley demonstrator has had a 4-wheel alignment done with specs supplied by the factory and felt a lot more stable the second time I drove it.

Apparently the cars' alignment can be way off these specs when they're delivered.

Just something to check...

-andy-

JohnnyS

9 posts

276 months

Thursday 6th December 2001
quotequote all
My Chimp feels rock solid up to 125MPH (even on corners!), but after that you do feel like a passenger with little control over its direction. It would be a brave man who goes past 140 -145MPH!

Is this normal or am I chicken?

MikeE

1,850 posts

291 months

Thursday 6th December 2001
quotequote all
TuscanRR,

I've done 145-150mph in my Tuscan a couple of times on the way to/from Le Mans this year (showing a couple of boxsters and an Impreza the error of their ways ) and the car felt fine (ever taking corners at 120 on a two lane road).

I've just had a number of upgrades and a service carried out at the factory - including checking the geometry - and the car handles even better now. The steering feels more direct (less vague) and it doesn't tram line as much.

I'd suggest you get a PROPER suspension geometry setup on your car (don't assume it was setup spot on before delivery 'cos they're not always right - or even close). Who ever does the setup for you, get them to get the spec. for 'parallel alignment' from the factory service department. This is what I've had done and it does seem to improve things. Aparently the parallel alignment has been developed for the Tuscan S (with the new suspension pickup points) but still seems to improve a standard Tuscan 4.0 on 18" wheels.

Give it a go and let us know how you get on.

Mike.

RRTuscan

Original Poster:

58 posts

279 months

Thursday 6th December 2001
quotequote all
Thanks Mike,
Who can do check the geometry, is it something fernhurst could do for me? or is it worth going to a specialist?

Many thanks for the info.

RR

MikeE

1,850 posts

291 months

Thursday 6th December 2001
quotequote all
quote:

Thanks Mike,
Who can do check the geometry, is it something fernhurst could do for me? or is it worth going to a specialist?

Many thanks for the info.

RR



I don't know about Fernhursts but I do know that the usual tyre places can't/shouldn't do it.

I seem to remember someone on the Tuscan egroup talking about Micheldever(sp) Tyres being able to set it up properly - you could try them (or search the egroup archive first)

Mike.

Edited by MikeE on Thursday 6th December 16:11

fish

3,998 posts

289 months

Friday 7th December 2001
quotequote all
My Chimaera was fine, 153 on the autobahn felt rocksolid, took some corners at 130-140 still felt fine, the following bike actualy backed off.

My Tuscan feels great I've had 150ish afew times and no problems including a 145 with sharp braking with no rear end instability (but I'd definately got the weight transfer). I've also had corners at 140ish no problem.

I have noticed though that the breaks are quite rear biased. It would not be hard to lock the rears if you transfer weight to the front quickly and snatch at the brakes. (my brother did it!) Rules of the game is smoothness, especially at speed.

jonesg1002

64 posts

289 months

Friday 7th December 2001
quotequote all
The only real fix is a TuscanS. Its absolutely the business.

The best I came up with was to fill the tank before pushing it. It does really help.

I've had a std 4.0 18" wheels, I suspect that the RR might be better as it might not dip at the front so much when trying to slow down.

The back spoiler is the one you want but they won't do it without the lower
lights, cheaper to ell and get an S. The front I think is more to keep the front down as weight increases on the back.

Get an S it fixes all the stability problems.

daved407

18 posts

275 months

Saturday 12th January 2002
quotequote all
Ive had my Chim 4.0 up to 155 on the autobahn. MY Chim 450 to almost 160 they were well planted on the auto bahn unless in 1 case I had really bad cross winds. My current car a Tuscan feels a little less firm at high speeds. But this time of year isnt best for getting to 140 plus speeds

fish

3,998 posts

289 months

Saturday 12th January 2002
quotequote all
My standard Tuscan with 16" wheels feels just as planted as my Chimaera. Had the Chimaera upto 155 and was fine. Tuscan has been to 150 quite a few times and feels fine. One occasion in damp conditions rouns a slight bend at 145ish I hit a bump on the road, I had considerable suspension movement but no problems, the car coped very well. (If it hadn't I can't see me recovering it at that speed!)

All I would suggest if you are not happy with the feel is a full geometry check and if it is an older car it could be bush wear.

RRTuscan

Original Poster:

58 posts

279 months

Monday 14th January 2002
quotequote all

All fine now.
Geometry reset and different tyres (Toyo). Suggest all tuscan owners change their tyres to the new factory spec as it makes a HUGE difference.

Rgds
RR

whitey

2,508 posts

291 months

Monday 14th January 2002
quotequote all
Who did the Geometry adjustments for you ? Was it badly out ? When was your RR delivered ?

I'm booked into Micheldever for end of the month to adjust the geometry on my June 00 RR to hopefully help my white knuckle ride above 100 mpg...