Geo required in my area (Peterborough)

[marky_p72]

Hi

At my last trackday, I had some wheel arch rubbing (oo-er!) at the front passenger side.  Also, i then realised that the gap between the tyre and wheel arch is smaller on this side. Some people suggested a Geo setup might help, but would this correct the height indifference?

By the end of day the issue had mostly gone, but guess that's due to me wearing some liner (and tyre?) off?

I guess a Geo setup wouldn't hurt anyway as at my next TD I will also have a passenger, so possibly make the problem worse?

Wondering where I can go local to me (Peterborough/Cambs/East Anglia)? 

Car is 2015 220 Cup and I suspect Geo has never been done previously.

Cheers

Mark

[mattb130]

Do you have some ride height adjustment? Or some very wide non standard wheels to cause the rubbing. That said if you don’t have adjustable spring platforms Then geometry isn’t going to fix your ride height discrepancy.

Not torquing at ride height if some suspension work has been done on one side could be a factor.

No reason not to get it checked but it may not sort your problem out. 
 

 

[Ruxpin]

Mark,

I was at Cadwell with you and chatting about geo etc.

He's not that close, however, if you can make the drive to Steve Guglielmi (Guglielmi Motorsport in Daventry) i'm sure he would get to the bottom of the rubbing and give it a great geo - he is very knowledgeable in all things suspension and handling.

Richard 

[marky_p72]

Thanks for the replies.

I don't think there's any adjustment as still standard suspension. The wheels are aftermarket wider wheels than the standard 220 wheels, but the same as on the newer 250 cups, so I can't imagine any difference?

Daventry isn't crazy for me (just over an hour away), so I'll perhaps start the ball roilling giving him a ring.

Thanks again, Mark

[marky_p72]

I had a chat with Steve www.guglielmimotorsport.co.uk this morning. He was very friendly and helpful and said the issue could be down to the higher grip of the tyres. Higher grip = higher suspension compression. Geo won't cure and said suspension upgrade is really the way to go as many others have said. Could maybe fit some kind of suspension 'bump spacers' that might stop that last few mm of travel.

[DeanB]

Ooh-er.  A slippery slope is that, if you choose to venture on to it.  

I don't like the word 'upgrade' in this context, I prefer 'modification', because moving away from what the ride and handling guys at Lotus specify oftens turns out to be a downgrade.

If you are racing, where ride quality and so on doesn't matter, then of course stiffer springs would be an upgrade, but otherwise tread carefully I would advise. It seems to me that one of the very best things about Elise Cups is that they are capable on track but still brilliant on the road.

Did Lotus offer a slightly stiffer spring and damper set up as an option?

I do wonder though why the gap between tyre and arch is smaller on one side. Is it a clam-fitting issue?  I don't think you should get rubbing on a Cup, don't they come with sticky A052s as standard?  

I think I might be taking the car to a specialist who knows Elise Cups inside-out and backwards to get them to have a look at it.  And certainly make sure nothing is bent, no bushes are worn etc

[Ruxpin]

Lotus do generally get a great balance of road and track performance from their standard setups and it is hard to better, however, a suspension "upgrade" doesn't have to mean stiff and harsh.

I think the spring rates and valving often sold to customers in aftermarket dampers is incorrect to their needs. And....customers often think stiff and harsh will make it better on track. (This seems industry/marque wide though)

Our sprint cars (S1 and 340R both on nitrons) ride better than their standard setup (not hard with the 340r!!) and make brilliant road cars.....but the spring rates and valving is a long way from the off the shelf options generally available online. The 340R also took a long time to get right for various reasons.

Tbf Mark you were going very well at Cadwell  so you might be at the limit of what lotus expect drivers to be doing on the standard setup.

I would certainly try to understand where and why it is rubbing before doing down the route of changing the suspension.

 

[marky_p72]

Hi Chaps

Thanks for the replies and I totally  agree. I am very weary about 'upgrading' as I am more than happy with the car (having just come from an older 111r) apart from the rubbing. 
The 220 Cups came with the narrow 175 front tyres, but the later 250 cups came with the wider rims and AO52's in 195 width. (The previous owner put the 250 wheels/tyres on, but never tracked it) 

I have also been having a bit of a conversation on the 'Cup' facebook group with someone who has the same issue and he has researched somewhere that the 250 cups have a slightly higher spring/damper ?? compression rate, so that might explain the reason.

I will see how I get on at Silverstone next week, but suspect I will end up with a hole by the end having a passenger! It seems pretty common for people to have holes in there from rubbing wheels!

I wonder if I could get hold of a set of 250 cup suspension? Prob not worth it and just live with a hole! 

Cheers again, 👍

[DeanB]

You never know there might be someone out there that has 'upgraded' to Nitrons from a 250 Cup!  Might be worth a wanted ad on SELOC.

[marky_p72]

39 minutes ago, DeanB said:

You never know there might be someone out there that has 'upgraded' to Nitrons from a 250 Cup!  Might be worth a wanted ad on SELOC.

Good point. However, I'm not totally convinced that they would even make that much difference!

Cheers Dean