Dinkydog
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to make it better if anything, I am old so I feel every bump Don’t want to sell the car but if there’s nothing I can do
I will have to sell it, Help please
Technical Panda hard suspension
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Technical Panda hard suspension
I will have to sell it, Help please
Others may have more specific advice on your model, but generally if you are running fairly low profile tyres, a change to smaller wheels and higher profile tyres to keep the same rolling circumference and speedo reading may help as the tyre can then absorb more of the road bumps, at the slight expense some would argue when using shall we say "more spirited driving"
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The panda is a light car, so will feel bumps more than a heavier one. It is generally well-sprung, but is a little stiffer than some slightly larger cars.
If yours has alloy wheels, it will have lower profile tyres than the lower models. A change to the steels, with 155/80 13 tyres will produce a slightly softer ride, at the expense of handling and cornering feel. A more complicated answer might be to go with the 14" steels from a 500 Pop, but attention might be needed to rolling diameter as it might make the speedo inaccurate.
If yours has alloy wheels, it will have lower profile tyres than the lower models. A change to the steels, with 155/80 13 tyres will produce a slightly softer ride, at the expense of handling and cornering feel. A more complicated answer might be to go with the 14" steels from a 500 Pop, but attention might be needed to rolling diameter as it might make the speedo inaccurate.
I got an ugly 100hp as a trade a while back, and it had been "upgraded" by a boy racer with shorter springs and more aggressive dampers. It was awful to drive.
I changed all the suspension components back to standard (correct 100hp parts, not the "universal" ones which seem to be for the 1.2/1.3). It was hugely better... and quicker round lanes! But still not particularly comfortable on potholed Norfolk roads.
I then changed my 45-profile tyres to 50s and it improved things a bit, but it's still much more "crashy" than my diesel Sporting on 14" alloys. And the speedo is accurate, rather than slightly optimistic, so I have to take extra care with speed limits.
It's only used for fun, rather than being a daily driver, so willing to put up with the pain for the smile factor, but TBH my diesel Sporting is much kinder to the spine, and is often nearly as much fun...
Except in the dry, on a smooth road with some decent bends and no tractors or caravans.
I changed all the suspension components back to standard (correct 100hp parts, not the "universal" ones which seem to be for the 1.2/1.3). It was hugely better... and quicker round lanes! But still not particularly comfortable on potholed Norfolk roads.
I then changed my 45-profile tyres to 50s and it improved things a bit, but it's still much more "crashy" than my diesel Sporting on 14" alloys. And the speedo is accurate, rather than slightly optimistic, so I have to take extra care with speed limits.
It's only used for fun, rather than being a daily driver, so willing to put up with the pain for the smile factor, but TBH my diesel Sporting is much kinder to the spine, and is often nearly as much fun...
Except in the dry, on a smooth road with some decent bends and no tractors or caravans.
The 1.2 Panda 169 does indeed have the most comfortable ride with 155/80 tyres on 13" steel wheels. Unfortunately I very much doubt 13" wheels will fit on a 100HP.
I'm not even sure that 14" wheels fit either - the 1.4 500 pop (same basic chassis, engine, gearbox & brakes) had 15" steel wheels as standard.
as @portland_bill @bugsymike and @jrkitching said the 155/80R13 ride comfort is hugely better than 185/55R15
as @irc stated if someone has uprated the front struts (the 100hp has stiffer springs so already fairly harsh), or they are faulty, old or have started to loosing oil the comfort will suffer
you would have to inform you insurance company if you changed the wheels and tyres as that size aren't original fitment
Wasn't swapping the rear bump stops for FIAT Coupe versions a popular 100HP mod to soften the ride by increasing the rear travel?
it was, mainly on lowered cars or softer springs
it does have it draw backs
the bump stops are part of the suspension design
they become part of the spring the back is fully loaded
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
I did this following a suggestion on here.
Shorter stops gave about 1.5 inches more suspension travel. It made a huge improvement to the ride and rough road handling, with no noticable draw backs. The standard bump stops restrct the rear suspension movement to about 1.5 inches before hitting the stops. Good on a race track but not on a bumpy road. The standard bump stops lasted less than a year before self destructing and the coupe stops were there two years later. Coupe bump stops were also much cheaper! eBay febi parts were c. £13m a pair. 100HP ones were £50.
14's with 185/60 will fit the 100HP. Had these for winters.
gr J
gr J
Hi.
If you had any issues with insurance at all for a change of wheels then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.
If you had any issues with insurance at all for a change of wheels then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.
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I put 2015 fiat 500 rear springs on the 100HP. I needed spacers to raise the ride height a little but they have significantly improved the ride. Fronts are standard 100HP springs. A bit stiff in my opinion but it's not supposed to be soft riding car.
The 1.2 Dynamic has a 2015 500 rear axle with 500 springs. That also rides and handles really well, but it would be a silly expensive just the get a smoother ride.
The 1.2 Dynamic has a 2015 500 rear axle with 500 springs. That also rides and handles really well, but it would be a silly expensive just the get a smoother ride.
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Fiat 500 springs are sorter as the car has a anti roll bar so needs less hard spring but without the axle it would definitely make the car roll more I'd have thought
that what you would think but you have to remember the 500 quite a bit heavier also
Yesterday, I had the 'pleasure' of an afternoon in a Tesla Model Y. After the first 50 metres, I'd already had enough, but sadly had to continue fo rthe rest of the afternoon. They are heavy, due to the batteries, so as a result have stiff suspension, but this thing hardly moved at each bump, transmitting everything to the occupants. The seats are covered with very nice leather, but have no compliance either, so absorb none of the shock. If you think the 100hp is stiff, take a ride in a Model Y, and you'll think the 100hp is like a soft mattress in comparison.
Fitting a later type 500 rear beam and springs will improve the ride (that's why it was changed in the 500 for the 2010 model year). The springs and beam are a matched set and are designed to work together.
Early 500's are quite rough riding; I test drove one in 2009 on 15" alloys, and this was a deal breaker for me. On stock 155/80x13 tyres and wheels, the 1.2 Panda rides better.
The 500C got the modified rear beam & springs from launch. This was shortly before the modification reached the hardtop, which led some dealers to adopt a rather dubious practice back in the day. When prospective customers for a standard 500 requested a test drive, they'd take them out in the 500C, knowing the ride was significantly better.
You can't (well, shouldn't) fit the later type of 500 springs to a Panda or earlier 500 unless also changing the beam - you need to use the correct springs for the beam.
There's no meaningful weight difference between the 500 and the Panda; the exact numbers depend on the variant and options fitted, but from memory, kerb weight of a 100HP is slightly, though not significantly, greater than a 1.2 500 pop. I'd be interested to know if the 1.2 and 1.4 500's use the same rear springs. The only real issue in fitting a 500 beam & springs to a Panda is that it widens the rear track slightly. It all fits on the 'cooking' Pandas, but the factory fit wheel/tyre combination won't clear the arches if you put a 500 beam on a 100HP.
I've found the biggest factor influencing ride & handling is the weight distribution; with a heavy load in the rear (four passengers, or a couple of bags of sand in the boot), the change from being 1 or 2 up is quite noticeable. On those occasions when I'm carrying a particularly heavy load, I fold the rear seat & keep everything as far forward as possible.
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Not that much I think a 1.2 500 is around 60 kg heavyer then the Panda comparing a. Basic 1.2 anyway
Or less then an average person
Both are sub 1000kg
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When Ford contracted Fiat to build their new Ka model, they demanded a better ride from the rear end. An anti roll bar was added to the beam axle and 30% softer springs were fitted. These are the springs I used with the 500 axle under on wife's 1.2 Panda. Ive also got them on the 100HP to reduce its filling loosening ride. The snag is a slightly low ride on Panda so you need 1/2 inch spacers under the spring tops and rubber seats on both top and bottom of the springs.
Panda OEM springs with the 500 axle stood the car up like a Dukes of Hazzard mod. The 500 springs are perfect.
Panda OEM springs with the 500 axle stood the car up like a Dukes of Hazzard mod. The 500 springs are perfect.
everything works in harmony Fiat changed the 500 front suspension to match the rear
by just increasing the width of the rear and adding a ARB will increase understeer in the dry and cause the rear tyres to not to follow the front s dry line in the wet
fine to experiment on a race track where everyone is traveling the same direction and you have a good run off areas
its not something i could recommend especially on an open forum
correct
the bump stops increase the spring rates considerably. there designed to be part of the whole system but for better comfort it better to keep the weight forward
insurance companies will not take kindly to this kind of modification and will charge you accordingly , i believe an extra 25% is normal
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