Grip n' Roll

dg_unit

dg_unit

Club Member (Trial)
Right so finally my humble little colette is back on the road. Pretty impressed it reached 70mph with the 4-speed box. sounds a bit like a space ship. Anyway, as fun as it is, I've noticed it's a bit twitchy on corners or on slippery bits of road. So it needs more grip and less roll. It came with a receipt for a £20 tyre from KwikFit so that's the kinda quality I'm working with. I don't really have the money to think about changing the rims (got standard 12" steels) but can't seem to find any tyres that don't look like they should be on a caravan. Has anybody managed to find decent tyres from the stock 12" steels?

Also think I need to sort out the twitchiness with maybe some shocks, lowered springs etc. Not really sure what I'm dealing with here but I'm on a budget. Hopefully tyres first but maybe in a few months I'll have some more cash. What's the best first step with this one? All ideas and knowledge welcome.
 
Best bet would be to get some 13" steels more choice of tyres, then worry about suspension, kyb gas shocks and a 35mm drop should help
 
Oh I was hoping to avoid changing the steels cause it's one more thing for the insurance company to bum punch me with. But I'd rather have it feeling planted. Pretty hard to find any. Wish I hadn't scrapped my rusty old gold micra all those years ago RIP.
 
Right I think there might be something a bit more worrying going on here. First real day of driving (Got pulled over twice for apparently having no insurance. Of course I do but I will be asking my insurance company for a refund on the admin fee and they clearly haven't done any administration. Moral of the story, don't drive in Sussex without insurance. They will find you.)

Anyway, the front wheels have been very twitchy. I got them aligned yesterday at KwikFit after fitting new tie rod ends. Without warning, and not necessarily due to a bump in the road, the car jerks to the side. I've put up with it most of the day but just now was doing 65 on the duel carriageway and the car just suddenly pulled itself half way into the outside lane. At first I thought maybe because its rolling on biscuit tins but this can't be right for a car with 31k and no accidents anywhere. Also recently fitted new wishbones and ball joints. Really need to know what is causing this as it doesn't feel very safe. :wow:
 
An expert will have some decent advice but my 1.0 used to do nasty pulls to the side over bumps and sometimes a weird wobble sideways at speed-very unnerving. New springs (35mm drop), KYB gas shocks and some decent tracking from the boys and the car is transformed and stays straight no matter what you throw at it. But that's a £££ answer you probably don't want to hear?
 
Yeah I did have in mind to do that work later this year when cash isn't so tight and it will make a big difference. I just can't get away from thinking something must be wrong. I don't have the time either.
 
My Mazda kept jolting to the side after I changed the ball joint, turned out to be the pinch bolt on the back of the hub that holds the top of the Ball joint in had worn!
The actual thread was knackered.
Maybe worth checking again?
 
yeh them thinner tyres had me blowing around the motorway/dual carriage way,,but only in heavy gusts of wind
 
R-REG-SR said:
yeh them thinner tyres had me blowing around the motorway/dual carriage way,,but only in heavy gusts of wind
Click to expand...
It was happening on sheltered country roads and I'm pretty sure it wasn't windy anyway. I'll watch out for that tho when it is.

I've put 3 washers under the ball joint nut to get rid of the excessive play there. Not had chance to test it yet but I really hope that does the trick. I think the new balljoints had the split pin holes much higher than the old ones so the nut needs to be higher up. Also checked the tie rod ends and checked everything I replaced last week hasn't wobbled loose.
 
Right. I think that has worked.

New gas shocks and springs = £200.
x6 10mm washers = 71p :grinning:
 
I didn't buy any but that seems to be about how much I'd have to pay (at least). It seems you could get them for close to that shopping around on the net.
 
Just going to add to this ive got some cheap tyres on 13 inch steels other than new tyres and new suspension how can i improve traction ??? looking to do some bodgery :p
 

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