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Old 21-09-19, 01:22 PM   #1
Mark S
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Join Date: Jul 2012
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What if? Lowered ZS

so the ZS has been lowered 2" and some say it looks the dogs.

Its been polybushed to buggery and has camber arms all round to correct the geo.
Done right? One would think so.

....

Now on a standard ZS, which is without doubt a great handling car, the rear suspension will always toe in when the wheel goes into bump, or rebound.
Manufacturers do this to keep us safe, generally this creates a bit of understeer and the car is easy enough to keep control of if we have to take avoiding action.

....

Now on the lowered ZS, things are different.
When the wheel goes into bump it toes in, but this time it toes in with a greater rate of gain than before.

BUT, in rebound, or under braking or when the weight is transferred off the rear wheels it toes out, and it toes out quite a bit.

Ever driven a car with rear toe out? They are not stable and likely to snap oversteer if you ever need to take avoiding action.

One option is to stick on a load of toe in, but then we drag the rear like we drag an anchor wasting precious horsepower.
It will still toe to zero or even toe out still, so this really isn't a fix solution.
Another option is to lengthen the toe link, this will reduce the rate of gain but the effects still happen.

Whilst its possible to properly fix the problem (there are people clever enough I'm sure, its not gonna come cheap)

The car will never be put on track, its too nice for that.
In all honesty, polybushing a road car may have been a bit pointless, but its quite impressive to say you have a polybushed car.

Its not even driven fast on the road.

But what if...

What if I have to swerve to avoid an animal at night?
Many years ago I hit an animal that ran into the road, it did a lot of damage to the car, but...

What if I could have swerved to avoid that animal?
Chances are in the same circumstances I'd have ended up in a ditch upside down and totalled my pride and joy.

What if it was a person?
with the toe out that happens there's a fair chance that swerving to avoid would cause loss of control of the car and I could still hit that person having lost control.

What if it was a child?

What if it was my child?

Some things in life don't bear thinking about.

Is my car looking the dogs worth it?
Is vanity worth the price?
The chances may be similar to winning the lottery, but it still happens, but...

What if I never lowered it?

Is it worth it?

What would you do now like me you understand the problem that can't be fixed?

Opinions please.
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