My fabia now feels like jelly when cornering :( please help!

[phillipssg]

After changing my insurance to allow me to keep my mods, I thought I may as well get my mini comps some tyres as they've just been sitting there for months. So yea, got the tyres and had the wheels fitted but now the car feels really wobbly in corners! When I had my 15" alloys on, the car went nice and fast round corners, when I had my 17" alloys on, the car wasn't as good at cornering but because the tyres were wider it felt a lot more planted but the 16" mini comps are just totally sh!t, can anything fix this? I was thinking of getting a rarb anyway, would this fix my problem or would it make it worse? I used to always mess around trying to get the back to swing out when braking hard in corners (on a farm lane not a main road :P) and could never do it, tried it with the mini comps on and the back swung out too easily!

[Gaz_vrs]

Have you given the tyres a chance to bed in a bit?? They may improve. The RARB is a great mod it's a must have imho!

[phillipssg]

Have you given the tyres a chance to bed in a bit?? They may improve. The RARB is a great mod it's a must have imho!

Yeah I was thinking that they may need to run in a bit first.. OT: Did I pass you the other day? May not have been you, I see so many modified vrs's round this area now!

[Gaz_vrs]

Where was that? I dont remember seeing you, i may have been half asleep though.

[Mil]

RARB is a must. The Fabia tends to understeer easy and will never kick unless you get the RARB.

Promise

[phillipssg]

Where was that? I dont remember seeing you, i may have been half asleep though.

Half way between carms and llandysul, I passed a silver vrs going towards carms. Probs wasn't you anyway :P

[Gaz_vrs]

It wasn't me. There's a lot round our way now. Ive still got the bumper and exhaust here.......must get motivated!

[phillipssg]

RARB is a must. The Fabia tends to understeer easy and will never kick unless you get the RARB.

Promise

My fabia's lowered by 40mm, and I never experienced understeer with my 15" alloys on. But what I'm thinking is if the backside is swinging out too easily now, won't it be even worse with a rarb?

[phillipssg]

It wasn't me. There's a lot round our way now. Ive still got the bumper and exhaust here.......must get motivated!

Let me know when you're available for me to collect them, my student loan has come thru

Only problem is I spend most of my time in ponty now.

[Browny_37]

I'd look at your front wishbones, i noticed my front Nearside wheel hanging forward a bit today. Went around a bend and the thing collapsed, caused a large bang and a crunch.

I'd expect that the larger wheels will have more weight to them, something that smaller engined cars may find different, due to different spring rates and more weight on the end of each wishbone/axle.

[Mil]

I had no idea that you lowered it.

Lowered car + ARB = excellent.

Fabia stock understeers easy if you run into a corner quick, that's a fact. And its rear can't kick easy unless you're constantly nailing it on the corner and then instantly releasing it!

Get the ARB, guaranteed happiness. I ordered mine from Jabba and had it sent all the way to Dubai. Cost me a fair bit, but never regretted it!

[phillipssg]

I'd look at your front wishbones, i noticed my front Nearside wheel hanging forward a bit today. Went around a bend and the thing collapsed, caused a large bang and a crunch.

I'd expect that the larger wheels will have more weight to them, something that smaller engined cars may find different, due to different spring rates and more weight on the end of each wishbone/axle.

Yeah I've noticed that the mini comps are VERY heavy compared to my other alloys. And I have quite stiff suspension.

[Browny_37]

All i can imagine is that the rebound and dampening properties of the shocks cant react quickly enough to create a compromise between safe handling and performance.

[Wardy]

What are these 'Mini Comps' - have you got a photo? Also, what width and offset are they? And what tyre make/model/size do you have fitted to them?

Steve

[phillipssg]

What are these 'Mini Comps' - have you got a photo? Also, what width and offset are they? And what tyre make/model/size do you have fitted to them?

Steve

They're Audi Mini Competition alloys, tyre size is 205/45/16 but can't remember the offset, they stick out more than the standard alloys tho, although I would have thought that would have increased the stability?

Here's a pic (the tyre size in the pic is 205/55/16):

[ultra_joel88]

Youve got the wrong size tyres on, for a start, they should be 205/45/16 or 215/45/16

[Wardy]

Also, what make and model are the tyres? The alloys I don't see as a problem; yes they're heavier - I've found most Audi ones are! So you might see a slight increase in fuel consumption, but certainly not the problems you're describing.

Steve

[phillipssg]

Youve got the wrong size tyres on, for a start, they should be 205/45/16 or 215/45/16

Yeah that's the tyre size that I have got, 205/45/16

[Wardy]

Tyre information?

[mannyo]

The increased wheel diameter will affect the way the car handles, especially in corners. The lower profile tyre means less sidewall flexing, and more shock transferred to the cars suspension via the wheels. Your car may well be handling better now than before, and you just need to adapt to the new feel in the corners. When I changed from 16 to 18 inch on my octy, the difference was very noticable even with standard suspension.

[Ricko]

You can't change the offset without messing up the suspension geometry .....