how to stop my s3 understeering?

[edward_harris]

anyone no anything that will stop s3's understeering, if you go into a roundabout etc it just goes straight on, my mates rover coupe handles better than my s3!
any sloutions?!

 

[ChriS3]

ARB's, the Haldex Peformance Part, good shocks and springs, good tyres, and a lot more neg camber at the front!

 

[DPM]

 

[S3Steve]

Glens suspension setup post

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=4595

 

[edward_harris]

does this really make alot of difference then? why is it so bad standard?!

 

[Tooks]

Because in this litigous world we live in, and the average skill of your average driver, it's safer for cars to be setup to understeer.

Tis the way of the world, just as my wife will buy new shoes given the chance, and I will look at internet porn given the opportunity!!





I've probably said too much there!!

 

[Defratos]

ARB's, the Haldex Peformance Part, good shocks and springs, good tyres, and a lot more neg camber at the front!

I second that, my S3 handled like a pig before the Suspensions, in particular the ARBs and tie-bars, I still need to get the haldex. Oh and bushes might help, dunno really.

Hey Chris how do u get more neg camber on the front? I've read Glen's post but didn't really get what he meant, does anyone have a slightly simplistic explanation for the front camber?

 

[Tooks]

This help?

Think of negative camber like spreading your legs further apart to steady yourself on a rocking boat! Or is that not what you meant? Did you mean HOW do you adjust it?

EDIT: Won't let me link the explanation, but it's here about 3/4's of the way down the page....

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html

 

[buckas]

check your tyres are up to the job would be my first check, heh - but after that, echo what has been said above

drew

 

[ChriS3]

I second that, my S3 handled like a pig before the Suspensions, in particular the ARBs and tie-bars, I still need to get the haldex. Oh and bushes might help, dunno really.

Poly bushes help everything feel better and tighter, but I'm not sure if they really helped with the handling. The haldex made a big difference (IMO) to the whole set-up of the car. Big difference, but still very subtle.

.

Hey Chris how do u get more neg camber on the front? I've read Glen's post but didn't really get what he meant, does anyone have a slightly simplistic explanation for the front camber?

I'm maxed out at -1.3 deg at the front. You need to make sure the sub-frame is bang in the middle, the you can push the camber out. You have to tweak ball joints and things to get to -1.5

 

[Toxik-Signal]

Could always put a bit more air in your back tyres to help balance things out

 

[ChriS3]

Oh and tyre pressures to 34psi front, 38psi rear (if you're on 18s)

 

[simch]

With a stock one the only way to not get understeer is not to steer it!!
hahaha

What everyone else says, I have billys, H and R springs and a HUGE race neuspeed rear ARb coming to get mine dialled in as i like it!!

 

[scib4]

Oh and tyre pressures to 34psi front, 38psi rear (if you're on 18s)

What should they be if your running standard 17" as i am?

Cheers

 

[ChriS3]

What should they be if your running standard 17" as i am?

Cheers

It's beena while since I ran on 17s, but I think 32 front, 36 rear was good.

 

[DavidR]

anyone no anything that will stop s3's understeering, if you go into a roundabout etc it just goes straight on, my mates rover coupe handles better than my s3!
any sloutions?!

Move the engine further back...

You'll never stop an S3 understeering - it's in the nature of the chassis and weight distribution.

The above mods can help, but even with max negative camber with a very brave lengthening of the front suspension mounts it will still understeer. TBH the chassis on the S3 wouldn't really cope with a truly neutral setup - too much flex to catch the back of the car in extremis.

Best plan is to drive round it. ChriS3 is (unusually) correct though. The Haldex controller makes the car alot more neutral and is highly recommended.

 

[leecs3]

S3 isn't worth driving with uprated ARBs.

 

[Hotscar]

Use the throttle and then don't use it...

 

[fingermouse]

S3 isn't worth driving with uprated ARBs.

????? mine feels better with the R32 ARB in what way isnt it worth driving in this form ????

 

[edward_harris]

will he tyre pressures really make a big differnece, im running 30 all round on 18s, but my old a3 1.8 i had s3 wheels on it and when ever i put the pressure up it really understeered!!

 

[leecs3]

????? mine feels better with the R32 ARB in what way isnt it worth driving in this form ????

sorry, meant not worth driving without uprated ARB's. Typo.

 

[Toxik-Signal]

will he tyre pressures really make a big differnece, im running 30 all round on 18s, but my old a3 1.8 i had s3 wheels on it and when ever i put the pressure up it really understeered!!

Yeah, but did you have the same pressure all round?
I find that if I have a bit more pressure in the back tyres than the front that it helps a bit (not a massive difference but it helps)
30 seems a bit low btw, you sure that's right ?

 

[edward_harris]

dunno f its right thats what someone told me!!

 

[rodenal]

30 is too low really, 34 front and 36-38 rear will be much better as said above

 

[fdussud]

All I added to my car was a haldex performance controller. I could not believe the difference. In the wet on a round about, it use to understeer alot when I pushed the car hard but now with the performance controller, the car is neutral.

Makes you feel alot safer driving hard in the rain and dry.

 

[Defratos]

sorry, meant not worth driving without uprated ARB's. Typo.

ohhh good thing you corrected that quickly, I was about to give you a paragraph or two for why its good lol