General help with unsafe bravo

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General help with unsafe bravo

christramp

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Sep 19, 2007
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Got an 80sx (1999) and ive only started using it after I totalled my other car last week. The bravos been off the road for 4 months. Few problems with it but the one I canmt get my head round is when the car goes on long corners it feels really unsafe and the front wheels start to slip. there is also a lot of movement forwards when i brake.
I am very handy at things but have no experiance or knowledge on cars I just need to understand what the problem is most likely to be instead of replacing loads of parts that are not needed.
When you push down on the car at the front there is a lot of movement but when you let go it settles easily on the rise - no bounce however if you push the front down again there is less movement and the suspension feels stiffer.
My question is - is it the shocks / springs / or something else.
Cheers - everything is so bloddy expensive in ireland
 
at first i thought shocks, but it doesnt bounce so maybe the problem is simply the difference between the bravo and your previous car. was your previous car lowered and did it have lower profile tyres by any chance?
 
Hey Jug,
Thanks for the reply - Ive read through a load of threads and god your busy.
My last 2 cars which I sort of still have were 2.5 litres with 17inch wheels with 40s on ones and 50s on the other. Its a really good point that you make as these other cars were considerably heavier and longer.
Any hints on what to look out for or tests to see if there is anything wrong.
Cheers
Chris
 
Ooops
forgot to say there was no lowering or mods apart from the wheels - up from 15s to 17s
 
They have the NCT over here which is the equivelant but is only tested every 2 years - due again in 2 months.
When we bought it there was obviously an impact on the car once upon a time the front right headlight has the brackets still broken. Clean snap but all still in place and the lines on the bonnet look uneven. Checked it at the time and there was no obvious signs of damage to frame - got rac out and he said the same. so there was a minor enough impact.
Do you think that some of the suspension arms etc might be bent ?
 
its a good point jug made about the wheels and tyres, I have a Alfa 145 2.0 and the grip is way better on the Alfa, using pretty much the same suspension set up, but the Alfa has Eagle F1 tyres that are wider and lower, the Bravo feels crap as the suspension is softer and tyres made in the Far East.

Suspension arm faults are likely to be wear in the bushes or the ball joint, accompanid by a clunk over pot holes etc. The arms are like cast iron, very heavy and beefy so a bent one is unlikely, more likely to rip them out of the body than bend them in a bump.

Have you checked the tracking? after fitting new arms on my car, the tracking was out and it felt awful, almost undrivable and it was out by 4mm on one side, may be worth a check.

HTH
 
Tracking is good had it set 4 months ago before it went off the road. There is no clunking as you go over pot holes (In ireland we dont have roads - just big holes with bits of tarmac in between - and the road authority "fixes" ? them by pouring in loose gravel)
I take your point on the different set up, its just the bravo can be a bit scary at time. although its a great car in its class.
When I push down on the rear there is over 1 foot of travel and about 6 inches on the front, would this be considered normal or would the springs appear to be soft (Does the bounce test rule out springs failure)
Thanks
 
maybe an early NCT would be a good idea, and mention your concerns when you are there. if you know anyone else with a bravo/a letting them have a test drive to compare could be useful.
 
Did you check REAR shocks?

I had similar problems with my Marea (leaning forward at braking, loosing traction) and they disappeared after changing rear shocks.

They tend to fail pretty quickly as there is little weight at the rear of the car and they keep working in a small part of their nominal operating range.
 
This sounds just like a problem I have noticed with my 96 gt (HLX).
I recently went for a drive on a dirt road with very tight corners and the odd rut.

When braking going into a tight downhill corner with a few ruts. The right front wheel just let go and the car went straight forward in a bouncing motion over the ruts. It felt like the brakes were falling off the car, as I could feel the affects through the brake pedal. I was not going too fast, the road was dry and my rear shocks are brand new. There is also a slight clunk when going over speed bumps and pot holes.

My gut feeling is worn suspension bushes, but I am yet to get these checked out. Front shocks feel ok with no major bounce that usually come with worn shocks.
 
When braking going into a tight downhill corner with a few ruts. The right front wheel just let go and the car went straight forward in a bouncing motion over the ruts. It felt like the brakes were falling off the car, as I could feel the affects through the brake pedal. I was not going too fast, the road was dry and my rear shocks are brand new.

that is called ABS, obviously you were going too fast for the amount of grip you had. if the ABS wasnt working you wouldnt have been able to get round that corner, so be thankful.
 
Yes, I know the ABS was kickin in, but I was probably going no faster than a slow jog. The way it just let go lead me to think that there is also an issue with suspension, because it definitely didnt feel safe. It has also happened before on tarmac at low speed.

And if there is a suspension issue then the wheels contact with road will be comprimised and ABS braking affects could almost be negated.

Anyway I'm going to get the front suspension looked at.
 
you say there's over a foot of travel on the rear - sounds like a lot. you from kildare by any chance ?. sounds like kildare roads :). does the car feel slightly unstable if you lift off going downhill ?. I would suspect tracking if it feels edgy. What wheels you got on it ?. A bravo on 17's is excellent on twisty stuff - but may understeer slightly on long tightening bends. very predictable though. If anything, the back end may be slightly skittish on rough potholed bends..

Owen.
 
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