Fiesta handling

[SAMD]

Right, this may not be in the right place, but the Mods. can move it. I am looking for some expertise on Fiesta's here, in the handling dept.
1, Does a 1.25 Zetec have front or rear anti roll bars?
2, If not, does the likes of the 1600 'S' type have them?
3, Can the S type bars be fitted to the 1.25 easily?

I am making a few assumptions here

Cheers

 

[Arfur]

1.25 does have a front anti roll bar... Does not have a rear anti roll bar.

 

[SAMD]

Many thanks for that. Don't really need a rear one IMO
Does anyone know if the std shocks are gas? or oil? filled. If they are Gas and the std spring is cut down by about 70 odd mm and the front arb is beefed up to the 1600 model's, that would sort the handling out - on the cheap. If they are oil I think they should be changed to gas.

 

[fiestasi]

I'm pretty sure their oil filled.

 

[SAMD]

Mmm thats a pity, in my experiance, the worst gas one is better than the best oil one for racing.

 

[Gaz86]

Mmm thats a pity, in my experiance, the worst gas one is better than the best oil one for racing.

Racing a 1.25 Fiesta?? I test drove one about a month ago, thought it was ran on treacle instead of petrol. They're about 60bhp at best

And when you say about the springs "cut down" about 70mm I seriously hope you're not considering hacking 70mm off with an angle grinder?

 

[SAMD]

If possible yes, I know the compression rate increases proportionately, but that is what I want. How correct the rate will be I dont know, but it will be cheap. And we just have to drive around any problems until we have them sorted. The model we are using produces about 75 bhp - The same as a 1275 Cooper S did back in the day.

 

[Gaz86]

What races are you intending to compete in?? I'm not being cheeky but personally you'd be better investing in a pair of Nike air max and sprinting it yourself, you'd probably do better lol

And a 1.25 fiesta can't really be compared to a mini that weighs about half as much, the minbin will have the fiesta every time

 

[Revogti]

Racing a 1.25 Fiesta?? I test drove one about a month ago, thought it was ran on treacle instead of petrol. They're about 60bhp at best

And when you say about the springs "cut down" about 70mm I seriously hope you're not considering hacking 70mm off with an angle grinder?

They are 75bhp and they honestly go better in the mk4/mk5 than you would think for such a wee engine. My old one was as quick as a 100bhp TDi MK4 Golf.

 

[Gaz86]

They are 75bhp and they honestly go better in the mk4/mk5 than you would think for such a wee engine. My old one was as quick as a 100bhp TDi MK4 Golf.

I've test driven one I know exactly what they're like You'd be much better going for the 1600 S as I'm sure there's much more potential for tuning from that than a sleepy 1.2 that yawns the whole way to the redline!

 

[SAMD]

Yes, and as I said before. Tuning the engine is pointless if everyone ends up with the same power, it just increases costs and unreliability.

 

[Steve]

you wont be allowed on track with cut springs surely? and it would probably handle better with the full size stand ones in it.

 

[Gaz86]

Yes, and as I said before. Tuning the engine is pointless if everyone ends up with the same power, it just increases costs and unreliability.

Is there a class for such low bhp engined though? Presuming from your previous posts your intent is to race them?

 

[SAMD]

Well it still remains to be seen if it would work, and springs are not a big expense, so we may yet buy new springs. But I have cut springs before and they worked just fine. It kinda depends on the seat where they fit, if the seat is flat bought ones are usually better, but if the seat is shaped to suit, there is nothing wrong with cut down ones.

 

[Steve]

Some of the fiesta springs are pigtailed from memory, depends on the year of it.

 

[SAMD]

Is there a class for such low bhp engined though? Presuming from your previous posts your intent is to race them?

This would be for a new class at Kirkistown. With the same principles as the Metro racing. ie cheap and cheerfull. The idea being that anyone could buy a 1.25 Zetec Mk4 etc. There is a thread on it here. They would be a bit quicker than the Metros. Hey ho.

 

[Gaz86]

This would be for a new class at Kirkistown. With the same principles as the Metro racing. ie cheap and cheerfull. The idea being that anyone could buy a 1.25 Zetec Mk4 etc. There is a thread on it here. They would be a bit quicker than the Metros. Hey ho.

Ah right fair enough! Cut springs isn't really going to help handling much though unless they're stiffer uprated ones and for safety reasons you'd still be better even getting a cheap set of lowering springs

 

[SAMD]

Ah right fair enough! Cut springs isn't really going to help handling much though unless they're stiffer uprated ones and for safety reasons you'd still be better even getting a cheap set of lowering springs

But they will become stiffer and uprated when they are cut. The only thing that would be relevant is if someone who raced a 125 Zetec Fiesta could tell me a spring rating that worked well and I could not achieve by cutting the original ones.

 

[Steve]

they become unsafe when they are cut.....

 

[Gambit]

But they will become stiffer and uprated when they are cut.

that depends if they are progressive or linear springs

and a 'beefed up' front anti roll bar will increase understeer

 

[Gaz86]

Imagine the scenario, fiesta goes into a tight corner on cut springs, chassis rolls to one side and cut springs on the other side fall out, car lands, wheels jam up into the arches and car spins off. Nothing safe about that at all wether on track or on the road

 

[SAMD]

lol, tell me the difference then in a 'lowered' spring? Why would it not fall out?

 

[Steve]

Have you ever been in a car with cut springs? Ive been in a few, and its terrible, very very bouncy and feels very unsafe at speed.

 

[SAMD]

that depends if they are progressive or linear springs

and a 'beefed up' front anti roll bar will increase understeer

I am not a boffin, but I know that when a coil spring is cut, it reduces in height and becomes stiffer over a given compression.

Some understeer is good, it will depend on how much you will get with a given arb.

 

[Gaz86]

lol, tell me the difference then in a 'lowered' spring? Why would it not fall out?

Oh I give up

How does a cut spring "uprate" itself just because its cut? Its more than likely your dampers being fully compressed making you think your suspension is firmer. In reality it's not! You'll bounce around all over the track and cause a hazard for everyone else. There is a lot of research and design goes into suspension for a reason otherwise we'd all be running around with cut springs in. Why spend millions if all we had to do was get the angle grinder out? Just do it properly, it's not like they're dear anyway