Car is not handling right.. **update**

[Juffa]

yep.. i pulled them out with alot of force so that they would reach the hardest setting..

Ok, what you have done is pre-tensioned your sway bar. Normally with the car be stationary the sway bar would sit in a neutral position with no tension on the end links. I don't know what this means in terms of long term implications to suspension components, but I do know that pre-tensioning has been discussed on the big forum. Try searching there and see what you find. It is quite possible that your end link bushes as well as the sway bushes have been compressed more than they were designed for and need to be replaced. I have some adjustable end links sitting in my shed. They are a similar design to the top ones in the picture on an earlier post. I took them off as they rattle like crazy, sounded like my front end was coming apart.
J

[Juffa]

Actually I should have set preload not pre-tension. Heaps of results when searching on preload.

J

[green_comet]

Does anyone know where Spinning Wheel is in Victoria?? Admin refers going to it in this thread.

http://www.aus-cartalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=15398

[Juffa]

Does anyone know where Spinning Wheel is in Victoria?? Admin refers going to it in this thread.

http://www.aus-cartalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=15398

Sorry Ryan....Bob had placed a post from Charlie Brown in the archive. For the record their details are;

Spinning Wheel TyresRoad & Race Tyre Stockists
85 Bourke St East Sydney 2010
(02) 9358 5444

I have used Pedders in Hawtorn a number of times. One of the owners races in Tassie Targa and does work on many other race cars. I know it is a bit of drive for you, but they know their stuff.

J

[clubman1]

I have the same configuration that you have, except I have lower Kings Springs on the front. I have the original OEM links still in (I have adjustable links ...but not put them in yet). Juffa's comment about the solid links is spot on ...the creaks and noises are very annoying. When the car is lowered at the front the connection using OEM links is not that difficult. Mine lined up without any force ...the back was a different matter. I had to use adjustable links, or only use it in the middle setting.

Follow up Craig's suggestion, how is the front say bar mount bracket? Its design doesn't lend itself to longevity when a heavy duty bar is used and the car gets used for 'exuberant' driving ...eg: track days, hillclimbs and motorkhanas etc. There is a strong chance that the mount bracket that hangs down from the chassis sub rail has cracked, or worse still the captive bolts in the chassis sub rail have started to tear out. Racing Beat make a 'stiffening device' to firm up the mount bracket when a stiffer bar is used. I just copied the RB design and made one before I put the bar on. Check out the RB Sway Bar Brace Kit on the RB website.

Your symptoms sound as though the front sway bar is not working ...front end washing out, unsettled behaviour etc

[green_comet]

I have king springs all round clubman, sorry i forgot to mention this. I have ordered some very good endlinks from a dude called Steve in USA. After searching alot on the miata.net forums, i read alot about heim joind endlinks making heaps of noise. Alot of people think that steves joints are probably some of the best and quiet you can get. He is custom making them to the height of my car, to make sure they don't foul on anything.



heres the link to his site, if anyone is interested

http://www.gearheadsgarage.com/ForSale/Parts/endlinks.html

Yeah I can see what you mean by the front end washing out, yesterday when driving home from Eltham. I went around a round about, and felt like there was no grip at all. The steering became all light after turning in, scared me a little bit.

[green_comet]

well i just got back from taking the car for a drive, I noticed while going through a few corners that the steering, and grip feels wrong when i trun right.. It feels like it has alot less grip compared to when you turn left.

I never really noticed it, but it only seemes to have the problem when i turn right...

[bruce]

Gawd, please take it to a suspension specialist to give their opinion. Next thing you know you'll be falling off the road.