Lowering 80mm effects on handling?

[gtegary]

I've just bought some -80mm lowering springs and I will be running them with up rated shortened shocks ie spax or similar.

Will this have a massive effect on handling? In a bad way??

Have got front an rear anti roll bars, front and rear strut braces and the whole lot poly bushed as well so will the 80mm drop have an adverse effect?

[MK999]

I noticed a hell of a lot of bump steer when I have mine that low but ultimately it handled alright in terms of grip etc, just need a lot of adjustment if you really flicked it into a corner as the suspension settling was er, dynamic to say the least.

[Iain]

Have a search for ARB discussions on here, lots of people remove the fronts to improve handling

If there's still travel in the shocks I reckon it'll be OK, check your steering arm angles once it's on the floor too but you can fix that if they're too bad (reverse track rod ends or adjustable rosejointed ones from Compbrake...)

[gtegary]

Cheers for the replys. All my novas I've ever had have had 60mm drops with no problems, so another 20mm couldn't really hurt that much, especailly if I get shortened shocks.

Any one else had issues with 80mm drops?

I will be wanting to drive the car quite hard hence all the poly bushes etc, but fancied the slightly lower look :)

Iain are the rose jointed bits expense?

[Benn]

Bump steer, i'm 80+ and i get it. Can give oversteer too some times,

[Iain]

bout 80 quid I think check their on line shop

[gtegary]

Cheers for the comments. What do you mean by bump steer?

Also are the springs likely to fall out when jacked up even on shortened shocks?

[MK999]

As your wheel goes up in bump, the steering rack is further away than it used to be, due to the increased angle it 'steers' the wheels outwards.

[Benn]

Also are the springs likely to fall out when jacked up even on shortened shocks?

Straight away.

[pyromaniac_yeti]

Expect understeer, oversteer, bump steer...you know what, expect every kind of steer possibly going!!

and a broken back whenever you hit a pothole or drain cover...Grips okay i guess, but makes the car feel very skittish and unstable IMO.

Idk, probbably the front setup on mine but the handlings gash with it that low...Got a set of 60mm rears you'd like to sell me after you get your 80mm jobbies fitted?

EDIT: The above post about them falling out isn't true on my car. when we jacked that up they stayed quite happily in place!

[MK999]

to be fair the main issue on mine was the springs are awful, my previous red one was pretty spot on that low, would have gone lower if it wasn't intended for the track!

[pyromaniac_yeti]

Hmm, might be hope yet then - with a bit of luck the rally design springs will do the job, just have to see what its like and go from there - however the roads are a damnsight smoother down your way belive me!

[MK999]

I actually bought the TD, and my track car from out your way, Bexleyheath and 10mins away from lakeside (I think? Big shopping centre where the chavs go cruisin' yo) More speedbumps than I knew what to do with, literally, because I went in my old red beast once when it was down fairly low lol

[gtegary]

Cheers for the comments guys. I've done some
Reading into the science of it and have come accross a few solutions to
The bump steer problem and they aren't cheap!
-rose jointed tie bar kit
-rose jointed track control arms

I have seen images of bump steer correction kits, but haven't found any of these labelled up as for use with novas!

I think I'm gonna wait until my springs turn up and see if the extra "visual" looks is going to be worth the extra "physical" hassle.

I'm spending a lot of time and effort on this project and I
Don't want to ruin it by having crap handling! And end up smashing through the suspension turrents lol

[Mieran]

Lowering the tie bar bracket by about 25mm reduces bump steer

[MK999]

Cheers for the comments guys. I've done some
Reading into the science of it and have come accross a few solutions to
The bump steer problem and they aren't cheap!
-rose jointed tie bar kit
-rose jointed track control arms

I have seen images of bump steer correction kits, but haven't found any of these labelled up as for use with novas!

I think I'm gonna wait until my springs turn up and see if the extra "visual" looks is going to be worth the extra "physical" hassle.

I'm spending a lot of time and effort on this project and I
Don't want to ruin it by having crap handling! And end up smashing through the suspension turrents lol

Just drill out the hubs and run the TRE's on top, with a straight bolt instead of taper fit.