how can i make my valver handle better?

[TUBZGSXR]

ive got a valver on 15's an a 60mm drop, wots the best thing to get as far as improvin the handlin goes, at the mo it feels a bit scary wen im goin for it, an goin round corners, i thought coilovers?

[novashed]

coilovers, get geometry setup properly, a bush kit to tighten things up

[Stuart]

bin the ARB (antiroll bar)

[Dicko]

get some lowered tie bar brackets from protec

?130 well spent!!

wack the ARB off, get some poly bushes from raldes (?40)


sorted 8)

[so1o]

From what i heard............30mm on the front is the best you can have with a valver. 15" alloys and 30mm drop.

[beatin u]

getting shorter shox will reduce the bump steer and a harder set of springs.

[TUBZGSXR]

cool yea im thinkin of coilovers, to make the ride firmer etc.. ge the left arch roled so it stops makin that scrapin noise...!

[Neil.]

shouldnt u get both rolled as if one scrapes the other might?

[TUBZGSXR]

the drivers side front arch has no rubbin , jsut the anoyyin noise from the alternator if it scrapes against the chasis leg wne i do a sharp left turn!

[smooth16v]

were do u go to get a geometry setup?? cos ive got the lowered tie bar mounts,poly bushed lower arms, coilovers and rose jointed top mount on my valver and wanna get it all set up proper!!

[novashed]

for geometry you best looking up your nearest motorsport car builders/garage, they will have the sufficient equipment and knowledge to get it spot on, cost a bit but deffo worth it for the results and info you get from em.

[smooth16v]

oh right!! i live in bedfordshire is there anywhere near me?? that u know of??

[m.d.]

how does it help by removing the arb

[Stuart]

the arb mountings on the front are pants, which means the ARb acctually messes the handeling up, The tarmac rally guys run without, many many members here run without and have spot on handling.


an ARB on the rear is a good thing though.

Ive got ideas how to have a decentish front ARB setup, but since im not anywhere near my/anyones nova i cant visualise the idea completely lol

[m.d.]

i see.

may have to try loosing it then. see if it makes a difference cos i hear loads of people on here talking about it.

[Euan]

does removing the arb go for all novas or just valvers?

[so1o]

Novataken I have read many many opinions on the arb, it works for some but not so good for others, I havent tried it but have read about it a lot.

Solo

[Jack]

I tried an ARB on mine briefly, lowered 60mm on spax RSX, and i found with the bar on it was a bit too solid and jumped around on corners. Leaving it off gave a little bit of roll which seemed to help the car stick on the corners.

I've always heard that if you've got pretty stiff suspension you're better off leaving the ARB off.

[Stuart]

mines on Standard worn suspension, and the arb messed things up, made it skittish etc. took it off went back to being a bit more driveable

[beatin u]

so whats the script with rear ARB, should i get rid of that aswell????

[rysmee]

the thing that your forgetting is that if you set up the car for brilliant handling it is going to behave like a pig on our roads. if you only drive down fast smooth country lanes or A roads then fine but the rest of the time you will be grabbing the steering wheel for dear life trying to hang on to the thing, and it wont be 'nice' to drive.
whats needed is a compromise of good handling but not race car like.
leaving the arb on or taking it off i think is up to the driving style, so thats up to you. def leave the rear on as this keeps weight transfer through corners down, ie: keeps the rear end from being all over the place.
what shock / springs you running? ive found that simply a good pair of shocks with decent springs will do fine, no need to spend money on coilovers. lowered tir bars, box section lower arms with poly bushes all help to keep the car stable and where you put it on the road so will def help the handling, without loosing too much driveability.
have you thought about steering? this obviously has a major effect on the feeling of the car. a good quick rack with uprated mounts makes the car feel so much positive when you throw it in to a corner, just watch out for those bumps!

[2litreturbo]

anyone got a web address for pretec?

Whats the advantage of lower the tie bar?

[Ste_Nova]

my red 1.4 was pants till i fitted polly bushes etc.. all the standard stuff was shagged.. just gotta do the top mounts now... loads of play :o

[Aragorn]

the antiroll bar design on novas is flawed...

its there to INDUCE understeer as vaux came to the decision that understeer is "safer" for the driver than oversteer if they lift of in the middle of a corner or somthing silly

however it should be attached to the chassis and its not - its attached to the tie bars - this means if in mid corner one wheel is upset by a pot hole or somthing the arb transfers the force to the other wheel which is what makes it skittish instead of simly dissipating the forces into the chassis