New Toys Fitted

[simondann111s]

 

 

 

I'll get some pictures of the Nitrons at the weekend.

 

First impressions (after 130 track miles at Donington today)

 

I started on the softest setting possible on all corners, then worked my way up the scale. At present I'm on 10 clicks from soft on the front, 12 clicks on the rear. This greatly reduces roll and I'm only half way up the scale!!

 

Turn in is vastly improved; it's like a new car, and going to take a while to learn how to drive it again. NO understeer on the AO48s, breaking greatly improved also.

 

Full geo still to be carried out, as with the ride height. These are being sorted on my next Donington day on the 14th June.

 

Donington today was outstanding. Due to the late availability there wasn't many places filled. While most trackday organisers would cancel (letting down those who had booked) BookaTrack didn't. I can't recommend them highly enough. Today was like my own private test day, with Blink Motorsport providing mechanical backup. The most cars I saw on track at one time was 3..... I had to keep checking for red flags, as at times you would think the circuit was closed. Come and go as you pleased, no pressure from other drivers, and an excellent standard of driving from any you did meet on track.

 

Can't wait till the next one.

 

Nice to meet James, hope the wheels have cleaned up well, or are you still polishing.....

 

Simon

[JAMES]

Nice to meet you aswell Simon. Really wanted to go back to Donnington this evening but had troubles fitting my new wheels as my old ones had seized on to the drums! Had to go to ATS and we eventually got them off! Cleaned up the 111s wheels and there on now, really happy with them Thanks to Baz for helping me out

 

Wheels look brilliant And the Nitrons give it a much better stance!

 

Good to hear your enjoying them.

[Mark H]

Very very nice! Love the look of those wheels, nice low stance.

 

Gotta be the best S2 colour as well

[MattyB]

Looks FG we need some pictures of the whole car though!

 

And are you more impressed with how it looks or how it drives?

[Ladders]

Niiiiiice!

[Simon G]

Looking good Simon, who fitted your Nitrons? Will you be using the car much before the geo/ride height/corner weights are done? A good point that was made to me was to always start with the Nitrons set to full hard, then take clicks off from there, I'm running 10 from hard front, and 8 from hard rear for the road. MarkA is the man to speak to for advice.

 

Ride height at the front looks low like mine, if you don't have a small number plate, or none at all then you may rip it off! I've caught the front a couple of times so far. The Nitrons really do transform the car, I love mine.

 

All you need now is some Mutnuts discs when yours wear out.

[jez_s]

Oh i so wish i hadn't seen those piccy's!!

 

I've got the same colour car and those wheels look brilliant

[Scott_Mac]

Certainly looking good.... did Blink do them all for you then?

[simondann111s]

Yep Blink did the lot. Took Rich about 2 1/2 hours including tyre fitting and balancing.

 

When I go back on the 14th they'll do the 4 point belts, harness bar and the ride height, then the geo. Done in this order I can get used to the different characteristics before selecting my setup. Also, my current settings aren't to bad anyway.

 

Simon, I have abused my kidneys enough in this life, so I started on the wuss settings . I drove home on the settings I used on track, and will be wimping out abit for future road use.

 

Tyre pressures currently at 23F 26R, but I think abit more is needed (these are Walshy settings)

 

Matty, I'm more impressed with how it drives, it's totally transformed the car, and I really am going to have to learn to drive it all over again. Previously I had not been bothered with understear to much, as I knew how to drive around it. Now it seems there are no limits to the level of grip, and I was finding it hard to get out of old habits.

 

More later

 

Simon

[MattyB]

I know not how fast you can take corners, rather *how* it corners, but are the cornering speeds much higher? I assume the tyres help lots tho...

[simondann111s]

Yes the corner speeds are higher. You can enter and turn in quicker then with the standard S2, carrying more speed through the corner as a result. This is the bit I can't get used to.

 

With the standard S2 setup, entering to fast or apply power to early was a sure fire way of inducing the understeer. I've not yet managed the limits of these tyres, but I'm going to have alot of fun finding out

[Bramble111s]

Those wheels really are great.

DO they fit both S1 and S2's, as if I ever got them, I would

want to take them to my next car.....

(this assumes I aspire to a S2........ flame away)

[Scott_Mac]

Mr Scuffham is trying to organise a group buy and get some of the A)48's for the S1... currently our semi slick tyre is the A038... the 48 is supposed to offer more grip and feel in the dry and be a load better at dealing with standing water etc when wet....

 

Cannot be used with std suspension though - need Nitrons as a minimum (apparantly even LSS or S2 stuff can't handle it) let alone needing uprated toe links etc for track use....

 

As for aspiring to an S2, we know you have more taste (even though i admit to loving the 135R )

[MattyB]

I aspire to a S2

Shame on you Bramble...

 

and wheels are totally different from S1 -> S2. Different PCD.

[Kris H]

Simon (s) - have to say that all of this is pretty much enough to pursuade me. Arse!!!!! I agree totally about the understeer, and as someone who has probably experienced the worst end of the results of that, you do learn to drive round it but it slows you up big time in the corners.

 

Kristian