Whats up with the Ibiza handling?
- Thread starter the_fbi
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I used to have a mk1 focus aswell with the full ford sports suspension etc. and the handling was awesome.
I changed that for an FR tdi (which is a good bit stiffer than any of the older 130 sports I had test driven) but it was still abit soft at times and the turn in just couldn't match the focus though to be honest very few can.
Handling isn't terrible though, for me the seat sport strut brace helped tighten the front up alot and I like the ibiza that much I changed in november to a new Cupra tdi which is lots of fun.
As much as I like the car it still doesn't match the focus for handling but I have been in a mk4 with fk coiles and I must they made it handle alot more like the focus.
Coiles are near the top of my list of mods for the near future as are uprated arb's (I will probably uprate both front and back).
So don't give up hope on the ibiza just yet, their handling may not be comparable to a mk1 focus as standard but the chassis does respond well to suspension improvements and it will put a smile on you face just like the focus does.
I changed that for an FR tdi (which is a good bit stiffer than any of the older 130 sports I had test driven) but it was still abit soft at times and the turn in just couldn't match the focus though to be honest very few can.
Handling isn't terrible though, for me the seat sport strut brace helped tighten the front up alot and I like the ibiza that much I changed in november to a new Cupra tdi which is lots of fun.
As much as I like the car it still doesn't match the focus for handling but I have been in a mk4 with fk coiles and I must they made it handle alot more like the focus.
Coiles are near the top of my list of mods for the near future as are uprated arb's (I will probably uprate both front and back).
So don't give up hope on the ibiza just yet, their handling may not be comparable to a mk1 focus as standard but the chassis does respond well to suspension improvements and it will put a smile on you face just like the focus does.
The Duratec engine may be a Mazda development, nowt else is.
IRS is still control blade.
"Fortunately Ford hasn't thrown the baby out with the bathwater and underneath the new body the basic chassis architecture remains the same. At the front it retains the familiar MacPherson struts, attached via a bigger footprint to a stiffer sub-frame, and at the rear is an improved version of the fully independent Control Blade suspension. Ford claims that new bushes control lateral body movement even more efficiently, whilst offering more longitudinal pliancy; this improves ride comfort and cuts road noise. The most significant change under the skin is the adoption of hybrid electric-hydraulic power-assisted steering."
have to say im also very disopointed in the handling.. think it's the only problem i have with the car tbh! I hand a Honda Civic Sport before this and before that a focus, both which handled VERY well, although not as powerfull as the FR i have.
Im not that botherd about going realy fast round corners any more, but when the back end starts kicking out when im not flogging it it makes me angry!
Do you think if i got cupra springs it'd be such an improvement i wouldnt need to buy coilies, as im not that keen on buying them. also if i didnt get Cupra springs would i need need shocks etc? or just springs?
Im not that botherd about going realy fast round corners any more, but when the back end starts kicking out when im not flogging it it makes me angry!
Do you think if i got cupra springs it'd be such an improvement i wouldnt need to buy coilies, as im not that keen on buying them. also if i didnt get Cupra springs would i need need shocks etc? or just springs?
Poverty
Guest
Poverty
Guest
What tyres have you got.
I have GSD3's on the front of my car and the crappy stock dunlops at the back and I can get the back end to slide out big time due to them seriously lacking grip. Once my mate swore we were nearly back to front.
The ibiza is far from a bad handling car, I have driven quiet a few cars in its class and the ibiza is pretty competent. Obviously compared to the mini cooper s and likes it might seem a bit rubbish but compared to everyday cars that average joe buys they are pretty nifty.
i may take you up on those cupra springs then mate 
i'll be getting the tyres changed, im sure the guy who had it before me just stuck cheapo ones on, they arent any make ive herd of lol! how much are spacers? i think the standard shocks should be able to cope with cupra suspention, cant see it being different
i'll be getting the tyres changed, im sure the guy who had it before me just stuck cheapo ones on, they arent any make ive herd of lol! how much are spacers? i think the standard shocks should be able to cope with cupra suspention, cant see it being different
MATT-IBIZA 1.9
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I had just had the front 2 tyres changed after 9k (company should have paid for Traction Control)!! so on the front had Goodyear F1 (new) and rear had stock dunlops (old). a day later following a 1.4 sport round a roundabout back end came out. i quickly turned into the slide as i have done plenty of times before and got away with it, yet still the rear came round untill so much so i ended in the middle of the roundabout!! fuming!
checked on michelins website and they ADVISE new tyres to be fitted to the rear and the old to the front for grip reasons. is this just ADVISE? no laws i can blame on the tyre fitters? cheers
have a look
http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/auto/auto_cons_bib_pqr_neuf.jsp
checked on michelins website and they ADVISE new tyres to be fitted to the rear and the old to the front for grip reasons. is this just ADVISE? no laws i can blame on the tyre fitters? cheers
have a look
http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/auto/auto_cons_bib_pqr_neuf.jsp
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As an ex modified TDI Sport and ex Focus owner (had a 2.0 Zetec ESP, standard) I can honestly say that nothing you do will make it handle as well as the standard Focus, its because the Ibiza has a solid rear axle, and it had nowhere near the amount of R&D the Focus had! The Focus had 65k on it, my Ibiza is on 12k and the Focus still beat it on comfort!
I guess its a trade off, buy a Focus for handling and no power, or buy an Ibiza for lots of power and no handling.
I guess its a trade off, buy a Focus for handling and no power, or buy an Ibiza for lots of power and no handling.
i always change them around, fronts wear quicker than rear anyway, and in general it's gunna be your rear to kick out before the front.
ive just lowered my tyre pressure to 33 and 28 so hopefully that will help with grip a little
Poverty
Guest
lol read my comments above. Because the GSD3 F1's liek you have fitted are of a high grip nature, and the stock dunlops arent can make things tricky in the wet if not aware of this fact. It is incredibly easy to get some crazy sideways action with those crappy dunlops fitted at the rear and the high grips at the front.
I dont think the tyre fitters can be blamed as what they have done is not against the law.
Really it is your own fault though for driving too fast, (or seats fault for fitting crap tyres - another way at looking at it lol) or driving briskly in the wrong conditions imo but put it down to a lesson learned and be more careful untill you ditch those rear dunlops. Unless like me you like being able to go sideways.
dont forget that at this time of the year its also a temp issue , cold weather cold tarmac cold tyres , front wheel drive cars suffer cos the front tyres do all the work and heat up quicker , try a few track days and you will see how hard it is to get heat in the rears , the first 3 or four laps are interesting as the tyre temps rise a diff rates . Have to agree with the coments about the soft F1 s and the pants dunlops . Oh an the buck stops with you if your gonna chuck it about, keep all four tyres the same and dont forget to play with pressures to. On a track day you can see pressures rise by as much as 10 psi just through temp. but bezza's dont need much help to be tale happy under lift off. something to think about
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