Discussion
Hi fellow TVR fans. I'm just about to buy my first TVR and really want a pre-cat Griff. However, since I live in the countryside I'm worried about all those bumpy roads and unforgiving ditchs! I've heard so much about the Griff not liking bumpy roads. Is it possible to fit softer (more forgiving)suspension? I read an article somewhere about changing to the Chims suspension. Is that possible, is it a good idea? I really need your advice and look forward to meeting you all at track day event very soon.
Tony
Edited by tony21 on Tuesday 28th August 13:34
Tony
Give the car a chance in standard trim. Yes they are 'firm' but not undrivable. I remember being suprised how smooth griffs felt when I first test drove them, as all the articles I had read said how tricky they were.
Whatever you decide the Griff is a great car, you will love it!
Cheers Dan
i guess i am the guy from europe. I've replaced the old shock absorbers with intrax racing shocks. Also got other springs because the old ones wiring touched eachother. Which results in dangerous handling.
I asked some TVR dealers, do not wanna tell their name, about my handling problems. One told me that other suspension was just a waste of money. The other told me that TVR's handle that way and to keep both hands on the steering wheel. I was not convinced. My luck is that my brother in law is ferrari dealer so he gave me some help with the car. And what i've got now is a car that really handles. He has set up the car (camber and stuff) new shochs new springs. Also renewed all the bushes and rubbers. Now car is bit understeerd at first and oversteered later on . Front is set up harder than rear. Car still feels comfortable. This car now drives like a completely different car feels safe no tramlining at all. Just how it should be. Intrax is firm in the Netherlands small place called Volkel. My brother in law uses intrax for his racing ferrari's like 250 GTO and Daytona's among others so they are good. He told me that one of his customers who drives a 250 gto laps 3 secons faster with his new shocks (francorchamps).
Peninsula do the Nitron shocks and springs, about 900 quid if I recall for full set. These are supposed to give a smoother ride due to more compliant initial movement - doesn't need so much force to get damper moving so small bumps get damped properly.
Thats the theory, if I ever get my Chim back together I'll let you know the practice! 
They are adjustable BTW.
They are adjustable BTW. I seem to recall the TVR Centre in Barnet did an alternaTIV(e) (sorry!) set up for the Griff. Can't remember much about it but I'm sure it was on here that I saw it, maybe a year or so ago. (Ted/Dave?)
Suggestion was that it made it a bit more compliant, although I agree with the earlier comment about them being better than suggested. Also, just getting the standard suspension properly set up in the first place can make a differnce, especially if the car is a bit older as there is more likelyhood of something having got out of line.
All IMHO of course.
I suppose they could still sell it on the basis that our cars are all hand built to specific requirements. Each car is tailored. Even then, there are going to be certain settings from the factory that, for reasons of cost alone, must be standard. There is nothing to stop us further enhancing the wonderful cars we have.
Do Porsche condem RUF? do Ferrari condem Koenig? etc. Although as a healthy cynic myself I know what you're saying!
quote:Ohlins, I thought. But I would have thought they cost a lot more than £1700 - unless that's per corner? Nitrons are a lot cheaper than Ohlins, and I found them a whole lot better than the standard stuff from Spax, Koni and AVO. Downside is they are not easy to get hold of, there seems to be a long waiting list at the moment. Cheers, Peter Humphries (and a green v8S)
ADB, the TVR Centre was selling a Nitron setup, IIRC, at around £1700 all-in.
I think you will find that the suspension that TVR Centre were marketing was the Ohlins setup. I also recall that there is a page all about this on Pistonheads - just follow the links through TVR and Griffith.
For what it's worth I have the Ohlins setup on my 95 Griff 500 and it has completely transformed the car. Very expensive though (£2k) so you may think it worth while considering Nitrons and speak to a few others who have had them. First though I would recommend that if not already done you have the harder bushes fitted allround as in my opinion this does also improve the handling over the standard rubber bushes, and may be sufficient for your purposes.
As with all suspension it is not just quality but how it is setup that really can improve (or spoil) things. Ohlins spent a lot of time getting the right spec and setup for their shocks and springs on the Griff and it does tell in the way the car is much more planted even when braking hard into a corner.
Mike
Softer Griff, try an Chimp.
I recently drove down to devon from up North, found a great country road just south of Hereford and bottomed the Griff out. Ripped the sump plug out. Lucky for me me mate notied smoke as oil pressure seemed ok. It still had a couple of litres in it THANK GOD.
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