Geo Question

[christurbo]

I am going to take the VX into Horizon very soon for a Geo.

 

What should I ask for?

 

I want a balanced ride with no snap o/s.

 

At the mo it feels a bit unstable at high speeds around swooping bends.

 

Also will the Horizon geo make the tyres wear unevenly?

 

 

Cheers.

 

Chris

[malbon]

imho dont try and be 'personal'. as you are not an experienced driver with 'setup'. let them do the biz and if your unhappy with it take it back and im sure he adjust it to suit. only exp. track drivers can help you out with perfecting what you want. Apparently Steve Guizia whathisname in Daventry is good at this such thing. But if its just for fast road use then id say its not quite worth it. just go for factory settings or proven fast road use settings from the vx forum.

[christurbo]

Yep - I will just have the usual one that Mike dishes out!

 

I suppose this Geo is very similar to factory?

 

If not will this cause uneven wear.

 

I heard that the 340r Geo is very extreme and can cause tyres to wear very uneven.....

 

340R Track Settings

 

FRONT

 

Castor +3.8°, ±0.2° (max side/side 0.2° )

Camber -1.8°, +0.1° -0.2°

Toe 0.5mm Toe OUT overall, +0.2mm -0.0

 

REAR

 

Camber -2.7°, ±0.2° (max side/side 0.2° )

Toe 2.5mm toe IN, +0.2mm -0mm (max side/side 0.2mm)

[GCCK]

No, don't go for the 340R track settings!

 

There's a lot of camber on the front which will make the thing twitch all over a bumpy road. And it was designed for 195 section front tyres whereas your VX has 175's.

 

Mike's standard geo is very safe for road use, enabling average drivers make very effective progress in all conditions on road. In particular, his settings for S1 Elises allow for trail braking and mid-corner lift-off without snapping at you - brilliant if you've come from a diet of FWD hot hatches. I had Mike's std geo but found it too nose heavy, especially when on track - the car is too slow to turn in. Took it back and he added some more shims at both ends (more camber) and it's much more responsive but demands more respect in the wet too (actually, he could still take it further but that's another story).

 

There's nothing "macho" about an "agressive" geo. No point having a driving machine that's unsafe or undriveable in the real conditions you'll be encountering. For me, if I'm spending £100+ a day to drive on a track 5-10 times a year, it's worth compromising the daily road settings.

[Martin R]

IMO, Mikes normal settings a bang on for normal use. Give them a go and see how you get on

[AL G]

Chris - may I borrow your thread ? - quick question -

 

As far as I know, my car has never had a GEO - to be honest I'm not totally sure what it is..

 

Can a main dealer do it - (I'm a few hundred miles from Horizon) and is it worth it whilst I've still got the stupid inherited combo of 195 fronts, and 205 rears.

 

 

Cheers

[christurbo]

Good advice guys

 

The reason why I posted the 340r geo was because a few lads in vx220.org are using it - but are dedicated track users.

 

Mike's standard geo is very safe for road use, enabling average drivers make very effective progress in all conditions on road. In particular, his settings for S1 Elises allow for trail braking and mid-corner lift-off without snapping at you - brilliant if you've come from a diet of FWD hot hatches.

 

That sounds ideal for me.... I learned alot with the S1. As I have had a range of hot hatches I could lift off mid corner and live to tell the tale - unfortunately I tried it in the S1 She soon taught me a lesson

 

Mikes geo sounds like the sort of setup I need, as the Vx is a bit twitchy at high speeds and feel like 'she's gonna go' so am reluctant to push her too hard [makes me feel so glad ive bought the Na version over the 'Tubby' turbo version - as the 'tubby' has a tendency to push out from the rear more due to the heavy iron block in the back!] She has given me snap o/s once or twice!

 

Regarding the 175's - im upgrading when cash flow allows to go to some lightweight 16/17's as the VX's huge alloys weight 10kgs

 

TMS is a good place for the discerning vx owner.

 

Im going to get it booked in before the runs start up

[Martin R]

Chris - may I borrow your thread ? - quick question -

 

As far as I know, my car has never had a GEO  -  to be honest I'm not totally sure what it is..

 

Can a main dealer do it - (I'm a few hundred miles from Horizon) and is it worth it whilst I've still got the stupid inherited combo of 195 fronts, and 205 rears.

 

 

Cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Alasdair, Geo stands for Geometry. IMO its the setting up of the wheels in relation to one another and the car. The angle of the wheels are adjustable as is there relationship to each other. They are adjustable using shims, track rod ends, tie bars etc. The difference between a badly set up one and one that is correct is unbelievable. Its like a different car Im sure someone will be along with a more technical explanation soon.

[Steve J]

http://autorepair.about.com/library/glossary/bldef-751a.htm

 

Click on links to caster, camber etc.

[AL G]

And now it all makes sense - well much better anyway . . Might wait till I can afford correct tyre sizes first .

 

Cheers