Tuning 500x ride quality

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Tuning 500x ride quality

NitramA

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Dec 15, 2015
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As everyone knows the 500x doesn't ride particularly well on 18" wheels.
It's not so bad that I need to sell it- 3 years with Audi S line suspension means I'm used to a hard ride.
It's just that it's a little crude in the way it goes about its business.
ive also got a theory that temperature has an effect on the damping, seems to ride better when it's hot!!

Anyway the reason for the post. Does anyone know if the dampers can be replaced? Not with rock hard boy racer stuff, but with more sophisticated adjustable kit.
My background is motorcycles and I know there are lots of options available for them.
Surely that's the same in the car world?
 
I'm sure that koni will do adjustable ones which you can tune to road and then temperature etc.
 
I'm sure that koni will do adjustable ones which you can tune to road and then temperature etc.

So they do!
None listed for the 500x though.
I've just emailed them to see if they can supply something.
 
I thought it was a little hard as well but coming from a punto with the exhaust knocking and the back suspension a bit worse for wear its like a minor grumble lol

It doesn't lean as much as some of these types of vehicles so that's why its a little firmer, in sport mode you wouldn't want it softer (might be just the way I drive).

I suspect it will soften up a little once worn in
 
I thought it was a little hard as well but coming from a punto with the exhaust knocking and the back suspension a bit worse for wear its like a minor grumble lol

It doesn't lean as much as some of these types of vehicles so that's why its a little firmer, in sport mode you wouldn't want it softer (might be just the way I drive).

I suspect it will soften up a little once worn in

That is my view as well, although reviews suggest the 17 inch wheels help, so a change in damping/springing would improve things.

Funny though how it seems to be variable in quality.
Sometimes I don't notice it and then on the same road,same speed it can really jostle you about.
Feels like driving in an original mini :D
 
I have the 17inch wheels as I turned down the 18 inch for this reason and your right, it does seems to differ for no apparent reason, I think that's more to do with us than the car though lol
 
When you say turned down 18" wheels, 17" are not on the options list?
 
They were going to give me the 18inch wheels but I said no thanks I will take the 17inch ones if its all the same to you Mr Fiat guy. I assume that's what I have got lol
 
So after 5 months I'm still obsessing over the ride quality and there still doesn't seem to be anything (or anyone) on the market to help.
My first thought that hot weather improved things seems to be ill founded as the ride quality is variable even in near sub zero temperatures.

I've now done 5k miles, which is probably an indication of how much I enjoy driving the car. I seem to be eyeing its one year birthday in April and am having to fight the urge to get rid.

I think its actually the road surface that's causing the issue; if you hit a pot hole the suspension reacts rather well. There's an impact but no crashiness. Really quite impressive.
It's the low level road imperfections and ripples that seem to get right through to the inside of the car, and it seems to be a short staccato vertical bobbing motion.
Speed also seems to help, but 20/30mph zones seem to have rippled surfaces built in by default.
I can't make up my mind if its too hard a spring or damping (possibly high speed as big road bumps are absorbed).
Whatever I think the poor things days are numbered unless I can get an improvement.
I can't beleive dropping to 17 inch wheels are going to make that much difference either.
 
May seem odd to say but try increasing the tyre pressures.

When my 500X came back after it's 1st service I noticed a firmer / noisier road tyre performance. When I checked the tyre pressures they were a little LOWER than the book figures so I increased them. Things radically improved after that.

Sort of counter intuitive but worked for me.
 
May seem odd to say but try increasing the tyre pressures.

When my 500X came back after it's 1st service I noticed a firmer / noisier road tyre performance. When I checked the tyre pressures they were a little LOWER than the book figures so I increased them. Things radically improved after that.

Sort of counter intuitive but worked for me.


Good point on the tyre pressure. Also tyre compound is also a factor with road noise from the tyres, some premium brands seem to make noisy and quiet tyres. Always seems mid range brands do a better job with tyre compounds.
 
May seem odd to say but try increasing the tyre pressures.

When my 500X came back after it's 1st service I noticed a firmer / noisier road tyre performance. When I checked the tyre pressures they were a little LOWER than the book figures so I increased them. Things radically improved after that.

Sort of counter intuitive but worked for me.

Good point - I'll try checking the pressures.

Road noise isn't an issue, refinement is generally excellent, certainly as good as my old BMW and Run Flat tyres!!
 
I think its actually the road surface that's causing the issue; if you hit a pot hole the suspension reacts rather well. There's an impact but no crashiness. Really quite impressive.
It's the low level road imperfections and ripples that seem to get right through to the inside of the car, and it seems to be a short staccato vertical bobbing motion.
Speed also seems to help, but 20/30mph zones seem to have rippled surfaces built in by default.
I can't make up my mind if its too hard a spring or damping (possibly high speed as big road bumps are absorbed).
Whatever I think the poor things days are numbered unless I can get an improvement.
I can't beleive dropping to 17 inch wheels are going to make that much difference either.

Cheaper dampers (i.e. factory fitted) tend to be not the best. They are usually under-damped to give more gentle ride over most speed/movement ranges.. but then the manufacturer has to fit slightly harder springs than ideal, to compensate when there are big bumps.

The harder spring makes the car feel like it's not settled, when the surface is only mildly pitted (which in UK Plc is pretty much most of the time). If you were re-tuning the suspension you'd probably prefer mildly softer springs and more sophisticated dampers.

It can't be long before the likes of Bilstein makes an adjustable damper for the X so if your like the car, it's worth persevering with it.

Conversely, if you carry about some weight (kidnap next door's teenager and lock them in the boot? :D ) then that will help.


Ralf S.
 
Weight does seem to have an effect. A fully loaded car seems to ride much better.
I agree with your comments about the springs, although I'd suggest its overdamped rather than under.
My plan was exactly as you said, get some better quality dampers/springs. I thought it would be easy,and ultimately cheaper than selling the car, but unless you want to lower and stiffen the ride no one seems to want to help.
I even had one company say that its built like that and nothing can be done!
Bit of a gap in the market if you ask me.
 
If you can afford the petrol Sport Mode improves the situation, but at a cost ����
 
If you can afford the petrol Sport Mode improves the situation, but at a cost ����

Odd you say that, because I thought it did too.
But as the 500x doesn't have any form of adaptive suspension it can't make any difference at all.
I think its just that the much more aggressive throttle response suits the suspension firmness and as a whole the car gels better.

As an aside I had a go in my mates BMW 4 series last night, which reminded me of the BMW I had before. The ride is so much better, even in M Sport guise.

All I want is decent quality springs and dampers and I can't believe no one can supply them. Even if it cost £1k, its much less than the hit I'd take if I sell the car.
 
Odd you say that, because I thought it did too.
But as the 500x doesn't have any form of adaptive suspension it can't make any difference at all.
I think its just that the much more aggressive throttle response suits the suspension firmness and as a whole the car gels better.

As an aside I had a go in my mates BMW 4 series last night, which reminded me of the BMW I had before. The ride is so much better, even in M Sport guise.

All I want is decent quality springs and dampers and I can't believe no one can supply them. Even if it cost £1k, its much less than the hit I'd take if I sell the car.
I don't find it anywhere near bad enough to warrant getting rid of the car, but then I've been used to sloppy French suspensions. Now that the early niggles have been sorted I love it, 18" rims and all
 
I don't find it anywhere near bad enough to warrant getting rid of the car, but then I've been used to sloppy French suspensions. Now that the early niggles have been sorted I love it, 18" rims and all

I think the roads also have an impact.
I drove from Bristol to Cambridgeshire this week and have to say I really enjoyed it. Not once did the suspension annoy me.
As soon as I got back to Bristol the bad ride seemed to return.
This can be down to
1/ The speed is generally (a lot) lower in Bristol.
2/The type of roads in Bristol are just plain bad for the 500X.
3/ I'm too bloody obsessive and I need to get a life.

I'd like to think it was points 1 & 2, but to be truthful its probably 3.:confused:
 
This time last year I just wanted it gone, but Fiat spent literally £thousands identifying and fixing the problems and now I can see me keeping it for years. I'll even forgive it the 18" rims. As I do about 80% of my miles on M and A roads I can live with the ride wuite happily. At least it doesn't corner on the door handles like my last 2 French purchases
 
I have the same problem with my 500X as well, the suspension is rather too stiff for my taste and on some imperfections it "carries" the vibration up the cabin.

I asked about it in Turin and the answer I got: the target audience of the 500X is youngsters with a family who want a sporty ride. So the hard suspension is by design.

I did find that any custom shop that does off-road suspensions can replace them with adjustable shocks, I was offered the "gold" ohlins (https://www.ohlins.com/) which are rather expensive.

I still haven't decided on a course of action yet.
 
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