Awful handling

[Philpatton]

I'm having some handling issues with my zed at the moment.
a few months ago, i changed the front lollipop bushes, ARB bushes and drop links on the car, as well as the rear ARB bushes and rear drop links.
after that the car felt really tight and awesome to drive. one day, it felt really over sensitive at the front to minor steering adjustments, so i checked the the pressures, adjusted them and everything was ok again.
last weekend, i changed the rear tyres to avons and left the front 2 Michelin's on the front as they have lots of tread left.
Since then, the handling had been awful, to the point where I'm not sure what the car is going to do when i turn the steering wheel. The abs light covers on more often than usual and i can feel the abs pumping on the brakes as i then into a corner/ bend.
Surely the car is not so sensitive to having 2 new tyres that it becomes difficult to drive?
One of the front tyres as some slight cracking on the sidewall, but nothing was mentioned at last month's mot.
My plan is to take the front wheels off the car and check the ARB, lollipops and drop links, but if there anything else i should be looking for? I'm planning on changing the front tyres, but i don't want to spend £150 on 2 new tyres of the problem is elsewhere.
Thoughts?

 

[colb]

Put the new tyres on the front and the old pair on the rear, see if that makes any difference.

 

[Althulas]

Yes the tyres can make such a difference I changed some rear to Tyo proxies as they had no matching F1 like I had on the front. It actually made it dangerous as they induce sudden snatches in direction on an uneven road and fronts were quickly changed but found the proxies overall to be disappointing. A set of Falkens on the budget side were vastly superior to the proxies.

 

[Eddie Zedder]

Check the shocks, springs and top mounts and have an alignment check if not already done.

 

[BillyB]

Did you have a problem before you changed the parts on the front if not I would check everything again plus the parts you have not changed, new and old sometimes don't always gel. Also change the front tyres cracked tyres are old tyres and potentially dangerous.

 

[Troy Davis]

I'm having some handling issues with my zed at the moment.
a few months ago, i changed the front lollipop bushes, ARB bushes and drop links on the car, as well as the rear ARB bushes and rear drop links.
after that the car felt really tight and awesome to drive. one day, it felt really over sensitive at the front to minor steering adjustments, so i checked the the pressures, adjusted them and everything was ok again.
last weekend, i changed the rear tyres to avons and left the front 2 Michelin's on the front as they have lots of tread left.
Since then, the handling had been awful, to the point where I'm not sure what the car is going to do when i turn the steering wheel. The abs light covers on more often than usual and i can feel the abs pumping on the brakes as i then into a corner/ bend.
Surely the car is not so sensitive to having 2 new tyres that it becomes difficult to drive?
One of the front tyres as some slight cracking on the sidewall, but nothing was mentioned at last month's mot.
My plan is to take the front wheels off the car and check the ARB, lollipops and drop links, but if there anything else i should be looking for? I'm planning on changing the front tyres, but i don't want to spend £150 on 2 new tyres of the problem is elsewhere.
Thoughts?

Check sway bar links. I've found my roadster is very sensitive to mis-matched tires.

 

[DrWong]

I think it’s accepted the Z3 is sensitive to differing tyres front and back, particularly re: tramlining. Putting Avon’s on the front of mine to match the back dramatically improved handling.

From the chronology of events, it seems things went properly pear-shaped after you changed the tyres, so I’d be inclined to suspect that’s where the issue lies. Were front and backs matching before you changed them?

 

[Philpatton]

I think it’s accepted the Z3 is sensitive to differing tyres front and back, particularly re: tramlining. Putting Avon’s on the front of mine to match the back dramatically improved handling.

From the chronology of events, it seems things went properly pear-shaped after you changed the tyres, so I’d be inclined to suspect that’s where the issue lies. Were front and backs matching before you changed them?

No. The fronts are Michelin and the rears were continentals. I selected Avon’s as people advised they were very good. I’m going to check the various bushes tomorrow

 

[t-tony]

I would swap the wheels front to back first Phil, unless they're staggered? OR, you can come over and fit my winter wheels before I need them and see how that feels?

Tony.

 

[Philpatton]

Thanks Tony, but I changed the wheels before seeing this, but I appreciate the offer.
Wheels rotated, mich on the back and avons on the front and handling is restored.
I've never had a car so fussy about tyres!