MGF Suspension characteristics

[ol' dirty]

My F is really fidgety whilst on full attack mode & tends to turn in really quickly at the slightest movement of the steering wheel.

I'm still getting used to the steering, but it seems even the smallest input/correction can unsettle it mid corner.
It almost feels like thecar rolls slightly & suspension loads up, then springs back really quickly if I ease off with the steering...(The only other car I can liken it too, is my old 205gti)

Is that normal- cos it scares the st out of me in the wet


I parked up next to another F in the carpark today (Sad I know)
But it seems to be sitting almost an inch higher than any other F I see. Could that be an issue?

[esselte]

The distance between the centre of the wheel and the wheel arch should be 368mm +/- 10mm as far as I know....I suppose you need to start by checking this?

[shaun442k]

This was exactly the same in mine when I had it. It took a little while to get used to how much steering is needed at different speeds. I think it's down to the speed sensitive steering(assuming you have power steering).
It seemed to be really noticable at speeds over 70(ie on track it is incredible sensitive at 100mph+). This is the same on another F I have driven.

[MG Mark]

In order of likelihood/complexity, and try driving it after each one:

Check the ride height as specified - if it is outside tolerances, get it fixed

At the same time, check the tyres - are they wearing evenly? Even if there are no obvious signs of uneven wear, get a proper 4-wheel alignment check done.

Are the tyres a decent make and the same make all round? Different makes front and back, cheap tyres can make a huge differencee to an F's handling.

Remove the big in-line fuse under the bonnet that feeds power to the EPAS steering rack - the steering will still work safely, you just haven't got variable power assistance to help with parking/slow speed manoeuvres. If that solves the problem, then its likely to be the limiters and sensors on the rack out of adjustment.

MG Mark

[bigbadbikercats]

shaun442k said:

It seemed to be really noticable at speeds over 70(ie on track it is incredible sensitive at 100mph+). This is the same on another F I have driven.

It's worth noting that the 'F is notorious for generating aerodynamic lift at the front which is apparently one of the main factors making it feel a little twitchy at high-ish (say 80+ MPH) speed.

FWIW mine is actually extremely forgiving most of the time and one of the few areas where it gives anything away to an MX5[1] is that the steering actually feels just a little "dead" and unresponsive in comparison but if provoked (say by ignoring the build up of understeer or lifting off the throttle mid-corner when cornering hard) it will bite quite hard with the back stepping out in a manner which suggests you're only going to get one chance to put things right and that if you don't things could go horribly wrong very quickly!

[1] It's certainly got more grip and better traction than a MK1 MX5, and can be driven quicker on some of East Anglia's more, err... "rural" minor roads (which feature on my daily commute cross-country from Braintree to Cambridge) purely becasue the ride's so much better!

--
JG

[ol' dirty]

Thanks for the replies. Some investigative work to be getting on with then!

Any ideas on how/where to find the fuse for the EPAS?
Oh & by removing the fuse, will that mean no more PAS or just no more variable PAS?


Cheers

OD

Edited by ol' dirty on Thursday 14th May 10:27

[esselte]

ol' dirty said:

Thanks for the replies. Some investigative work to be getting on with then!

Any ideas on how/where to find the fuse for the EPAS?
Oh & by removing the fuse, will that mean no more PAS or just no more variable PAS?


Cheers

OD

Edited by ol' dirty on Thursday 14th May 10:27

The fuse is under the bonnet on the n/s inner wing..it's in a big holder,you can't miss it,I think it says something like 70AMP MAX on it...you will have no epas with this removed...you may have a warning light on the dash also...HTH

[shaun442k]

bigbadbikercats said:

It's worth noting that the 'F is notorious for generating aerodynamic lift at the front which is apparently one of the main factors making it feel a little twitchy at high-ish (say 80+ MPH) speed.

The understeer and wandering at speed is a nightmare. This is easily improved with a front splitter. In fact, i'd go as far as to say it completely transforms the car and should be standard.
The steering rack speed is still way to fast at higher mph for my liking though.

[Newromancer]

As suggested: check ride hide and tyres. Never just lower suspense by letting out fluid!
Also, everytime you pump up the suspension, make sure the track is set up.

The standard setting is toe-out in the front and toe-in in the rear. If you prefer oversteer to understeer you can set both axials to toe-in. But be careful in the wet.

[ol' dirty]

Thanks for the insight.

Newromancer said:

Never just lower suspense by letting out fluid!

Any reason for this?
Does it lower the pressure in the system IIRC it's pumped to 400psi?- i.e. leading to soggy suspension?

If thats not the right way to go about lowering it, how do I do it? Every F I see is riding around an inch lower than mine.

Newromancer said:

The standard setting is toe-out in the front and toe-in in the rear. If you prefer oversteer to understeer you can set both axials to toe-in. But be careful in the wet.

Do you have any exact tracking figures for this?
I'd like a nice neutral feeling to it.

I like the way the car handles, now i'm getting accustomed to it. I don't think I'd like it any more skittish as it is running on 185/55/15 Hedgemaster specials & scares me enough in the wet

[Newromancer]

ol' dirty said:

Thanks for the insight.

Newromancer said:

Never just lower suspense by letting out fluid!

Any reason for this?

Track will be off. Also the axo-stabiliser will push on the suspension, making it impossible to set up the camber. I.e. the tyres will wear out on the inside, and you only use a fraction of their surface. This will make the car ourright dangerous to drive in wet conditions.

ol' dirty said:

If thats not the right way to go about lowering it, how do I do it? Every F I see is riding around an inch lower than mine.

There are lowering kits on market that will make sure the suspension geometry is right.
I am the wrong guy to ask here. Google is your friend.

ol' dirty said:

Do you have any exact tracking figures for this?
I'd like a nice neutral feeling to it.

Have a look at this http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/suspension/tr...

[esselte]

ol' dirty said:

If thats not the right way to go about lowering it, how do I do it? Every F I see is riding around an inch lower than mine.

I think you can fit lowering knuckles into the suspension...

from Mike Satur web page....



"....he standard MGF suspension is often set too high. To improve both the looks and handling of the car we recommend our lowering knuckle pins. Lowers the standard ride height by 30mm. This method of lowering does not alter pressure within the hydrogas system and therefore does not sacrifice ride quality. We recommend fitting the rear tie bar to chassis bushes (part no. SS4750) when fitting this product.......

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

ol' dirty said:

If thats not the right way to go about lowering it, how do I do it? Every F I see is riding around an inch lower than mine.

Depressurisation of the Hydragas by extracting some of the fluid medium from the suspension system is a widely used approach to lowering the MGF's suspension, however this will affect both the damping characteristics and on the spring rates of the Hydragas spheres. The lower the pressure of the fluid, the softer the damping and springing. Ultimately, however, this will reduce suspension control. MGR advised a Hydragas pressure of 400psi and stated that damage will occur to the Hydragas units if this is significantly reduced.

I if a ride height of less than 358mm is required (350mm equates to approximately 300psi) then you should use 'lowering knuckles' (as used on the MGF Trophy and MGF race cars) which can be sourced from Brown and Gammons or Moss International

ol' dirty said:

Do you have any exact tracking figures for this?
I'd like a nice neutral feeling to it.

Standard settings are:

Front: 10 minutes Toe Out

Rear: 10 minutes Toe In

ol' dirty said:

I don't think I'd like it any more skittish as it is running on 185/55/15 Hedgemaster specials & scares me enough in the wet

Tyre choice on the MGF is pretty critical (especially with 15" rims owing to sidewall compliance). Current recommendations are GoodYear GSD2, Toyo Proxies T1R or Yokohama A539.

[tonyvid]

ol' dirty said:

I like the way the car handles, now i'm getting accustomed to it. I don't think I'd like it any more skittish as it is running on 185/55/15 Hedgemaster specials & scares me enough in the wet

You really must have the right tyres on them, if you mix and match you could find it feeling horrid - and worse.

My TF has the standard Contis on it and when I put a new set on the back if felt awful for about 1000 miles.

[Robert060379]

I had the same problem with my old Mini Cooper. Turned out it was an air bubble in the Hydrogas lines.

My MGF has the 911 split second from death feeling on wet roundabouts but I know how to drift now thanks to my MG B. Just needs about another 100bhp to cope with it.

[tonyvid]

It really shouldn't feel like that, I have had an F and the TF and they have always felt secure unless you are being silly or intentional - as others have said, chack the height, 4 wheel alignment and have some decent tyres that match