Im just trying to put my mind at rest really as im assured my car is fine…
She just feels a little unsettled or skittish at speeds above 50-60mph especially on B roads… almost like the steering is TOOOO sensitive if that makes sense…
She is a 2006 sport with bilisten’s and 30mm eibach’s
4 x matching new Hankook V2 tyres (she still done the same on my old Kumo’s) all at 30psi
full Geo and the re checked (STS who do our tech days so know what there doing with these cars)
just been through MOT with no advisory’s and got him to check and double check all bush’s and suspension components…
The car drives and handles GREAT but cant seem to get it out of the back of my head that she don’t feel right…
she is not my daily so I guess that doesn’t help as I drive a 2016 Passat day to day…
Is it me, and is that just the way these cars are ???
30psi is too high, have a play with the pressures.
I started at 28psi, dropped to 26, now they are set on 27psi and car is happy on most roads at all speeds.
Needless to say I have read and experienced that Bilsteins and lowering springs (mine also lowered 30mm on Bilsteins) their cars feel a little bouncy on uneven roads, is this what you are experiencing?
As I say have a play with the pressures, most will say 30psi is too high. Also you really need to get someone who knows these cars to get the set up right. Not saying you haven’t done that, just advice.
As a side note, my other car (daily) is/was a harsh ride and I re adjusted the tyre pressures to what the manufacturers recommend. The car as I said felt harsh on motorways and very bouncy over rough roads. Instead of 32psi rear and 30 front I have them all at 29psi. If I know I’m carrying an extra load in the rear (very rare) I’ll put a few extra psi in there. It feels much better, quite frankly feels like a different car to drive.
I would also suggest tyre pressure too high
if you know someone locally with a mk3, suggest you swap cars for a drive down the road to compare.
good luck
^^^ I would pop that question in the Wheel tyres brakes section of the forum. Bet NickD can give you a definative answer on that, he posts/frequents that section often as he is the tyre/wheel man, he should be able to advise.
I wouldn’t have thought that hankook tyres to be causing your problem what ever the pressure as these tyres are soft. Now if you had Bridgstones on then that’s another story. However 28- 28.5 psi from cold is about right.
I shall give you some insight into MY problem as I have just got it sorted .
Number 1. The Mk 3 was designed to corner on its bumpstops, but not ride on them! I found that by lowering my Launch Edition by 30mm, the car, is indeed riding on its bumpstops all the time. This does make the car a little too sensitive and the ride a touch harsh. And it inherits the famous MX 5 bounce.
I cured those problems by replacing the bumpstops will these
AND Number 2,
When I first lowered my Launch Edition I took a drive to Wheels in Motion Alias Blackboots for an alignment. They were superb, set my car up to between 0.001 and 0.1mm difference either side. So accurate ITS astounding The car drove brilliantly although the car had the above mentioned characteristics.
But what I did not realize was the springs have to settle, which must take maybe a year or 6000 miles, and WIM allow for this discrepancy on its first alignment. So call it a ‘preliminary alignment on new springs’.
I went back last week for a realignment ‘secondary alignment’ I have different settings to my previous visit, that’s why I’m calling it secondary, its still as precise one can get, with practically no variation either side.
The outcome of all this is perfection! no harsh, sensitive or jumpy ride. Its just FAB
So, from memory, I was well impressed with that alignment as it was done just after lowering with Eibach -30mm springs. However I have had that unsettledness on fast roads for as long as I can remember but it did not cause me any annoyance. I always used to watch other ‘non lowered’ MK3’s on the road and see that they obviously have the same, but much worse, condition as their cars were finding it hard to keep a straight line.
I was out today in my 5 and yes the extra front camber does make a difference, besides, from a little research, here
