Escort Suspension issues

[freddy686868]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Yeah mine is set up for the lanes really. High and soft is it a track day or a road rally event? As i have twin webbers on my car.

[Graham]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

ok looking at it to me you seem to have two faults, the fronts too soft and its under damped, this causes massive weight transfer, put some stiffer springs in the front and stiffen the damping. a stiffer anti roll bar may help with initial turn in, but will do very little if your actually lifting wheels. i could be wrong but it also looks like you have a lot of ground clearance for a car on 13 inch wheels, getting it lower will certainly help

driving style can also have massive effect, i tend to have a smooth approach to cornering, i tend to turn in gently and fairly early, then wind on more lock, that allows the suspension and weight transfer to settle before being fully loaded up, turning in later and yanking harder on the wheel will encourage lifting of the inside.

i used to run an imp which handled well through the twisty bits but was easy to unsettle if you were too abrupt with the wheel through the tight corners, it was fun when i deliberately used to pop it up on two wheels, but not very fast because ending up on two wheel would rob all the traction and i'd lift and loose all momentum.

[max0815]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Max0815 :- is that high speed driving or slow? It looks quite quick, mine only seems to lift on slow tight turns. Looks bloody scary though.

I have no speedo but second gear with 4/44 so not really fast something around 60 - 70 kmh

[hawk1903]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

I guess if the front geometry is set correct, you will not have understeer even with 250lbs. Of course the grip from the front tyres is also important. As far as the front geometry goes, I use max. - 1,5 deg. Camber, around 3,5 to 4,5 caster and 2 mm toe in. But we rally on the roads so this is not a circuit set up. Also we always set the absolutely level as far as the ride height goes.

[jonsey]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Max0815 :- is that high speed driving or slow? It looks quite quick, mine only seems to lift on slow tight turns. Looks bloody scary though.

Freddy686868 :- Your car rides pretty high like mine. It seems to lean a fair bit too, but don't know if mine does the same as all the photo's I have of mine is slower speed turns where it sits quite flat as its sliding. Looking good fun though. There is a track day with Kidwelly Club at Pembrey coming up if your interested.

Hawk 1903 :- I might try 225lb on the front when funds allow, but I didn't want to go to hard as didn't want to induce understeer, but then some people are running with over 300lb on the front.

[hawk1903]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Since you do not have the front ARB fitted, You would definetely not go lower than the 200lbs springs in the front, even 225 lbs may work well. 190lbs without the ARB is very much on the soft side and as stated above, it is probably causing a dipping towards the outer front corner. For the rear, nothing is wrong with the 146 lbs leafs in my opinion, I always like to rear end as soft as possible for better traction and grip.

My mk2 pinto engined car is configured for the tarmac rallies as follows ;
Fronts suspension : Twincam ARB, 300/70 short Blisteins 225 lbs 2.25 springs
Rear suspension : No leaf springs, 6 linked, 140 lbs springs on the non-cannister type Reiger single adjustment turret shocks. However, I could have used probably 150 lbs springs but not more than that. Of course, having a Reiger shock is a big advantage even over the typical turret Blisteins.
Tyres : This season we have used DMack rally slicks and they were really good

[freddy686868]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

This is how my more door cornered on a track setion at castle combe









The spec of my car is

Road leagal hankook slicks all round softs on the front mediums on the rear.

Front end
2.25 coilovers 180lb springs
Long tarmac spec dampers
Twink arb
Double width kit

Rear end
Anglia van axle plated diff
Mk1 escort multi leaf springs poly bushed
Bilestien rear dampers

It corners as it should really although if i was to do more track days the front end would need stiffer springs. I hope that gives you something to compare against because from what i can work out your set up isn't far off the same as everyones.

[max0815]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

We tryed a harder leaf spring on the weekend and the car was nearly undriveable. It runs on two wheels in every corner. I really don´t get it where this is coming from


and from another event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qem8vxFNS3Q from 4:29 on

[jonsey]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

The front is probably just a bit wider than standard. The rear is running an atlas which is only 47.25" flange to flange, so the rear is definately narrower at the rear. On the targa rally I ran 7" wheels alround, but when it nearly tipped I was running 7" on the front and only 6" on the rear.

[RS500Larsen]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Just a quick thinking... Check your traction width in front and then in the rear. If your car is too soft in the front with a more narrow traction this will occure. You will always get a better handling when your car has a wider traction in front

[rhodrievans]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Where are you based Rhodri?

Carmarthen just seen again you have turrets but could always compare

[jonsey]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Where are you based Rhodri?

[rhodrievans]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

If youd like you can pop up and compare your setting with our mk2 rs2000 sounds like the same setup but we don't have compression struts

[jonsey]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

Not sure how much drop. I can jack the axle up on on side and it goes right up in to the arch without hitting any thing. I've only got 40mm lowering blocks on rear so it sits quite high, but with 2 spare wheels, full tank and tools the rear is sitting lower. During the Targa Rally I had no issues, but did have rubbish rear tyres on and drove with a lot more committment than you do on the road, so the rear end broke free. (I think).http://daphotographic.co.uk/kidwelly-targa-2013/# Some photos from the rally

[qcadta]

Re: Escort Suspension issues

how much travel/droop have you got in the rear? plenty of clearance between chassis and diff? looks like a hair raising issue.