Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Aero Wheel Alignment

Why ruin the car by setting up for track use though? Fine for just a track day car but pointless for a car used mainly on the road and everyday use.

I agree, John. I've never understood the compulsion to set road cars up like track cars. A track car on the track can be a very fast and fun experience. A track car on the road is usually a piggin' nightmare.

I'm not planning to ruin it, but optimise it for me...

Suspension set up is a collection of compromises: I learnt a lot about that when deeply immersed in the bike world. It is also very subjective: the same car will feel "right" to one person and dull to another.

So, yes, Tarka is well set up as a touring road car, I'd be willing to trade a bit of tyre life for a slightly sharper turn in. The steering turn in on Tarka, compared with the AMG is slow and the CLC is very slow and almost dead. So getting Tarka to be more like the AMG settings would be good.

Interestingly the AMG C43 and C55 have totally different suspension components, including upright, top and bottom wishbones and other bits to the other C Class cars. They feel like the CLC, very Mercedes safe and predictable.

The idea would not be to set it up like a race car but to get a comnpany with more suspension expertise than MMC to set it up for "fast road". Tuning the handling just like you could tune the engine in the old days before electronics.

After all, it is a sports car so performance does matter

Morgan race....do you think that Aero Racing have no suspension expertise?

They were the first pot of call. I've asked them if they can check all the front and rear alignment settings and supply 4 tyres, no answer yet.

As they haven't answered I have asked Techniques and New Elms. Both are interested in the work and both also now a bit about preparing cars for road, rce and everything in between.

I meant suspension expertise Peter....NOT communications expertise!

Were they involved in the original design of the cars suspension? Do you think, therefore , that no improvement on the factory set up is possile?

Very possibly, but after 4 years and 35k miles I want to know that it is still as it should be. I'm also interested to know from those that race Aeros if the factory setting is optimal for every situation.

I think you've answered your own question, Peter. No such thing as 'Optimal for all conditions'.

Track suspension has to operate under a set of extreme conditions with high forces involved (You are driving at max power all the time and cornering on the physical limit all the time), but fortunately also in circumstances where those conditions can be tightly controlled (You get multiple attempts to practice each corner and get it right).

Road suspension has to be able to cope in a wide range of largely unpredictable conditions (They are bumpy as hell compared to a track and you never know what's round the next corner), but fortunately also in circumstances where the forces involved are relatively low (You're not on the red line and scrabbling for grip).