Desperately need to improve handling!

Melz · 13-01-2007, 04:39 PM

My EL Falcon has a shocking amount of body roll, and just is a nightmare to drive on rough roads. To the stage where I even think it is dangerous!

I need to do something, I'm doing 800kms a week in this car, so I may aswell have it set up so I'm comfortable and it is safe.

So the big question is what suspension should I be looking at to improve my EL?

Cheers
Melz

620hp_gt · 13-01-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melz

My EL Falcon has a shocking amount of body roll, and just is a nightmare to drive on rough roads. To the stage where I even think it is dangerous!

I need to do something, I'm doing 800kms a week in this car, so I may aswell have it set up so I'm comfortable and it is safe.

So the big question is what suspension should I be looking at to improve my EL?

Cheers
Melz

Some places offer, FREE inspections..

Find out what the problems are and work from there.. You may only need new shockers..

Melz · 13-01-2007, 04:48 PM

There is nothing wrong with the suspension according to 2 places it has been to for a suspension check! I didn't believe the guys at pedders, thats when i took it somewhere else and was told exactly the same!

bencat · 13-01-2007, 04:58 PM

For body roll normally you'd put better swaybars in and or lower it with firmer springs, but, be aware that if you drive on lots of rough surfaces your ride will get less comfortable as tougher suspensoin is designed for smooth surfaces at speed, not rough ones.

Also, older ford abs is scarry with hard suspension and rough roads, I sent my EB2 XR8 (lowered, koni ajustables, whiteline swaybars etc) into the back of a taxi on a rough corner because my ABS couldn't decide what it wanted to do :P

My suggestion to you is to get someone to take it for a run with you in it and just point out what you do and or don't want it to do during the drive.

niko · 13-01-2007, 05:18 PM

the sway bars in el's are huge already

if anything i reckon go heavy duty front and rear struts/shockers on low springs just to chop down the height of it

LowEL2XR8 · 13-01-2007, 06:27 PM

Get some low springs (not superlow) with linear rate at the front and variable rate at the back. Lovells can have springs which are about 60% stiffer than the stock springs. The variable rate spring in the rear will aid cornering so you have less oversteer.

JUZXR8 · 13-01-2007, 08:40 PM

put in LSD, that will held get rid of some bodyroll.

Dezza · 13-01-2007, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JUZXR8

put in LSD, that will held get rid of some bodyroll.

I disagree. My car has an LSD and stock suspension, and anyone who has followed my car on a twisty road will see that my car gets some intense bodyroll. It seriously feels like a boat! I reckon lowering with stiffer springs should sort it out.

rodderz · 13-01-2007, 08:48 PM

Years ago I used to drive my ex's mum's EB Fairmont every now and then, I got sore knee's from digging into the doors to hold myself steady on the seat around corners from the bodyroll!

nitroman · 13-01-2007, 08:57 PM

Get new springs and shocks and a wheel alignment and she'll be sweet. King springs, lovells, whiteline, kmac are all good compared to stock.

klawsterfobik · 13-01-2007, 09:25 PM

Your not serious about the LSD are you? May have well have suggested she change to a Pine from an Ocean Breeze air freshener all the good it would do.

Springs and shocks will help remove body roll, as will low profile tyres. As has been stated the sway bar should be enough. Of course changing Spring, Shocks and Tyres will effect ride quality too, so its going to be a trade off. Like Performance v's Economy

private9 · 13-01-2007, 10:06 PM

If your car has done a few kays, it may be as simple as getting a decent set of shocks installed - worn shocks can really screw around with your ride and handling.

atec77 · 13-01-2007, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melz

My EL Falcon has a shocking amount of body roll, and just is a nightmare to drive on rough roads. To the stage where I even think it is dangerous!

I need to do something, I'm doing 800kms a week in this car, so I may aswell have it set up so I'm comfortable and it is safe.

So the big question is what suspension should I be looking at to improve my EL?

Cheers
Melz

bounce a corner , how many rebounces ?
it might need shocks
check the rubbers , it might need a few bushes replaced
if it staill wallows after this stuff then drop it with better springs and add a whiteline rear adjustable sway bar ..

Gohan · 13-01-2007, 11:16 PM

strut braces even a floor brace would help with new suspention and sway bars even lower it a bit would help

Hybrid34 · 13-01-2007, 11:54 PM

Ahrrh shh..just get a turbo put in it...make it better:P

haha, na seriulsy my ed was the worst for corners it would feel asthough the car is about to roll over on its hood, then i went 2 pedders n got it lowered 6cm cause the back was like a ducks bum in water, and harden sports shocks, i can tell you now honestly it was the best thing i ever did, i can take corners alot faster and the car sticks to the road like glue! trust me

chich · 14-01-2007, 01:44 PM

How much do you want to spend?

The cheapest and easiest way to improve the cars handling would be to throw everything out and start from scratch with one of Whitelines complete kits which include properly matched shocks, springs and swaybars. These lower the car a little and retain a fair amount of suspension travel and are therefore pretty comfortable. I remember pricing the kit up when i was suspension shopping for my EF, IIRC Autobarn quoted around the $1,300 mark (supply). If you're going to be replacing shocks, springs and shocks I strongly recommend that you also change all the bushes in the front and rear ends. If you're covering 800km a week i presume that the car has covered a fair few kays, so its safe to assume that the bushes would also be pretty much stuffed. Mine where replaced a year ago at 160,000km and they disintegrated when they were pulled out. I've got pictures of them somewhere of when they were removed... and there i was wondering why the car wouldn't hold any alignment

:

If you don't want to go the full hog just fit front and rear swaybars. Front Whiteline sway bars (30mm) can be had for $180 fitted and the rear sway bar (22 or 24mm) can be had for about $200 fitted. These make a huge difference to the way the car handles.. the best suspension mod you could do by far. My suspension guy recommended against the adjustable type sway bars because he found that they worked themselves a little loose over time and required retightening.

kayak351 · 30-04-2007, 12:14 AM

this is a little late, but: I recommend a castor/camber kit for the the front end, plus a strut brace ( control arms, not across the towers). Don't go for an LSD unless you're really serious, because it actually promotes understeer and the EL already has more that enough. Decent springs, dampers and new new bushes (polyurethane where appropriate) and a slightly larger front sway bar will do wonders. The rear bar on EL's is fairly large as standard, so I wouldn't bother if I were you. Go to a serious suspension specialist ( not Pedders) and ask them to dial-out body-roll (and understeer) by modifying the toe-in and castor and camber settings and your car will be transformed.
I have a 98 EL Futura and was actually frightened to drive it above 120Kph, until I had performed the changes mentioned above. Now it drives like a dream.

LTDHO · 30-04-2007, 07:33 AM

Melz, I'd go gor XR suspension or similar.

Firm yet comfortable.

Gunns · 30-04-2007, 07:55 AM

30mm front sway bar, 26-27mm rear sway bar, Knoi red or yellow shocks, Pedders "low's" springs, a camber castor kit, and a good wheel alingment.

**Polyal** · 30-04-2007, 07:57 AM

Or....whiteline have a "works" kit thats meant to be good, if i keep the EL thats next on the list

http://www.whiteline.com.au/

Look under "your car"

MattyB · 30-04-2007, 08:00 AM

lower it on some decent rate springs suited to the combo, bang in some koni adjustables, rear sway bar, front sway bar and strut brace, camber caster kit front and rear,

you'll be rubbing bars with godzilla's up the hill :P (well, not quite)

Kenaz · 30-04-2007, 10:28 AM

IIRC Melz drives a Commodore ute these days. This thread is old. Maybe she still has the EL though, dunno.

-jjM- · 30-04-2007, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunns

30mm front sway bar, 26-27mm rear sway bar, Knoi red or yellow shocks, Pedders "low's" springs, a camber castor kit, and a good wheel alingment.

i agree with what has been said here and recommend it too

JC · 30-04-2007, 12:23 PM

Melz - My EL had similar handling problems when I got it a week ago. It would wander all over the road, and vibrate at speed. The biggest 2 changes I made were a new steering rack (reco one from car recyclers) which tightened up the feel of the steering wheel, and I did a full calliper kit on the front (involves pulling the calliper apart, cleaning piston and bore and all new rings, seals and rubber boots). The brake calliper fix actually stopped the car moving around on the road over bumps etc - I think what was happening was that the pads were dragging a bit on the discs because the calliper on the LH side was basically seized, and the bumps would knock the pad onto the disc, causing the car to move. So, if your suspension is in fact OK, this may be the problem you have too.

Believe it or not, lowering a car does not improve handling as much as people think - it affects ride height, but a spring's job is to control bounce, and the shocks job is to control rebound of the bounce (or vice versa). So changing shocks and springs to a lower height will not actually improve the handling, in fact it may worsen it as it will highlight the shortcomings elsewhere in the suspension (worn control arm bushes/ball joints etc). Of course, stuffed shocks do make a huge difference, as the car is still trying to rebound when it gets the next bounce, which really unsettles the car.

The biggest and, IMO, best change you can make is to either upgrade your swaybars ($100+++), or for a cheaper but just as effective option, put a set of new nolathane/SuperPro sway bar link bushes in front and rear (around $20 per end) - this has the same effect as upgrading your swaybar by one size (ie same as going from 27mm standard EL swaybar to 28mm bar). If you also replace the chassis mount bushes at the same time (another $20 per end, roughly), for under $100 you will have really tight swaybars which controls side to side movement. The watts link bushes may also be stuffed, so replacing these will help any rear end wobble.

Expect a bit more firmness using nolathane - it doesn't compress as much as rubber bushes do, thereby tightening everything up.

ed ant · 30-04-2007, 01:28 PM

i was in same problem so i did lower the ed with king srings and added monroe sensatrack shocks it handles reel GOOD .

snypereb · 30-04-2007, 06:22 PM

Thought you sold this Melz?

347_XR8 · 30-04-2007, 06:24 PM

One word solves all.........COILOVERS!

Melz · 30-04-2007, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snypereb

Thought you sold this Melz?

EL is in storage. Got rid of it, brought it back.. and its sitting in the shed

I'm not spending any money on it! But thanks for thread mining for those that did it! But some useful suggestions for anyone else who is having the same issues!