TT350 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 I've seen 150mph+ on a few occasions on a private road and the Z didn't feel at all out of its depth at those speeds. It's a low, heavy car with a wide stance especially with spacers. I think once you get to the bottom of it you'll find new confidence in it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 15 pages of 350Z nerdporn 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richf Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 He was listing lazily to the right just before hitting 183. He then lifted off. At that speed tiny adjustment become magnified. In fact watching it a again, his line was all over the place throughout. Read the description. Spoiler had been removed and made it unstable. that's what he says but that wasn't the cause of the spin, snapping off the throttle onto the brakes is what did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 that's what he says but that wasn't the cause of the spin, snapping off the throttle onto the brakes is what did it - The OP is complaining about instability at high speeds (presumably all the time), not when snapping off the throttle onto the brakes - A video conveys a small percentage of what is actually happening and is felt by the driver - It's hard to tell exactly what happened from the video - To me, it sounded like he started to ease off, the back started to to kick out (due to the reduced stability from having no spoiler), it got sideways, THEN he gave up trying to save it and just stomped on the brakes to stop ASAP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Snapping off throttle sending the COG over the front axle and turning is only a recipe for disaster at high speed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay84 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 The vid was reference to not being able to bring about driver error in straight line, not what the OP was doing. If he eased his foot off it may not have spun, as has been mentioned COG wouldn't have shifted dramatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 The vid was reference to not being able to bring about driver error in straight line, not what the OP was doing. If he eased his foot off it may not have spun, as has been mentioned COG wouldn't have shifted dramatically. But the comment was a generalisation in regards to what the OP was doing, and I think we can assume they aren't snapping on / off the throttle / brake. Plus the guy driving in that video admits to driving an unstable car and presumably had no issues when the spoiler was installed. Obliviously you can drive in a straight line wrong, hence the inclusion of the word "really". The same way you can eat a sandwich wrong, but not really, and you have to be doing something silly. However, to clarify the intended point of my statement - It's hard to drive incorrectly in a straight line at constant speed. If all you are doing is trying to keep the car straight, it shouldn't feel unstable, and if it does, it is most likely due to the car not the driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 or how about doing 140mph on road which isnt a race track and rutted out from lorrys etc doing 140mph on a track is a completely different scenario to doing 140mph down a well used road 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 ^^^This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Well yeh, but I think we can apply some common sense. The aim is to diagnose why the car feels like it does, not the road, so other factors (crosswinds, road condition, passenger weight, whether you skip leg day, or if you have a fat arse etc) can be disregarded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 So you're saying the road surface plays no significant part in that at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 So you're saying the road surface plays no significant part in that at all? Does road surface affect how stable a car feels? Yes. Have people reported a 350Z feeling stable on imperfect non-track roads at 140mph? Yes Therefore, assuming the OP hasn't just driven over a load of potholes and come to the conclusion his car is unstable from that, yes, road surface doesn't play a significant part in diagnosing OP's issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 (edited) So you're saying the road surface plays no significant part in that at all? Does road surface affect how stable a car feels? Yes. Have people reported a 350Z feeling stable on imperfect non-track roads at 140mph? Yes Therefore, assuming the OP hasn't just driven over a load of potholes and come to the conclusion his car is unstable from that, yes, road surface doesn't play a significant part in diagnosing OP's issue. has every person report it was fine on the same road at the same time? im sure a wet M11 isnt quite the same as a dry A52 Edited May 9, 2017 by StevoD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 has every person report it was fine on the same road at the same time? im sure a wet M11 isnt quite the same as a dry A52 It's called an assumption and is used to isolate the problem and aid diagnosis. As someone with a Honda Blackbird and history of going fast in fast cars, we can deduce that there is a reasonable amount of past experience, understanding of road conditions, and the affect they have on car stability. But sure, let's just pretend the OP was driving on a sloped, icy road, with bald tyres, in a gale, with half a tonne of lead in the passenger seat and treating the throttle like a kick drum. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 has every person report it was fine on the same road at the same time? im sure a wet M11 isnt quite the same as a dry A52 It's called an assumption and is used to isolate the problem and aid diagnosis. As someone with a Honda Blackbird and history of going fast in fast cars, we can deduce that there is a reasonable amount of past experience, understanding of road conditions, and the affect they have on car stability. But sure, let's just pretend the OP was driving on a sloped, icy road, with bald tyres, in a gale, with half a tonne of lead in the passenger seat and treating the throttle like a kick drum. well you must know how much a 350z can tram line in the ruts of a lorry now do that at double the speed limit dropping in and out of them could well give the feeling of uncertainty with all your pissing contest experience 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 well you must know how much a 350z can tram line in the ruts of a lorry now do that at double the speed limit dropping in and out of them could well give the feeling of uncertainty with all your pissing contest experience Was referring to the OP, not myself, but okay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 well you must know how much a 350z can tram line in the ruts of a lorry now do that at double the speed limit dropping in and out of them could well give the feeling of uncertainty with all your pissing contest experience Was referring to the OP, not myself, but okay... so you were fair enough hands up 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawker1986 Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 (edited) I've not really pushed my Z since I've owned it to be honest, but tonight I had two moments where a little bit of poo came out! First she's definitely not stable at higher motorway speeds. Just didn't feel like it would take even the most gentle bend on the motorway at speed, and just feels...unstable and a bit wallowy. Then on the way down some faster duel carriage ways I hit a bit of a bend at a good pace but not ridiculous. The back end wobbled like a jelly, and the traction control kicked in! This does not strike me as normal behaviour and I nearly poo'd my pants to be honest Anyone experienced similar? She's still on standard shocks and springs but I did change all the rear suspension bushes to White Line poly bushes a few months back, with the exception of the ARB bushes. New standard drop links were fitted at the same time as the bushes. Front end is totally standard. Could this just be worn standard suspension or something more sinister? Something doesn't sound right, as others have said get your suspension and geo checked over. Ive had the Zed at considerably above UK legal limits on derestricted autobahn with no stability worries going round bends etc. Ive even had a rear tyre blow out on the motorway at the speed limit and managed to keep it in the same lane till I could pull over safely - the car should be very stable... Ed Edited May 10, 2017 by hawker1986 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 (edited) As others say, get the suspension checked and alighnment done. Having never heard of the Cooper tyres you are using, googled the review: http://www.tyrerevie...on-CS-Sport.htm Couldn't help notice the handling did not score well and from the review feedbacks it sounds like they have relatively soft sidewalls which makes me wonder if they are not working so well on the Zed as on your Focus due the weight and being rear-wheel drive as opposed to front wheel drive? Maybe try incrrasing the tyre pressures? Edited May 10, 2017 by Ebized 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay84 Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Cooper Tyres own Avon. Its exactly the same tyre but usually a bit cheaper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Yeah, even the crappest tyres can still support the weight of a vehicle, and Cooper arent the crappest by a long shot. Its a crazy one but different diameter tyres/wheels on one side from the other can cause what the OP is talking about too, although generally youd notice an 18 on one side and a 17 on the other 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exec Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 (edited) Doc, I wonder if anyone has had say a 245/45/18 on one side and a 245/40/18 on the other. I'm sure it's happened before. Maybe not so noticeable in a shopping wagon but on a sporty car probably more so. Not that this is directly related to OP but you've made me wonder now. Just think to yourself 'I wonder what Ekona would do' and go and buy a set of MPSS. I did, I think they are great Edited May 10, 2017 by Exec 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 WWED I should get stickers made up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashback Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 15 pages of 350Z nerdporn That is a good little read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Doc, I wonder if anyone has had say a 245/45/18 on one side and a 245/40/18 on the other. I'm sure it's happened before. Yeah, its happened before .......... Ive done it myself :o The first time was because Id run out of tyres that held air at a drift day, drove home with a 17 on one side and an 18 on the other. Wouldnt advise that, definitely not with a welded diff, car pulled massively to the left on throttle and to the right off of it But Ive also run slightly different profiles and while the effect isnt as distinct, its still there and can be quite unsettling, Ive had similar with seriously underinflated tyres on the back. Polybushes will exacerbate this as well, like I say it sounds stupid but its worth checking. And now, in the true spirit of WWED Im off to buy a massive orange car and try to chase Caterhams in it 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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