Is the handling this bad ?

[jackal2513]

hiya chaps

picked up a used v6 sport on monday

basically teh car is pulling to teh left quite a lot, under braking as well .... its quite severe, much more than you'd expect just from the natural camber of the road. The body control on the car is just awful and i'm wondering or rather hoping that this is just a result of teh geometry and front toe perhaps being wildly out.

I have to confess its an odd setup car, very softly sprung but with quite harsh bump damping ... in principle I dont mind that so much but over a bumpy section of road or during mid-corner bumps the car just completely loses the plot and fails miserably in terms of resolving the road surface below and keeping the chassis nice and coherent and stable ?? Is it just a duff chassis and suspension design on this car (after all there arent many manufacturers out there who truly know how to do suspension IMO) or could this be a result of teh fact that the cars tracking seems wildly out. Im hoping that the latter is true and that other peoples cars are better than what I report ???

Also, i think a move to a better rubber and smaller rims might be an idea in terms of the damping and also thepoor cabin noise. Anyone have an idea regarding a source of cheap smaller rims and tyres ?


regards


Rich

[Nick Mann]

Search on eibach.

The V6 has soft suspension, and the sport has very low profile tyres. I guess that is your wierd setup. The handling is not so bad, so maybe the tracking is a part of your problem.

See Kierans post in the for sale section regarding wheels.

The cabin noise shouldn't be too bad, and what noise there is should be mostly road. I have wind noise and can't work out which seal is not doing its job!!

[Kieran]

Welcome to ClubVR-4.

Ok, Let's get the bad news out of the way first... :oops:

You're right - The 'Sport' features a terrible ride at times, mainly because of the crap damping. The V6-24 is a much more cohesive car in terms of suspension setup. Fortunately, the solution (replacement springs/shocks) is reasonably cheap and very effective - The full thread is in the member's area, as details of the Club Member's discount are on it, but here is the quote about them...

"I have now have had my Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks on for a week and can only recommend that you get this done as it transforms the handling/ride of the car. The ride is more supple, but better damped, the car rolls less and is flat in corners, has a sharper turn-in and is generally far more comfortable to drive quickly. The car is also lowered by 3cm which makes it look even better. Thanks to everyone whose advice helped me decide what to buy."

The car certainly shouldn't pull... One of the things I've found both my GLS and my V6 good at is keeping in a straight line. Sounds like your tracking is shot, but could also be caused by a knackered lower arm bushing or maybe the lower arm balljoint, which is subject to a recall - Check with your dealer, it's Free of charge.

Funnily enough, I am trying to source a set of the 15" V6-24 alloys to test out your last theory, and I have got a set of 16" (though no tyres) alloys in the wings if my theory bares out. Another thing worth noting is that the 17" Sport rims are imfamous for being too soft and buckling on inner edge -Which again may be causing you grief.

Sorry to type all that, as I'm making the car sound crap. It's not overall, in fact you'll grow to love that silky V6, the gearbox and the looks/interior. The ride does leave a lot to be desired, but this is possibly the V6 Sport's worst offence - Change the suspension and you'll have a totally different car! :)

[jackal2513]

ok thanks

ill read the eibach post and the recall issue could well be a point in all this.

to be honest the actual ride quality i dont mind so much (ive had x2 lancers which were way worse inclduing teh evo7 which was truly horrid) rather its the way the car feels all clumsy over bumps. Also, slicing into corners its clear that something isnt straight or algned properly.

Im going to get it on a 4 wheel alignment rig tomorrow to see if that shows up anything then after that get it down to the dealer

any ideas on what teh geo should be ?

[Polabear]

I have wind noise and can't work out which seal is not doing its job!!


Nick, do you have windcheaters fitted to your windows...? they cause quite a bit of noise on mine......if not lay off the vindaloo's mate..... :o :klingon:

[jackal2513]

well, teh car got checked today and the castor is out on the nearside by over 2.5 deg which is a HUGE amount

no wondor it feels like a complete sack of potatoes... i mean youd notice a difference with just a 0.5 deg variation

basically something is bent .... and ive been sold a car that hasnt been repaired properly. Given the state of the bumper and the undersaide i dont believe that it was in a big shunt or anything and the wing looks original etc. It looks more like the wheel has smacked a kerb so most likely that one of the suspension components could be bent possibily the strut. However 2.5 deg is a very large amount and to be frank its possible that the bodyshell has been creased.

Curently investiagting where I stand legally on this. I wouldn't think you can easily get away with selling a bent car especially if its potentially dangerous.

[Big Ian]

:sad3: not so good new's?
hope it all work's out

[Kieran]

Oooh, ya bugger!!! :inquisiti :sad3:

Hope you get it sorted soon!!

[jackal2513]

ok latest news, car has been inspected by SMC's bodyshop and they are doing a 2 stage qoute for me to repair the damage

They confirmed that the nearside wheel has certainly been pushed right back longtitudinally. Firstly, since the camber is good as is the toe they think that the strut is probably ok and that the most likely culprit is the 2 lower arms as they are felxible to a certain degree and the first things to bend in such kerbing incidents. They also confirmed what i suspected that the wing is completely original and that there are no other signs of crash repair. The mount point under the bonnet is also ok with all 4 bolts original and no paint scaring etc..

They seem to think that the best route is to change the 2 lower arms then perform another geometry check.

If this fails then the next step may be to start looking at a front subframe after some measuremenst and wheelbase stuff has been taken. This will obviously lead to a completely different price bracket but lets hope the damage is not that bad.

Ok, now teh good new, overall i can feel a very good car lurking beneath the awful zero castor, the steering pull and the incessant lateral movement and oscillation over bumps. Im impressed with teh lovely smooth engine.... the soft wallowy spring rates i actually really like and i think the combination with the firmer damping is rather appealing once you get used to it. Tiptronic mode is fun and the car is very spacious and very relaxing to drive. Visibilitry is great, its very easy to drive and pretty much perfect for what i want as a family car and occasional tow car. I reckon i think once the nearside corner is fixed i'll be very impressed with it. My car has full black leather and its pretty much as new inside so a great place to be. IMO the plastics and the way the dash is screwed together is as good as an audi or BM. Also the climate control unit and the steering wheel bring back fond memories of my evo6.

Also, I have spoken to the seller about this an he has been quite cooperative.

[Kieran]

That's good news - Kerbing can catch anyone out! Bet you're relieved that it's nothing more sinister though!!

Glad also to hear that despite the iffy suspension, that the car's growing on you. I think this bodes well for you!! /yes :2thumbsup

[jackal2513]

car is now fixed

corner of NS suspension bought from breakers yard 130 quid
2 hours labour by the mechanic who looks after my race car 50 quid
x2 alignment sessions 60 quid

total cost = 240 quid

the Mitsi Dealer Quoted me 690 for the same job with new parts !!!!

We measured the rear front lower arm, the S shaped one, and it was quarter of an inch shorter. Must have been quite a bang to bend it that much !

I now have a selection of lower arms and stuts left over so may put them on ebay. Needless to say im very pleased this fiasco is now over and teh car is feeling good.



Time to ask the seller for 230 pounds to cover the costs.

[Kieran]

All's well that ends well. :scholar:

So, how are you getting along with your V6 then?

[jackal2513]

yep
impressed
and its just waht i was looking for

previously i had a 2 litre primera GT, 1999 for my all round family car but whilst it was a lot fo car for teh money and good handling and body control it was a little too harsh and not soft enough ride quality-wise. The gearbox was annoying and also teh brakes needed a lot of pressure. Heavy clutch as well for a car of its type.

The Galant is lovely and smooth ... i love the auto and the V6, very relaxing and just so easy to drive. The wife loves it. I like the soft springs as teh car sort of wafts along ina floaty fashion and strangely enough i like the slightly former than expected damping as it gives you that little bit more involvement. The interior is great, i have black full leather and i like being in teh cockpit, its like a little mothership ! Easy to read dials, good visibilty and good well equipped. Love the shape of the car as well.

Downsides... well, firstly road noise is pretty poor compared to say a 5 series (of which i have driven many and would be my choice if i had 15k to blow) but noise never bothers me that much cos i nearly always drive with the radio quite loud and also with the window fully down. Body control and chassis is average id say... the car is not quite as resolved over bumps as i would like (the primera was very good at this) but again for my use its fine (as a comfortable long distance tourer with towing capability). The steering feel is obviously pretty poor but then thats standard for japanese cars. In fact i have yet to drive a Jap car that had good steering feel. Again, not looking for the last word in communication as I didnt buy the thing for keen spirited driving.

so overall very happy now and once again i love teh auto and the engine and the looks/interior. The only other car i was also consdiering for my budget was the Omega 3.0 elite estate which was definitely a more resolved ride and more sorted suspension overall but it looks awful in comparison, has a teriible image and engine is not as nice..

for the money i paid theres little to touch it as an all round car IMO, primera GT included. You cant get a good audi or BM for under 5k and the ford alternatives are shagged come 100k miles and dont have half the build quality.

[ritch_w]

... the car is not quite as resolved over bumps as i would like

Eibachs are the answer here

totally transformed my v6 sport - recomended :thumbsup:

[SGHOM]

I think that comment should go in the buyers guide as a good, but honest opinion of the galant. I think it's spot on ! :thumbsup: