vRS poor handling

[VRSD30]

Car feels loose/wallows when making quick steering adjustments, like the chassis is playing catch up when you turn the wheel. Weaving the steering side to side and the best way to describe it is like it's on ice and the car isn't doing what you want it to, had to brake hard from 70mph and it felt unstable...

 

I know the vRS will never win any awards for it's handling capabilities! Mines done 122k so the suspension components will be past their best but is there any particular part of the suspension set up that would cause it wallow around? Worn bushes maybe? I'm thinking anti roll bar bushes or the rear axle... 

[StevesTruck]

Check your antiroll bar. Try to pull it side to side.

[Lofty]

Could be a number of factors, start with the cheap/easy stuff, tyre pressures, cheap tyres, old age hardened tyres?

 

Then look at the most common Fabia weak links, front console bushes, lots and lots on her about how to change/upgrades

 

All other suspension will be tired , namely dampers, top mounts, rear axle bushes are pretty tough and long lived so I'd start at the cheap end and work your way up!

[sepulchrave]

Console bushes are the number one cause of sloppy steering like you describe. If you still have the original bushes they WILL be knackered.

[VRSD30]

Tyres are new, Uniroyal RS 3 and the pressures are fine as I check them weekly. Will have a look at the anti roll bar and the console bushes, it's not long since had a service & MOT so if they were shot surely they would have flagged it up? 

[sepulchrave]

Tyres are new, Uniroyal RS 3 and the pressures are fine as I check them weekly. Will have a look at the anti roll bar and the console bushes, it's not long since had a service & MOT so if they were shot surely they would have flagged it up? 

 

No, the OEM console bushes are terrible even when new. Your naivete is touching. It won't be the ARB unless it's snapped or fallen off!

[theezenutz]

Don't count out the ball joints and track rod ends. To be honest at that mileage you may as well replace as many components as you can afford especially if you replace the console bushes as you will have to strip most of it out anyway.

[VRSD30]

No, the OEM console bushes are terrible even when new. Your naivete is touching. It won't be the ARB unless it's snapped or fallen off!

And the OEM console bushes will be even more terrible when worn out and knackered. Assuming my ARB hasn't snapped or fallen off and I didn't notice, I'll be checking the bushes.

[DarrellGB]

Full bush kit, Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, Whiteline adjustable anti roll bar, will transform the handling

Edited 21 March, 2016 by DarrellGB

[theezenutz]

Don't count on your mot guy either mine just passed its mot about a month ago and I have issues with sloppy handling hoping they would be picked up.

I have relatively new poly console bushes and have since replaced the ball joints which made I better but the track rod end also need replacing, as I have play and rather vague steering which has only become noticeable in the last month or so.

[serafumi]

I would also like an answer to this . I have changed consoles bushes to power flex , new wish bones , ball joints . Ap fixed suspension kit . New top mounts . 4 new tyres , recon rack with new track rod ends , rarb .. 4 wheel aligned . The car steers the best it ever has . But dead centre of the steering feels very vague .. Also the vagueness is worse at motorway speeds .. I'm lost at what else to try

[vindaloo]

It's a strong possibility that it's your new tyres. The RS2s I had previously felt "sticky" and slow on the steering compared to the previous Contis. If the RS3s are similar, they have a very compliant sidewall which is great for grip progression in the wet but not for instant-o-steering in the dry.

 

J.

[serafumi]

It was also like it before the new tyres . I'm really at a loss

[VRSD30]

It's a strong possibility that it's your new tyres. The RS2s I had previously felt "sticky" and slow on the steering compared to the previous Contis. If the RS3s are similar, they have a very compliant sidewall which is great for grip progression in the wet but not for instant-o-steering in the dry.

 

J.

I didn't get the extra load RS3's so the side walls are a bit softer, would that make much difference? More noticeable when doing fast direction changes.  

Edited 22 March, 2016 by VRSD30

[VRSD30]

Needed new console bushes so replaced them for the solid type, also changed all 4 tyres which has helped with the steering feel. 

[serafumi]

Needed new console bushes so replaced them for the solid type, also changed all 4 tyres which has helped with the steering feel.

Interesting mate . What tyres did you go for?? Has the vagueness gone ??

[VRSD30]

Interesting mate . What tyres did you go for?? Has the vagueness gone ??

Got some Fulda sport control, they get some good reviews and i've had them before, I find them hard to beat for the price, £54 each from Camskill. It hasn't completely transformed the handling but is noticeably sharper with less vagueness on the front end with the solid bushes and different tyres.  

Edited 23 April, 2016 by VRSD30

[vindaloo]

What about under braking? If that's still a problem, maybe implies rear brakes or the dampers (generally) aren't at their best.

[AaronMountford1990]

Console bushes are the number one cause of sloppy steering like you describe. If you still have the original bushes they WILL be knackered.

What's the expected life on these miles wise? Mines at 96k but I think they're a second set. Ignoring the fact there still crap how long would they ordinarily last based on "normal" driving?

[VRSD30]

What about under braking? If that's still a problem, maybe implies rear brakes or the dampers (generally) aren't at their best.

Feels much better under braking as well. The console bushes were absolutely knackered but no mention of them on the last MOT in February, he said there's no way they've deteriorated from a pass to the current state in two months. The solid Ibiza Cupra bushes have made a difference to the front end feel but I guess even new standard ones would've as well as the old ones were well past it.