zx handling

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VisaGTi16v
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

Simon, It bangs all the time and theres a clunk in the steering rack detected with both wheels jacked off the ground. Nothing to do with the tyres in my case.
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Post by Simon Canfer »

[/quote]
When you refer to Michelins, which ones have you got, there are various permutations are there not? I am about to buy tyres all round.
[/quote]
Michelin Energy; "latest" pattern (with a substantial groove down the centre).
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Post by sooty »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Dave1</i>

Thought you may be interested in this.
http://www.andyspares.com/discussionfor ... =zx,escort
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Well since I started this topic as per the link.
60k down the road, 2 sets of quality tyres and new subframe mountings.
My opinion of the handling of the ZX is still the same, OK in the dry (oversteer) and scary in the wet (understeer). The thing I like about this car is its torquey performance, reliabilty and ecomony. Its a pity I can't add the corner handling to that.
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

Well the zx is very well respected for its handling. I guess its just what youre used to.
I doubt a zx elation has very wide tyres compared to other some other zx's and it wont have the same suspension setup as volcanes/16v's but still fundamentally wont be too much different. You can control understeer in the wet with smooth throttle control, you can lift a bit to bring the front back into line or left foot braking which will help a lot but takes a bit of practise.
Take a mk5 escort and a zx of similar engine performance, give them same tyres and 95% of people will tell you the zx will be quicker through the bends etc
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Post by jeremy »

I'm most surprised - ours - 63,000 miles - 1.9D seems exemplary under all conditions - tyres - continenntals on 3 wheels - cheap one on one back wheel. Its always been good even with barely legal tyres on the front when we bought it and an original Michelin for the first year on the back and has constantly surprised both of us with its grip especially in the wet. Mind you a plain 1.9 D is never going to surprise anyone with its acceleration and the brakes don't seem to get much use either in normal driving.
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Post by sooty »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by VisaGTi16v</i>

Well the zx is very well respected for its handling. I guess its just what youre used to.
I doubt a zx elation has very wide tyres compared to other some other zx's and it wont have the same suspension setup as volcanes/16v's but still fundamentally wont be too much different. You can control understeer in the wet with smooth throttle control, you can lift a bit to bring the front back into line or left foot braking which will help a lot but takes a bit of practise.
Take a mk5 escort and a zx of similar engine performance, give them same tyres and 95% of people will tell you the zx will be quicker through the bends etc
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
185/60x14 HR rating and uprated dampers.
The way I control the handling is by adjusting the tyre pressures to give a neutral handling ie: soft on the fronts and standard at the rear.
If you lift off in a corner you will induce the tail to pop out as its well known with front wheel drive cars, its the opposite, you should have a small amount of throttle to keep inline.
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

I dont know about yours but the book pressures for the 16v are 33 at the front and 31 at the rear and you have to believe Citroen should know whats best.
If you lift gradually and only a bit it wont oversteer unless youre really vicious with it.
You cant really complain that the handlings funny if you dont have standard pressures or suspension setup as it came out of the factory :)
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Post by TomH »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rossnunn</i>

The ZX is one of the best handling car's out of the box there is.
When you throw it into a bend, it feels like the back steps out, it doesn't of course, it just the rear beam doing its thing, the best way to 'feel' this is to enter a roundabout and exit it on the 3rd exit, half way round putting your foot to the floor, it feels odd to start with, but once you get used to it its sooo much fun!
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mine really creaks and grumbles from the rear if I do stuff like that... does that indicate parts needing replacement?
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

heh could be a mannor of things, bushes probably, shocks, etc? :)
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Post by oscarloco »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by VisaGTi16v</i>

I dont know about yours but the book pressures for the 16v are 33 at the front and 31 at the rear and you have to believe Citroen should know whats best.
If you lift gradually and only a bit it wont oversteer unless youre really vicious with it.
You cant really complain that the handlings funny if you dont have standard pressures or suspension setup as it came out of the factory :)
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That's right. It also depends on the type of tyres you got. I have Sumitomos SRIXON4 on my car and the pressures are listed as 32 all around. I use 40 front and 41 rear and the handling is now awesome. When using the factory recommended settings, handling was a little sloppy.
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Post by Dave1 »

[/quote]
When you refer to Michelins, which ones have you got, there are various permutations are there not? I am about to buy tyres all round.
[/quote]
Michelin Energy; "latest" pattern (with a substantial groove down the centre).
Simon
Thanks Simon, been checking these out yesterday as it happens.
Dave
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

thats a lot! higher than standard. Are they the same profile/size?
I put mine upto 37/33 from 33/31 at a sprint event last year to combat some of the tyre roll. Less traction out of the hairpins but a bit more responsive through the flowing bends
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Post by oscarloco »

Yes, they are the same profile and size. I could't fit wider tires because of clearance issues and a lower profile would be a nightmare for the wheels because there are a lot of potholes here in my country.
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

You want to try driving on our roads, they are bad as well. You notice it in a car but ive just started riding my mountain bike again after breaking my collar bone so trying to find smooth bits of rode to avoid knocking it is impossible! :)
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Post by sooty »

"I put mine upto 37/33 from 33/31 at a sprint event last year to combat some of the tyre roll."
If I am wrong, is this doing the same as what I said earlier about neutral steering in a bend. Except, I'll have a better ride not having the pressures so high at the rear and better traction. Mine are 33rear/28front.
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