Hi all, looking for a bit of advice....

I bought my R1 powered MNR just over a year ago and have loved owning it so far, despite a few minor issues that are all to be expected when on a kit. This is my first experience of owning or even driving a kit of any type so I was totally new to how they drove and handled.

Basically the problem is that I just cant seem to drive it quickly...

A perfect example being tonight, I took it out for a quick spin round the coast road near where I stay. On the straight the car is generally ok, but it doesnt give me any confidence when driving on any kind of twisty road. It feels as if when cornering the back end of the car is swaying about all over the place, this is made sooo much worse when there is even the smallest of breeze. Even on a straight bit of road when giving it a bit I feel as if I could get blown off the road at any minute! There has been a few times on the straight dual carriageway near me that you feel as tho you are almost getting blown into the other lane.

The car does have 888's fitted and I remember from having them a few years back on a Subaru that they did tend to pick up every rut and contour on the road, but being enclosed in the car it was never noticed much once you got going. Could this be the problem?

I feel as if there is no way I could drive the car any way as quick on a motorway, or twisty A-road as I can my daily passat estate..... surely it should be the other way about?

I've done a full nut and bolt check before taking the car off of Sorn at the start of April and everything is sold as it should be so I dont its anything as simple as a few bolts needing tightened up.

Is there anything likely to be wrong with the car, or is it more a case of I just aint used to driving this kind of car and need to man up and get a bit more confidence when giving it some?

Hopefully someone will enlighten me and that its just a confidence thing, failling that Im happy to let any local kit owners (Inverclyde area) who own or have driven similar to take a shot and give me they're verdict.

Cheers all.....

[Edited on 2/5/12 by johnny chimpo]

Has it been corner weighted and had a geometry check?

Mines OK, and scares the sheet out of me sometimes as its tons faster than a tintop!

you own and drive one of the best handling cars on the road there must be a setup issue what tyre pressures you running ??

the mnr is amazing on the bends there must be a setup issue have you checked all shocks are good ive had a shock fail before !!

Im running 16psi front and 18psi rear, think those settings came from MNR, do they sound correct?

Whats the best way to check the back shocks?

It was fully corner weighted and the geometry setup before I owned it, I just dont know how long before. the previous owner had the car on several track days and even over to the ring a few times so I know it must of been okay before, even when I was out on the test ride before buying it, then previous owner was certainly not having any problems throwing it about.

Just want to be able to get the same enjoyment everyone else seems to get when driving one of these cars....

I'd say your starting point has to be a full geometry check and corner weighting. What tyre presures are you running ,circa 18psi? At a guess though I'd suspect toe-out on the rear.

Once you've got that sorted then, yes, Man up! It can take a while to get used to a very light, rear wheel drive car if you've not had one before.

I would say, a trip to MNR in Harrogate is your first port of call, see Marc, and ask them prior to arriving, if he will take it out, if anyone can advise whats wrong, its gonna be Marc.

Like previously quoted, has to be one of the best handling cars of the 7 series on the market.

Its a nice trip out there, lots of twisty roads and flat out runs, an excellent proving ground for any kit car.

I have found MNR to be very accommodating.

Nick

You wanna try driving that power through 1 wheel like me, LOL, now that is a bloody handful :-) a handful I love though.

[Edited on 2/5/12 by The Venom Project]

souds like geomitry / setup issue to me.

Regards

Agriv8

I'm guessing when you did your full nut and bolt check you had a good look around all suspension mounting points? Just wondering (as its not unheard of - not specifically MNR's but kits in general) if a weld has failed somewhere?

Or a broken down suspension bush? unlikely to fail that badly tho given the low mileage these cars do....

Which end of the country are you?

If your down south, I'll have a quick look over it for you. It may just be your tracking out, it doesn't take a lot.

Cheers for the input guys, sorry I haven't replied for a few days, been away with work.

I'm gona spend a bit of time tomorrow checking over all the suspension and the welds..... Just I case.

Thanks for the offer amalyos, but I'm in the west coast of Scotland. Anyone from around the Glasgow area fancy taking a look for me?

Cheers all...

Bit more info on this, took the car out this afternoon, double checked the tyre pressures, definately 16psi front and 18psi rear.

The problem only happens when going round a right hand bend or if changing up and down up on a straight bit of road. It feels as is the car is swaying around and a bit out of control tbh, really making me dislike driving it at the moment.

I've had a quick look underneath the rear end again and cant see any failed welds or anything obvious, going to check every nut and bolt again.

Does it still sound like geometry? How can I check the back shocks are ok?

Cheers again all.....

Something loose on back left wheel. The power holds it one way when you are on the gas, then when you change gear the interuption to power left the wheel drift a bit. If it has adjustable rear toe, check this link. After that, grab the wheel (handbrake off, front chocked) and violently roll it back and forth. Any wobble will show up badly at speed.

I had a jeep with a worn out bush on the back axle, and it would literally change lane when you came off the power.

Be real careful before you have identified the problem, as im sure there is something amiss. These cars handle well once they have been set up.

Check shocks just by bouncing up and down/jumping on it. Should move ok and settle fast, ie let go and it stops within one bounce.

[Edited on 5/5/12 by JoelP]

Just thought I would update this thread as I finally got to the bottom of the problem.

I got the car up on a ramp last weekend and had a right good look about. Turned out when I done my full nut and bolt check I hadn't checked them all, rookie mistake! Three of the four bolts that hold the drivers side rear hub on were loose! . Despite these being nylock nuts they had still worked loose. So I checked and double checked everything on the back end of the car.

Finally got out in the car today to give it a good test and it's totally transformed how the car handles and drives, the change is totally unbelievable, and it now handles they way I expected it should. I actually think these bolts were loose last year as back then it never drove as well as it does now.

I'm sooooo happy at how it drives now and as desperate to get back out and play in it!

Thanks to everyone for the help and suggestions that helped get to the bottom of the problem!

Happy days mate pleased you got it sorted