Handling Change

[TravTC]

Hey guys
I have quite bad understeer for a slippery RWD vehicle. I'm sporting some fatter front tyres, which has made this disorder more recognisable. Of course, if i do prod my right foot I get slip-out from the back, but the understeer is still dominant.

I'm think of grabbing some swaybars, but dont want to spend 320 bucks straight up. Which swaybar will assist me the most? Front? The body rolls quite a bit. Also, is there anywhere that offers swaybars at a better price?

Thanks

[tigermm]

Did you know that fatter tyres dont actually grip any better?? Cause for a given tyre pressure (in psi) and weight on it (in pounds), you get a certain sized contact patch (in square inches), like 10 pounds tyre pressure with 100 pounds weight on it gives a 10 square inch contact patch. If you make the tyre wider you just make the patch wider and shorter. Only thing wider and lower profile tyres do is reduce sidewall flexing.
Wider tyres only make a difference if they are a more sticky compound (ie more expensive) so if your wide front tyres were cheaper than your back ones, try swapping them.

One thing that I found tightened things up was different tyre pressures front and back. At the moment I have about 40psi in the fronts and 35psi in the backs, which has made it feel heaps better, and its free to experiment!!!

Hope this helps.

Oh yeah I talked to Whiteline a while back and they said front swaybar first. But I think their castor kit can make a good difference too, and its pretty cheap.

Have you read the Hot 4s 'Real Handling For Your Gemini'???
Good article.

[tigermm]

That Hot 4s article is at

http://www.whiteline.com.au/articles/RH_Geminia.htm.

Happy reading

[TravTC]

Thanks Tiger
Actually, my rears are obviously fatter as well (205rs 195fs). I would also like to correct some lofty turn-in and mid-corner steer, so im thinking that keeping the body flatter will assist this. Ill give the pressure trick a go, they are currently 28 f 28 r.

[Benjamin]

What's your current suspension setup Trav?
I used to experience the same thing with my TX.
Wild understeer turning into oversteer in a second, but mid corner she would float, tie herself in knots and generally handle like she didn't know which end was which

[TravTC]

Hahaha, Benj, I was reading that and seeing my car doing the EXACT same thing. Mid corner, she couldkick out briefly, snap back in, wobble all over! lol.

Im running stock suspension setups, soon to be front sway'd and replaced rear springs and shocks (after previous discussion with all you Gem freaks [im not saying that im not a part of this union]).

[Slug]

I will assume then you dont have a front bar ?? .. If this is the case then fitting one will reduce the understeer a shit load. It does this by maintaining better geometry( reduced camber change when the car body rolls) After that a rear bar will help heaps ... Michael

[Adam]

Front swaybar is important for being able to get the power down out of a corner without spinning the inside rear wheel and we recommend that you upgrade it first... that said, it will lead to an increase in understeer, so you'll want an upgraded rear swaybar too (preferably at the same time)... I got your email today Trav and I'll have a proper response with prices and part numbers by tomorrow afternoon...

[Adam]

Bad adam... if you currently have NO swaybar at the front the then whiteline bar will probably inprove turn in...

If you are in brisbane(?) then I'd be happy to fit my bars up for a quick test run...

[MatMan]

Stock suspension hey? If you mean that the springs an shit are the original ones then it's prolly just cause there worn out.