Question re my RX8....
Discussion
...I have an RX8, the 231bhp model, purchased in December '04, and have a question that maybe able to be answered by other RX8 owners more acurately than non owners!....
For a RWD car, I have found the front to be a bit twitchy...and what I mean is, the car seems to pull on most road surfaces, quite definately to the kerb side,to the point that if you dont have a firm grip off the steering wheel at all times, this 'pull' could/can catch you unaware....also car seems to tramline alot....and also seems to pull nearside quite alot when braking. This pulling sensation can be described as something similar to the pulling sensation you get when driving a front wheel drive car...(my Mondeo ST200 did this sometimes...).
Now I know the car has wide tyres, but so does my TVR Cerbera, and that doesnt do any of the above...so other than tyre make, which are Bridgestones by the way,Im a bit lost....
Obvious things such as pressures are as per handbook (32psi).
Didnt notice this 'pull' when I test drove dealer car....have others noticed this?...is it a "caracteristic"?...or do you think there maybe something else?
For a RWD car, I have found the front to be a bit twitchy...and what I mean is, the car seems to pull on most road surfaces, quite definately to the kerb side,to the point that if you dont have a firm grip off the steering wheel at all times, this 'pull' could/can catch you unaware....also car seems to tramline alot....and also seems to pull nearside quite alot when braking. This pulling sensation can be described as something similar to the pulling sensation you get when driving a front wheel drive car...(my Mondeo ST200 did this sometimes...).
Now I know the car has wide tyres, but so does my TVR Cerbera, and that doesnt do any of the above...so other than tyre make, which are Bridgestones by the way,Im a bit lost....
Obvious things such as pressures are as per handbook (32psi).
Didnt notice this 'pull' when I test drove dealer car....have others noticed this?...is it a "caracteristic"?...or do you think there maybe something else?
I have the same car... and I've noticed the same as you, it can be really nervous on bad road surfaces. Tramlining, pulling etc. I found however, at least for mine, this is heavily dependant on the road quality. I as well have owned cerberas (3 of them) and certainly the last (newest) one did not have this behaviour at all.
Mine (RX-8) has been serviced recently, and actually rather extensively repaired after a somewhat annoying encounter with an Audi... at first I thought the repairs had caused the abovementioned behaviour, but as the car behaves good on halfway decent surfaces I kind of dismissed that - before the accident, I didn't frequent the particular bad patch of road that I have to do regularly these days.
The degree you describe sounds more serious... maybe you need to have geometry etc. checked (and let me know what you found?)
Cheers,
Maarten
Mine (RX-8) has been serviced recently, and actually rather extensively repaired after a somewhat annoying encounter with an Audi... at first I thought the repairs had caused the abovementioned behaviour, but as the car behaves good on halfway decent surfaces I kind of dismissed that - before the accident, I didn't frequent the particular bad patch of road that I have to do regularly these days.
The degree you describe sounds more serious... maybe you need to have geometry etc. checked (and let me know what you found?)
Cheers,
Maarten
Maarten
Sounds like we have the same prob mate!
The ar is going back to the dealer tomorrow. I am going to take the service engineer out with me to see if I acn reproduce the problem(s). Initially I thought that tracking/geometry maybe the problem, but having read threads regarding tyre choices on the Cerbera forum, it seems that even some makes of tyres cause this pulling/tramling effect....
If it was a front wheel drive car, I would probably expect this 'caracteristic'. Its a shame really, cos other than this, the car is an excellent bit of kit.
I will post after my visit tomorrow and let you know the outcome.
Sounds like we have the same prob mate!
The ar is going back to the dealer tomorrow. I am going to take the service engineer out with me to see if I acn reproduce the problem(s). Initially I thought that tracking/geometry maybe the problem, but having read threads regarding tyre choices on the Cerbera forum, it seems that even some makes of tyres cause this pulling/tramling effect....
If it was a front wheel drive car, I would probably expect this 'caracteristic'. Its a shame really, cos other than this, the car is an excellent bit of kit.
I will post after my visit tomorrow and let you know the outcome.
I've just bought an RX-8 after 5 years of Scooby ownership. I've noticed that the steering is very 'direct' - there is much more feedback than the Scoob. Your steering inputs do have to be more accurate. I haven't noticed the pulling to one side - that really doesn't sound right. Going back to my Scooby days, tyre choice made a huge difference, the standard Bridgestone's and Pirelli's tramlined like no other tyres - it was very disconcerting at times. Toyo's and Goodyear's were much better. I guess the quality of the road surface is going to make a difference too.
Overall, I've been very impressed with the car. I'm done just over 600 miles, so I am starting to rev the engine a little now - it is certainly a very rapid car and great fun to drive. Never have I had so many positive comments from so many people about a car
Overall, I've been very impressed with the car. I'm done just over 600 miles, so I am starting to rev the engine a little now - it is certainly a very rapid car and great fun to drive. Never have I had so many positive comments from so many people about a car
The 8 does tramline for sure. Not helped by the tyres, the re040's arnt good for that, and my s03's probably worse.
I dont notice any permanant pull to the left, but on known sections of road by where I live (even my focus tramlined here) its a little fiesty.
As road camber should cause a pull to the left then thats probably part of it, try a flat stretch of car park?
Have either of you been on the pro-drive day and done the brake test? that'll let you know for sure if theres any undue problems....
But this has been reported by a few owners and it has turned out to be susp geometry probs and sorted that way.
www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum
I dont notice any permanant pull to the left, but on known sections of road by where I live (even my focus tramlined here) its a little fiesty.
As road camber should cause a pull to the left then thats probably part of it, try a flat stretch of car park?
Have either of you been on the pro-drive day and done the brake test? that'll let you know for sure if theres any undue problems....
But this has been reported by a few owners and it has turned out to be susp geometry probs and sorted that way.
www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum
Satman, any news?
Must say that on decent road surfaces I don't notice a definite pull under breaking - not even with the hands off the wheel. The piece of road that drives me nuts is a Belgian stretch of road between Antwerp and Eindhoven (for those who are familiar around those areas). Typical bit of Belgian mostly concrete extensively patched stretch, with, as I recently noticed under the right light, a lot of left-to-right "ribs", such as caused by tree trunks pushing up the road or by thousands of trucks accelrating and breaking. The steering wheel continuously twitches left and right, not so dangerous but very annoying. Have never noticed this as much in more boring FWD cars but neither in cerberas.
Anyway, did the mechanics find something?
Cheers,
Maarten
Must say that on decent road surfaces I don't notice a definite pull under breaking - not even with the hands off the wheel. The piece of road that drives me nuts is a Belgian stretch of road between Antwerp and Eindhoven (for those who are familiar around those areas). Typical bit of Belgian mostly concrete extensively patched stretch, with, as I recently noticed under the right light, a lot of left-to-right "ribs", such as caused by tree trunks pushing up the road or by thousands of trucks accelrating and breaking. The steering wheel continuously twitches left and right, not so dangerous but very annoying. Have never noticed this as much in more boring FWD cars but neither in cerberas.
Anyway, did the mechanics find something?
Cheers,
Maarten
Hi Maatern
Car given clean bill of health...took out demonstrator from dealer as well, to compare with mine. Found very similar 'twitching' and 'pulling', mainly on uneven roads, so it must be a caracteristic!
Very annoying sometimes, as car can pull/twitch when not expecting it to, and no comparison to my Cerbera, which for most part is faultless under same road conditions.
I reckon tyres are the problem, and when they need changing in the future, will opt for a different make to the Bridgestones currently on the car...shame really, as this issue is the only one I can find, on an otherwise, exceptionally good car!
Thanks to those that replied from my original post.
Car given clean bill of health...took out demonstrator from dealer as well, to compare with mine. Found very similar 'twitching' and 'pulling', mainly on uneven roads, so it must be a caracteristic!
Very annoying sometimes, as car can pull/twitch when not expecting it to, and no comparison to my Cerbera, which for most part is faultless under same road conditions.
I reckon tyres are the problem, and when they need changing in the future, will opt for a different make to the Bridgestones currently on the car...shame really, as this issue is the only one I can find, on an otherwise, exceptionally good car!
Thanks to those that replied from my original post.
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