Need more grip!

gtabomber

gtabomber

Ive just been out for a spirited drive with a fellow GTI owner. Its a bit damp but nothing too bad. Now when i say "spirited" thats what i mean, not hooning it!

Some divvy last owner had decided to stick some lowering springs on so now the car just runs on the inside of the tyres.

Anyways, the slightest corner and the car just slides. Not just understeering, the whole car slides sideways. The guy in the other standard GTI had no promlems what so ever. We even went up some windy b-roads and i couldnt get to the speed limit. My GTI was just sliding on the slightest bend.

Ive always known this car has something up with its grip as if im driving normally around a wet roundabout i just understeer. If im on the inside lane of a roundabout i have to go very slow so i dont slide into the next lane and hit another car.

Ive done some reasearch and it seems i need some top-mount plates. Were is the best place to get them from? Is there any other options? Can i get them for the rear? I also seen some Whiteline bolt thingys that look quite feeble so im not sure about them.

Im dreading the snow. If my Skyline wasnt off the road id much rather take that out in the snow. At least its RWD so i can controll it!!

Any advice? :)
 
had your alignment/tracking etc setup? if it hasnt been done then that could be your problem, or bad tyres...
 
Could be tyres? I remember a guy on here who kept spinning his car without driving hard (Soaking roads), turned out he had very bad quality tyres on the back.
Lowering springs shouldnt cause lots of camber, mine sit upright. Has the tracking etc been adjusted? You shouldnt really need top mount plates unless you have coilovers fitted. It may be likely that another suspension component is worn out, which may account for the camber you have.
 
Tyres arent great which obviously doesnt help but the tyres on my mates GTI are cheapies too and he loves the grip!

Ive definately got camber issues as i changed my front tyres because they were illegal on the inside and fine on the outside! To my knowlege the tracking hasnt been done.

A proper alignment sounds like an idea but whats adjustable? Obviously the camber isnt. Id like to make it all adjustable if its not silly money.

I splashed out on loads of adjustable arms for my skyline and it was the best money i ever spent. If i can get everything adjusted on the 'mera it would be great :)
 
Get yourself some decent rubber and get a decent laser alignment and it'll be more than satisfactory.
That is, unless something's damaged suspension wise.
Or your driving too stupidly for the conditions lol.
Joe
 
it is your tracking man, mine was doing this with my old tyres and when i changed tyres the inside was bald
 
Yea i think ill get a laser alignment but only if everything can be adjusted. I dont want to pay decent money for alignment and be told "ive adjusted as much as i can but this and that cant be adjusted and this is at its limit and i cant go any further" Ill end up having to then buy parts and get it done again.

Ive been under the car a lot and its just been MOT'd a couple of weeks ago so im pretty sure suspension and bushes are fine.

I dont drive silly especially when its wet. As i say i couldnt get near the speed limit because of a curvy road, not corners or bends even, just cuvey!! If its damp and theres a roundabout i have to go very slow or it understeers like mad!
 
gtabomber said:
Yea i think ill get a laser alignment but only if everything can be adjusted. I dont want to pay decent money for alignment and be told "ive adjusted as much as i can but this and that cant be adjusted and this is at its limit and i cant go any further" Ill end up having to then buy parts and get it done again.
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but if you do get told that then you know somethings wrong and can be rectified........

its not a case of EVERYTHING needing adjusting, could be one thing throwing all the geometry out, go get it done, shouldnt cost you anymore than £30
 
I was the one who was following him!
When he kept going sideways on roundabouts i thought he was larking about....mine wasnt even twitching. i bet on that roundabout he was doing 30 tops and the roundabout is huge

put me off lowering the car unless its on coilovers
 
Hi, check your tyre pressures. If they are too high 36 psi, the car will slide on roundabouts, in the wet. I have had this happen to me. Drop them down to 32 ish and see how it drives. The back are important for hard cornering and they should be the best tyres on the car. Cos you can't feel them like the fronts and when they go you spin like I did last year and altered my front wing as I hit another car.
I have just changed from P6000 to P7 on the front and they stick in the wet.
 
When my gti was on 15" standard alloys i had New Toyo T1R's on the front and some old, cracked pirelli's on the back, needless to say i was tail happy all day long. In the dry i managed to 180 it on a round about at 25 - 30 mph. Check them there tyres! Soon as i put the 16" alloys on with new tyres all round the car was fine.

On a side note i'm putting the 15's back on tomorrow with some avons all round as they're £28 a corner. I'll put a note in here how they feel.
 
Reet then, alignment it is! Weres the best place to get camber plates?

I didnt want to mention who else was with me, Lee. You know what forums are like when you mention "spirited driving"!! Cheers for the backup! hehe
 
i know you said your mates only has cheap tyres as well, but the quality of them can vary massively, some are now really soft and do grip well but dont last, others are bottle top hard, so just because your both on cheap tyres doesnt mean they will handle anything alike. tyre age can also have a big impact, if they have been on the back for years they could have tons of life left but be 5+ years old and the rubber completely gone off.

geometry does make a big difference, but mines forever in bits and tbh i havent really bothered getting it done much recently, it still drives 95% and thats with it having new suspension parts etc without having it done.
 
Yea, revolution are canny. I was in a magazine feature with them

Mine on the left in black with white wheels
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Ill save up some pennies and get a bit of alignment done :)
 
Get the tracking done, if your wheels are pointing in different directions how do you expect it to corner?......you`ve already mentioned uneven tyre wear. Tracking/toe on the front is the only adjustment that can be done. Get them to give very slight toe out for the best cornering. 33r and 35f is a good tyre pressure combo.
 
rowdy-GTi said:
Get the tracking done, if your wheels are pointing in different directions how do you expect it to corner?......you`ve already mentioned uneven tyre wear. Tracking/toe on the front is the only adjustment that can be done. Get them to give very slight toe out for the best cornering. 33r and 35f is a good tyre pressure combo.
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Sound advice
 
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