Just wondering what suspension experts there may be to get assistance in order to do a bit of checks on my steering, alignment, shocks, anti roll bar and bushes ?

HiQ are mentioned by the align my car site, also Northampton autosport and formula oneto name a few.

I'd like to iron out a bit of roughness that has developed with wear and tear on the car

My mine PITA with my car is an increasingly feeling of bumpiness and slight side to side vibration of the steering wheel on some surfaces, which could be put down perhaps to worn shocks ? It would be lovely to regain some of the more positive feel that the car felt like when it was brand new (some 4 years ago lol)

Thanks

You sure it's not the poor state of the roads round here?

Haha you probably aren't that far out perhaps :D

Any tyre wear?

Which of ourour roads do you drive on?

A14, local roads, M6

Tyres are practically almost like new Pirelli P Zero's at the front replaced recently both at the same time

and at the rear 2 Bridgestones one new, one only part worn (

the new one only recently changed, due to excessive noise from a very badly wearing Kumho which has become my better spare tyre anyway ).

So tyres should be alright, although I could try switching the front and rears around but doubt it would make that much difference. I have the tyre pressures a bit on the "high" side so maybe I could drop a psi but at the cost of economy.

I've checked the spring back rate on my shocks and it feels very stiff and not much bounce.

If anything it just feels a bit "harsh", rather than bouncy.

Maybe a bit too harsh and "sporty" feeling

I'm literally feeling every knock, and I think you definitely have a point that I seem to be awakening to the problems with the roads.

I'v just been so used to hooning about in it, worrying 520d's and so on,

that actually thinking more about the road comfort is a little outside my style. Maybe I'm just getting old )

Just wondering maybe in future I could get taller 195 tyres on same rims or is this not really recommended or liked by insurance etc ?

Or I could replace my shocks anyway and go for something a bit softer ?

Some of the roads in Kettering and Corby are shocking after the cold weather and very rough noise wise. Dont get me started on pot holes! Down here things arent as bad.

Where was the badly worn tyre? Do you go over speed humps regularly? Straddling those mini ones? Parking bumping up on kerbs?

The tyre was on the rear but I've had before on those Kumhos so probably daft to have expected any different, but it makes a good cheap spare anyway.

They have an odd tread pattern that seems to distort on the wet edge of the tread, and not well suited to the rear on my vrs and I've had the issue on both sides before, so nothing new, and road noise is something they never have seemed to be great with for me.

I dont get too much trouble with road litter like those humps etc

so I dont think that causes issues for me. Im not perfect and had a couple of nicks on the alloys before but no more or less as others, they are still pretty reasonable condition and difficult

Its difficult to see at speed, but perhaps the a14 has a banding effect in some places and really bad on road feel and noise perhaps?

Its just got so disconcerting that you can't help but question if any aspect of the feel could be contributed to by the car.

Perhaps Mira should stop private road testing and just drive around some of these public roads

Tried swapping the fronts and rears?

Another thought, could you have lost any weights off one or more alloy? I lost one small weight once, and the affect was huge.

Thanks, might be worth a go, might feel a bit different with the different brand at the front

I might be combining more than one factor though, the lumpiness of the road conditions seems to be something I can compare with now Im thinking about it, on our other car which is the level 2 the missus usually drives.

The light side to side oscillation of the wheel which seems to be noticeable more on some patches of roads, certainly changing the wheels front to back might be useful there.

Edited 16 August, 201114 yr by dominorising