General 100hp now a comfortable ride

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General 100hp now a comfortable ride

Wurz

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May 27, 2011
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Well, I have to say that the ride on my 100hp Panda is transformed as of today. The combination of Dunlop SP Sports all round with a 50 ratio as against the original 45 (has a similar tread pattern to the eagles) and replacing all the shocks with original Fiat equipment as recommended by my friendly garage including Ron (from TV’s Pimp My Ride) and cohort Keith has stopped me ricocheting over bumps & potholes, rattling my fillings when going over rumble strips and generally makes the car more of a joy to drive. As I said in the Koni thread, I was told that shocks fall into two categories, comfort & sport. All Panda’s except the 100hp & 4x4 have the comfort shocks and funnily enough the Koni’s fit the same criteria. I was persuaded to go for OEM comfort as these shocks were designed for the chassis and of course will not cause any mismatch. The original springs have been retained and even before I got the car back one of the mechanics (who does rally driving) had road tested the vehicle to ensure the handling was all OK. Having just done a 50 mile round trip ranging from country side-roads to the A12 motorway I have to say I’m delighted with the new ride. The cost of the original equipment is on par with Koni at £80+vat (£96 each) for the fronts and £60+vat (£72 each) for the rears. Dunlops came in at £58+vat (£69) each less than half the price of similar boots on my VW Eos. Fitting charge £150 included 20 mins trying to get the alloys off the hubs. I’d have been mullered if I had needed to change a wheel. Worth checking yours to make sure they are not seized on the hubs. Alright, cost me a few bob but after a year of ownership it feels like a new car. I would recommend this mod to any 100hp owner who wants a more comfortable ride!
 
I've thought about going for 195/50/15 tyres instead of 45, will replace the shocks maybe with Koni etc when they need to be done.
 
Do you have a picture of the 100hp with the 50 profile tyres on? Interested to see if it looks too chunky or if it looks ok as I need a full set of tyres soon and if these look ok I may change to that profile.
 
As soon as I can I'll try to post some pic's-never done that before so patience. As for looks, the tyres fill the arch nicely without being overbearing. The ride is so much better for the ratio change.
 
Interesting what you have done but isn't the whole point of the 100hp for it to have sporty suspension thus giving it a hard ride and improving handling over a standard panda.
 
I think there's too much expected of a change from 45 to 50 profile - a 50 profile with a very stiff sidewall will have less give in it than a 45 profile with a soft carcass - you'd need to compare the same tyre in both sizes to draw any conclusion. Small changes in pressure will also have a significant effect. Also remember that the give in the sidewall is essentially undamped
 
I think there's too much expected of a change from 45 to 50 profile - a 50 profile with a very stiff sidewall will have less give in it than a 45 profile with a soft carcass - you'd need to compare the same tyre in both sizes to draw any conclusion. Small changes in pressure will also have a significant effect. Also remember that the give in the sidewall is essentially undamped

I have read hundreds of posts so am basically lost now. Can you suggest a soft carcass 45 profile tyre? I want to soften my 100hp down a little for everyday driving.
 
The tyres are just a small part of helping reduce the harsh ride. I had, after professional advice, all dampers front & rear replaced with standard Panda Dampers. (If you need them, I gave the part numbers in a post in the "Koni Post" Yes, as some have commented, shown as fitting all but 4x4 and the 100HP. hardly surprising as the 4x4 is a different chassis layout but the 100HP is identical otherwise the standard dampers wouldn't fit. Fiat fitted "sport" dampers which gives the hard ride. As I wasn't interested in driving my one as a sports-car and wanted a smoother ride I went for the dampers fitted to millions of other Pandas. Result? as stated before, much smoother and quite frankly more enjoyable. The original springs were retained. They are not "harder" than normal springs, just shorter and so I retain the lower profile. The Dunlop Sports at 50 profile are just the icing on the cake. My 100HP now rides like millions of other Pandas but has more oomph!
 
The tyres are just a small part of helping reduce the harsh ride. I had, after professional advice, all dampers front & rear replaced with standard Panda Dampers. (If you need them, I gave the part numbers in a post in the "Koni Post" Yes, as some have commented, shown as fitting all but 4x4 and the 100HP. hardly surprising as the 4x4 is a different chassis layout but the 100HP is identical otherwise the standard dampers wouldn't fit. Fiat fitted "sport" dampers which gives the hard ride. As I wasn't interested in driving my one as a sports-car and wanted a smoother ride I went for the dampers fitted to millions of other Pandas. Result? as stated before, much smoother and quite frankly more enjoyable. The original springs were retained. They are not "harder" than normal springs, just shorter and so I retain the lower profile. The Dunlop Sports at 50 profile are just the icing on the cake. My 100HP now rides like millions of other Pandas but has more oomph!

Not to be rude, but I hardly class someone from Pimp My Ride as "professional". 99 times out of a 100 they ruin the cars that come through the door.

No one ever said that standard dampers wouldn't fit the Panda, after all the suspension mounting points and the suspension arms are all the same, it's that the dampers for the 1.1,1.2 and MJ are not suited to the 100hp.

yes, the 100hp dampers are "sportier" than the ones you've got, but what do you expect for a car that was meant to handle well?
 
Use "Photobucket" website (Free to join) to convert your pic's & then copy the IMG address & paste it onto this message area. Easy :)
Ideally, we try all offsite hosting - especially when you can just attach images using the paperclip icon or using our very own Gallery space. There is nothing worse to coming back to threads in the future with gaps everywhere due to pics having gone walkies!!
 
As I've posted before - you may be very lucky and have struck some sort of ideal compromise but - assuming you drive the 100HP as it begs to be driven - with that set-up you are liable to encounter road conditions, such as transverse or oblique ripples on a bend or even on the straight if they're very severe, where you scare yourself sh--less. Hope I'm wrong (there's a first for everything).
 
As I've posted before - you may be very lucky and have struck some sort of ideal compromise but - assuming you drive the 100HP as it begs to be driven - with that set-up you are liable to encounter road conditions, such as transverse or oblique ripples on a bend or even on the straight if they're very severe, where you scare yourself sh--less. Hope I'm wrong (there's a first for everything).
Definitely. Perhaps this is some accidental perfect setup, but I trust my intuition more than the experience of some person from Pimp My Ride......
 
Not trying to persuade anyone else to try the set up but it works for me. If I find further down the line that it was a mistake I'll have the originals put back. As for pic's of tyres, when it stops raining..........
 
Uniroyal Rainsport. Personally, I dislike the Dunlops with a passion -- fine in the dry, scary in the wet.

Thank you, I had completed my reasearch (re-reading the thread and finding a link to a tyre site that rates all aspects of tyres) and had come to the same conclusion. I am going for the Rainsport 2's come payday as they seem to offer a good compromise for my needs and cost is good.

I dont want to sell my car, I have had it for 3 years, I want to keep it for another 3 years so its Rainsports first then a full set of Koni dampers second when funds allow. (y)
 
Hi Cinqster, I've put some pics (4) in the gallery, under PhotoShop, Main Title "Dunlop Sports on 100HP Panda", with individual titles of Rear Wheel, Rear Wheel 2, Front Wheel and a pic of the "Monster" badge....hopefully you will find these as this is my first foray in to posting Pictures.
 
Hi Cinqster, I've put some pics (4) in the gallery, under PhotoShop, Main Title "Dunlop Sports on 100HP Panda", with individual titles of Rear Wheel, Rear Wheel 2, Front Wheel and a pic of the "Monster" badge....hopefully you will find these as this is my first foray in to posting Pictures.

Cheers mate, I should have said and I do appologise, we need to see a full profile shot of the car to see how chunky they are. The pictures you have taken look good though. I am convinced, I am doing the same with the Uniroyal Rainsport 2's. (y)

Do you get any rubbing front or rear?





 
Hi again Cinqster. I've posted a "side view" in PhotoShop Gallery with the others. Not particularly good as weather overcast at time. Still, shows that the 50 profiles are not overbearing. How did you show pic's in your reply?
 
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