Hi all

OK - had a quick search but cannot find a direct response to this - so here goes . .

Had my VRS for about three months and love it - only thing is - it doesn't feel that stable and seems to get thrown about a bit by bumps/road imprefections. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but once it is settled and going through a corner - it feels really nice and sorted. It's an 04 model with 46K - and I believe standard set-up.

I don't want to change the suspension set-up - unless this is how they all drive!! Could it need replacement bushes, suspension parts, new dampers etc? I'm not looking for a track set-up - just want it to feel planted on normal roads with normal driving.

Cheers all.

Rarb

Hello Monvrs,

Suspect rear bushes fitted to front (alloy) console suspension units. ??

Look for thread concerning front suspension console bushes (or similar) .

Good Luck. Ian. 01/09/2009.

They handle pretty terribly as standard. Scary body roll.

My thoughts on the rear so-called 'anti-roll bar' are well known, and I'm yet to be converted, unlike the strut brace, however there's no denying the standard vRS is a rolly, understeery beast! It shouldn't be that twitchy, though, and I second the diagnosis of worn out bushes...

My thoughts on the rear so-called 'anti-roll bar' are well known, and I'm yet to be converted, unlike the strut brace, however there's no denying the standard vRS is a rolly, understeery beast! It shouldn't be that twitchy, though, and I second the diagnosis of worn out bushes...

Strut braces are so much snake oil, unless the shell is known to be straight, and the brace actually has torsional rigidity, which a lot of aftermarket ones won't having 2 hinges in them.

All that is necessary for an ARB to work as an ARB (never mind whether or not it improves handling; that's partly subjective and partly down to driving technique) is for the ends to move up and down different amounts relative to the crossbar.

Unusually, I can't agree with your analysis on the mode of operation of strut braces, since AIUI, they work under tension to reduce the amount the turrets move relative to each other under lateral load - therefore taut wires would do the job, let alone a bar with or without hinges.

As for the rear beam brace (RARB), you hit the nail on the head: they're attached rigidly to the beam but not the chassis, so they'll make the car more likely to **** a rear wheel and induce a 4-wheel drift, but this isn't the same as combatting understeer...

Yep sounds like bushes going bud. It will be play in the suspension arm. Mine did this for a couple of months, got it into Garage got them replaced. All sorted.

Is it squeaking?

All Fabias Golfs Ibizas and most VAG cars designed up to 2007 ish have rubbish handling as standard, a few mods to the suspension, bushes, steering etc. helps but they are never going to be as good as Fords and Peugeots. The Germans like designing cars which are more refined rather than sporty. Me ma's car is a 1997 Pug 306 1.8 auto and that has brilliant handling, far more communicative than the Fabia.

So monvrs, it probably ain't broke mate it's just the way they are.

The rear anti roll bar is the best mod ever for our cars and is easy to fit yourself if you have some ramps.

Unusually, I can't agree with your analysis on the mode of operation of strut braces, since AIUI, they work under tension to reduce the amount the turrets move relative to each other under lateral load - therefore taut wires would do the job, let alone a bar with or without hinges.

Your understanding seens to differ from mine. I'll agree that, if the tops of the strut towers try to spread when the chassis loads up under cornering the brace comes under tension and a cable will work as a brace, but I'm not convinced that that's the sole movement going on. If it was, why would rally teams run I-beams or T-beams across the strut towers?

I'll agree with the Audi lower braces though, provided the shell is straight when they're installed. If it's not, all you do is lock in the squintness.

As for the rear beam brace (RARB), you hit the nail on the head: they're attached rigidly to the beam but not the chassis, so they'll make the car more likely to **** a rear wheel and induce a 4-wheel drift, but this isn't the same as combatting understeer...

There are several ways to design a RARB for a torsion beam. One is to run the bar parallel to the trail arms and beam, and use 4 clamps on the trail arms, but this adds unsprung weight. The others are to use 2 fixed mounts and 2 pivoting droplinks and whether you put the droplinks on the trail arms or the chassis is a question of which is easier for the individual floorpan.

I agree that the design makes the chassis more likely to lift a rear wheel, but there are 2 ways to reduce understeer; one is to increase front end grip, and the other is to reduce rear end!

Thanks for all the helpful ideas. Had a long drive to my office yesterday and the car does tend to feel a bit shaky over road imperfections - so I think the first step is to check out all the bushes. I'm not looking for out and out handling precision - (I have a VR6 Corrado for that) - and it does seem to grip well once into corners - (even in the wet yesterday) - so if there are no issues with the bushes - I will just accept it as a nuance of the Fab.

Thanks again - great site with some clearly very knowledgeable people