Rear suspension

[Delk]

Misses car is lowered with lots of camber and some sort of rain loving tires. Handles well all year around.

Mine is lowered with camber correction and Pilot Sports. I have a little bit of rear camber but they sit very square. I still drive it year around but it hates any dampness and the rear comes around far easier then I would like. Dry and sunny is a different story and it sticks like glue.

Is it just down to the rubber or what are other people running in the rear when they have adjustable setups.

Driving through the Lincolnshire Wolds the other day going to Hull and the car tried to kill me several times on the B roads when I wasn't paying attention. The two cars are night and day and mine will never be a comfortable cruiser like hers but I do wonder if the rear end could be better.

 

[andyglym]

Mines lowered by 30mm and sticks to the road like the proverbial to a blanket in any weather, it's all in the tyres, in my view. How's your rear beam bushes and bushes in general?

 

[Delk]

Rear bushes and everything in the rear is good.

Poly Bush with 12mm raised beam to help correct the camber. Weld in camber plates on the beam to finish the adjustment. BC coil overs.

 

[Trevor /chedder]

I think the tyres are the main thing, more performance orientated seem to be more dry warm weather as well.

 

[Delk]

I didnt know if anyone had any advice on rear alignment with adjustable set ups.

The rubber is staying as is and the car runs great in the dry. Just hoped to improve the damp traction so spirited B roads full of tractors is more sedate.

 

[Lee]

I would look the at the tyres and get the alignment checked.

How old are the tyres ? How stiff are the BC's set?

 

[Dino D]

I find that running the dampers a few clicks softer in winter (BC racing 8kg rear springs) helps with grip and feeling more planted.


Mine is not camber corrected so runs a lot of rear camber / toe which I believe also can make it skittish on poor roads.

I’ve been wants to do the camber correction kit but given how little it’s driven, how good it is on track with the camber, it’s seems a lot of expense for possibly not much gain?
Tyre wear doesn’t bother me that much as it’s not a daily so negligible saving there I expect.

how about swapping the rims and tyres between the cars go see if the handling changes on either?
Tyres and even pressures make a big difference on these I found.

 

[Delk]

I would look the at the tyres and get the alignment checked.

How old are the tyres ? How stiff are the BC's set?

Alignment was done awhile ago and I dont remember the specs. They are maybe a half degree camber and a tiny bit of toe in. The tyres are in good shape and they only went on when I installed the turbo so a few years old now.

 

[Lee]

Alignment was done awhile ago and I dont remember the specs. They are maybe a half degree camber and a tiny bit of toe in. The tyres are in good shape and they only went on when I installed the turbo so a few years old now.

Personally knowing how these Z3's handle I would dial out that toe to be as neutral and possible, also increase that camber to nearer 2*

I bet the rails feeling will come back

 

[Delk]

I find that running the dampers a few clicks softer in winter (BC racing 8kg rear springs) helps with grip and feeling more planted.


Mine is not camber corrected so runs a lot of rear camber / toe which I believe also can make it skittish on poor roads.

I’ve been wants to do the camber correction kit but given how little it’s driven, how good it is on track with the camber, it’s seems a lot of expense for possibly not much gain?
Tyre wear doesn’t bother me that much as it’s not a daily so negligible saving there I expect.

how about swapping the rims and tyres between the cars go see if the handling changes on either?
Tyres and even pressures make a big difference on these I found.

I have the same 8kg coils in mine. The dampers are set somewhere around the mid point. Will be driving south today so will see about softening them up before I go.

Not sure about swapping between cars. The boss would be very upset if I played with her car and mine wont fit on hers since the rear end was narrowed.

Being camber corrected they show no signs of abnormal wear so that part is nice.

 

[Delk]

Will be driving back south this afternoon and the car looks tiny compared to the other forms of transport I am dealing with.

 

[IainP]

Misses car is lowered with lots of camber and some sort of rain loving tires. Handles well all year around.

Mine is lowered with camber correction and Pilot Sports. I have a little bit of rear camber but they sit very square. I still drive it year around but it hates any dampness and the rear comes around far easier then I would like. Dry and sunny is a different story and it sticks like glue.

Is it just down to the rubber or what are other people running in the rear when they have adjustable setups.

You answered your own question in the first two paragraphs.
Rain, or all season, tyres have more side sipes, it’s called a higher void ratio. It gives more biting edges, more ground pressure and the compound is usually very slightly softer so they conform better.
Pilot Sports are a summer tyre.
Summer tyres have very few side sipes or tread blocks. What sipes they do have generally don’t go full depth. Low void ratio, hence lower ground pressure, anything between the tyre and the ground they struggle to squeeze out of the way, usually big circumferential grooves, they dissipate water well in a straight line but don’t much like corners. Generall, a slightly harder rubber.
Summer tyres stick well in the dry because of the low void ratio, more rubber, more friction, more grip. Worst of all worlds for summer tyres is a damp road, all the rubbish comes to the surface and the surface gets greasy. Plus, wet road, you’ll treat it like a wet road, damp and we don’t.

 

[t-tony]

Will be driving back south this afternoon and the car looks tiny compared to the other forms of transport I am dealing with.

View attachment 249583

@FRANKIES Z3 ///M looked tiny sat between to “ normal“ everyday cars outside of Denny’s last September.

Tony.