Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Suplex suspension upgrade .

Every aspect of automotive design has more depth and complexity than most people will ever realise. Whether it's exhaust systems (bore, length, bends), brakes (heat range, size, weight) or diffs (open, progressive locking, electronic), they all have a dramatic effect on the way that a vehicle performs and that's why it's so easy to screw things up with modifications that apply 'performance solutions' from one walk of motoring life (typically race or rally) to something completely different (ie: road cars). As PJB has well explained, there's much more to all of this than meets the eye.

I used to run a heavily track-focused Subaru (late 90's, when you had to import the hairy JDM spec cars personally) and it was an awesome car at the Ring, which was where we spent pretty much every spare weekend for nearly 10 years. It ran on some special road-legal tarmac rally tyres called Dunlop Formula-R D01J's and the grip they had when up to temp was truly outstanding. But they were based on a slick race carcass and ran lower than normal pressures - about 24/25psi I recall. When parked overnight the 'flat-spot' that formed during the cold and wet hours would take about 20 minutes to disappear when driving the next morning, so those first miles were accompanied by the vibrating percussion thump in quadraphonic surround sound..... All very Race & Rally but utterly ridiculous when I think about it now. Hey, but I was young then....

I have now got past the first service and given it some revs and it still behaves like the one Tiff Needell drove rather than the one Chris Harris drove, ie understeer rather than oversteer. It's not excessive but I'd prefer it to be a bit more throttle-adjustable.

I am waiting impatiently for the steering mod/comfort kit to arrive, though I expect that to be the solution to a different problem.

I have read the erudite comments in this thread with great interest, but I am still unsure what the next step should be: the Empire kit or the upgraded Suplex dampers. I think ordering both would be a bit over the top for my budget.


Wandering totally off topic...

I got totally lost on the way to the workshop, but the nice proprietor said that was no problem, except that there was a lunch hour. He asked if I'd like to borrow a car and I said that would be nice, expecting a Twingo or some tin box like that. But instead, it was an Elise (he is a Lotus dealer).

Somehow, I had missed out on the Elise, though I have driven all the models between about 1973 and the early 1990s. I took it for a half-hour drive on some twisty roads. I was surprised at how comfortable it was, though getting in and out was a pain for a lanky old git. I wish, for example, that the M3W had that space to the side of the clutch pedal.

I did not go nuts in it but drove it with about 7/10 briskness...and I was deeply disappointed.

The steering was nicely direct and accurate and the handling was fine, though I have heard that if you give it 10/10 it becomes rather demanding.

What disappointed me (apart from the cheapo interior fittings) was the ride quality. It does not have the bump deflection of the Morgan, but the vertical harshness verged on the uncomfortable - and the crashing bump-thump is appalling.

No other Lotus road car that I have driven was like that. CABC must be bouncing in his tomb, if he is not still on a beach in Brazil with his flame-haired mistress.

Are you Happy for the work made by esprit compétition Peter ?

Absolutely, yes. The first service is a fairly simple procedure, of course, but Monsieur Fort and his team gave me great confidence for the future. And you?

Nice guy Laurent fort
At the moment i dont need to go for servicing
I ask him for the confort kit
Actualy no answer.

I have the comfort pack fitted now on original Spax and the improvement is like night and day. Very light steering. Ride feels good too.

My car (chassis 931) is also on Spax and I think ride quality overall is surprisingly good. Also, the roads in southern France are mostly better surfaced than those in Britain and bump steer is almost certainly less of an issue here, but it is still noticeable at times.

However, what I want, apart from getting rid of the bump steer and the occasional collisions between track rod and exhaust (which make me wince), is a small adjustment in the handling balance, specifically sharper turn-in (without getting excessive oversteer). The steering/comfort kit is unlikely to provide that change, I think.

No, I don't think it will Peter. Even with the Empire kit, I'm finding rather more understeer than I'd like. Mostly at higher speeds, it has to be said, and that may just be a result of the narrow front tyres, in which case, I may be stuck with it. I'm wondering if a little toe out would help with the turn in, although I can't see, ultimately, that it would actually neutralise the understeer.

I know we've discussed this before, but I find there's a significant difference in front end grip with increased pressures, provided the roads are smooth enough to not to induce even worse bump steer. In my opinion, higher pressures prevent quite so much sidewall flex which starts off the higher speed under steer. I guess in fact that with all these steering fixes now available, we might be able to lift pressures with less compromise. In Germany I ran 28psi for spirited driving, but had to go back to 22psi or lower when back on those dreadful Belgian roads.

I plan to try the Blockley front tyres next time, as I am told they improve grip. I might also experiment with rear tyre pressure in an attempt to reduce grip a little - that might redress the balance slightly?!

I took the car out yesterday to warm it up before parking up in the kitchen and the roads were quite wet. I had to take an acute right hand turn on a Y-junction to avoid a messy jam and it was clear that the rubbish steering lock would require a 5-point turn to get round. But on the slippery surface, a little assertiveness with clutch and throttle had the car spin in a satisfying 270deg arc (finished off with a dab of oppo.....!), proving the affectiveness of reduced grip at the back. Not really of relevance to the discussion, but reminds me why the car is so fun. Laughed out loud for the next 5 mins - can't do that in Vorsprung durch Technik!!!

It's like this officer, it wouldn't go round otherwise!