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MG MGF Technical - Losing the back end

Hi,
just bought an MGF,every time I go round round-a-bouts in the wet, even when the road is just damp,I lose the back end.This was fun at first but now its cheesing me
off, I'm not speeding or being flash, honest. Is it my suspension?? The tyres are ok,pressures,tread etc. I'd appreciate any advice on this. Do I have to live with it until it kills me?
Thanks
Jim

>Do I have to live with it until it kills me?

Nope, just learn to control your accelerator ;)

Which tyres are you on, standard ??
same size all around ? Which brand ?

Good tyres help surviving, but it's the driver who controls !!

Look at this *idiot* (me)
http://www.mgfcar.de/mgf_accident/poor_car.htm
Though me is perfect, but bad tyres, to many speed in the wet and lack of sensitivity while driving shot me from the straight road (aqua planing).

Regards
Dieter
Dieter K.

Hi Jim

genuinely surprised that the rear of your car is so tail happy. What tyres do you have fitted? Certain tyres simply do not work well with the MGF chassis.

If an older MGF, then one area of potential weakness are the suspension bushes - particularly those found on the dampers - which can wear/harden/crack.

You might also consider getting the car's geometry checked - despite the lack of tyre wear evidence.
Rob Bell

Fs tend to be "tail happy" if the rears have been set to toe out and take a fair amount of control.

It can also help to fit "compliance washers" (check the archives for what they are and how to fit them) to the rear tie bar which will stop the rear end alignment changing under acceleration or braking.

Neil.
Neil


NCT3s near the end of their life per chance?

I'd check, in order:
- Tyre pressures (you have)
- Wheel allignment (standard is "safe" and understeers)
- Tyre choice (NCT3s suck particularly in the wet)
- Suspension play (worn and affecting the tracking?)

Oversteer is something that can be dialed out of a car's handling if you so wish. It feels cool but is slow and dangerous.

If you can, I suggest you take another 'F out on a test drive to have a direct comparison. That'll probably tell you if it's your car or not.

I have a very neutral handling car with parallel tracking all round - not to be recomended for all - but if I go fast enough and/or unsettle the car at the appropriate time (brakes or jerky/heavy throttle) then it's easy to loose the back end in the wet.

Let us know how you get on...

P.
Paul Nothard

Could this be the perennial problem of someone driving a FWD car all their life and then finding a RWD car unhandleable?

They are different, even my dad's Morris Minor would hang out the back end on a wet road if I used too much throttle.

Brian

Make sure you don't have stickier tyres on the front compared to the rear. Ideally all tyres should be the same make and tyre pattern.

Also worth checking that the tyres are on correctly. Eagle F's and SO2's and the like are directional. if they are fitted the wrong way round (not un-heard of even by dealers) then you'll be in trouble.

Tracking is also a good one to get done as already mentioned. and check the integrety of the shocker bushes on older cars these can be shot.
tim woolcott

Jim, ...... My car felt great on both dry and wet ( including track day use !!! ) surfaces up until last week. I got a puncture, ripped a rear tyre to shreds so needed a replacemnt quickly. As it was 3:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and I was almost 2 and a half hrs drive from home I decided to take any tyre I could find.


I eventually found a place open and thought I would play safe and replace BOTH rear tyres. I bought a brand I'd never heard of and thought they would be ok ...........BUT.............. road holding in the dry is dodgy to say the least now. Road holding in the wet is suicidal. I broadsided the F TWICE travelling to work this morning at a far slower speed than usual.


I now have NO confidence in the car whatsoever . In fact its postitively scary and has taken all enjoyment out of what used to be a great car.


My options ?.....well I could fork out on 4 new tyres, but thats an expense I have not budgeted for. Live with it for now?........seems so .........but I dont have that happy F grin anyomre. Its more like a white knuckle ride.
D Jamieson

Dave,

I've got a spare set of 15" rims with brand new bridgestone SO3's on them that you could borrow.

Not sure of condition, got them replaced after accident, but mainly just curbing.

Guess for the cost of wheel balancing, could tide you over for a while.

Will check them out for you if interested.

PS

Can't seem to email you from work to your work email address.


paul weatherill

Cheers Paul , I have ordered 2 TOYO's from our local tyre guru in Cumbernauld. Im sure you have heard him mentioned at the meets. I will get them fitted on the rear tomorrow morning and see how I go. I thought Id better buy more tyres now than have to replace body panels etc etc when I lose traction and hit something.


I may take you up on the offer of the 15" and offer to buy them as Im considering going back to 15" or 16" to improve handling....... will need to see how things pan out.

Are the 15" 6 spoke MPI or 5 spoke VVC ?


If you cant email me at work email me at versace1968@aol.com and I will pick it up from there.
D Jamieson

Dave, time to book a airfield day to have sidways fun and wear out those new tyres- I men what else can you do with them ;-)
Will Munns

To be honest Will the only thing good for the rear tyres I have at present, although only a week old is to use them as dust catchers in the back garden shed. You have no idea just how scary these things are....... To make everyone aware the make is StarPerfomer...they even come with a ZR speed rating although 40mph in the wet seems too much for them. ;-)
D Jamieson

Dave,

You seemed to do OK yesterday?

Perhaps you can find a local friendly skipper that could take the starperformers off your hands? If you got 'em from a 'bigger' chain I'd take them back and complain. Most 'decent' chains are aware that 'F's aren't recommended to have non-standard tyres fitted, so perhaps you could complain that they weren't fit for the job, etc.?

As the 'F' is particularly temperemental with tyres, probably someone else could use 'em on their car with no problems. Why not try flogging em on e-bay?

Paul's car is a VVC, so I imagine the alloys he's got are VVC ones.

Leigh

Leigh

This thread was discussed between 17/05/2003 and 19/05/2003

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