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MG MGF Technical - Handling at high speed

I have just fulfilled an ambition and bought a 96 P-reg VVC, reg P100VVC. I haven't stopped grinning since I picked the car up. I swapped from a Golf GTi16V. The Golf had no power steering and was pretty heavy, but very stable. I'm finding the MG very light and twitchy at higher speeds. I think it's just a case of getting use to it and building confidence (already happening). But I see comments about the splitter. Does this really make a big difference to handling. I'm also told the F is very sensitive to wheel alignment and tyre pressure. Any advice anyone? P.S. Top down today for first time - wife complaining of cold but what the hell!
Gordon

Check the ride height, if it is above 368mm (see faq for deatails) this may be the answer, get the dealer to lower it to this height. Yes, I have been told by many that the front spliter improves stability at speed. Some, have doubts about the looks though.

I may get one, I may not, My F does get blown about a bit in high wind, but no real problem with speed (apart from traps).

Forget the rear spoilers on offer unless you like the look, it appears that they have no effect on the handling. Decent tyres, if you don't already have them, would be a good idea too
Tony Smith

Gordon,
beeing familiar with high speed driving an MGF on german motorways....;-)
I would like to add to Tonys ride hight check 'the steering check
'special for P-reg cars, because that time MG had some problems sometimes in built quality.

test instruction
ride at low speed app 50 mph on a motorway (flat and even road) in high gear and accelerate and decererate slightly with only the accelerator, not with the brake !
Your car should go straight ahead. No steering wheel correction should be required.

If the car wears in any way to one side.

Access the same test at high speed in low gear (high revs) so that the cars front pitches remarkable up and down when accelerating / decellerating

Again, it should go straight ahead with none or only small wear to the right or left side.

If it doesnt have any problem, then only go for Tonys suggestion. If it wears you may go for a specific suspension analysis to a good dealer.

It would be nice if you would access this test and report your results here to this thread.

BTW. check the front wheels for any tyre wear at the inner side.

Cheers
Dieter
NE-WZ77
05/96 MGF
Dieter

Gordon.
The car is certainly twitchy at high speed but, as you point out, it is as much about confidence as anything else.
The PAS is generally excellent but despite having owned my VVC for several years I am still not completely confident when taking long, high speed motorway turn offs and links.
I was tempted by the splitter but eventually decided against. No offence to anyone who owns one but it looks a little bit too much like a boy racer add-on.
Jamie Macaskill

I have to say that the splitter is one of the best accessories I have bought for my F. The handling at high speed (120mph) is far better (I did not even dare venture that far before!) - and one can take one's hands off the wheel with confidence (not advised!).

The splitter is effective from about 40mph upwards, and provides the car with a far more stable attitude when passing lorries etc...

As far as looks go, that is down to personal choice - but it is not offesive as some "additions" I care not to mention!

Jason
Jason

Have to agree with Jamie on the looks front- I am not entirely convinced by the appearance.

I bought one of the first splitters (one of the prototypes!) thinking- "well I shall try it- if it doesn't work, I'll remove it". That was about 18 months ago, and it is still on the car.

I totally aggree with Jason's statement. It works from around 40 mph- and it feels as though there is a hand pressing down on the bonnet. M-way security is markedly improved. The problem is that the car's designed was signed off before all the aerodynamic work was performed. When the MGF was taken to MIRA, the F was found to be light at the front end due to aerodynamic lift; the rear had excellent aerodynamic qualities. The splitter does a fine job of radically reducing this lift. On the autobahn this summer, I saw 130 on the speedo, and the front end was rock stable. The rear however started to go ligt.... Oh well, sove one problem, find another!

As a first step though- do check the ride height as Tony suggests. Just making sure that the trim level is okay can make a remarkable difference to stability...

Cheers

Rob
Robert Bell


Another thing to bear in mind with the splitter is the car height.
The lower the car, the more effect the splitter has.

In fact, a high car without a splitter will be less stable at speed.

I think our splitter is only hinting at what a 'proper' splitter could do.
Have a look at how low racing car splitters are and see how the
flattness continues under the car for some way to smooth the airflow.

Having just raised the car after the standard 'winter lowering' I've noticed
the car car is no longer rock solid at speed. Still easily good enough though.
Some can be attributed to just general ride height but I believe that some
of this is compounded by the loss of the 'splitter effect'.

Cheers,
Paul.
Paul

Hey guys, pardon my ignorance on such matters, but what is a splitter and what does it do?

Thanks,

Phil
Phil

Phil,

Here's some theory about the use of a splitter.
http://members.xoom.com/mg_f/splitter.htm

And a pic (thanks Dieter) of the splitter on my F
http://mgf.purespace.de/meeting/dcp_0655.jpg

BTW, the splitter works fine... even on a monday morning

regards,
Erik
Erik

I found the front of an F too light at reasonable speed when you encountered light bumps (the steering wheel shivered, like the wheels lost contact with the road for a sec)

since I had my splitter I never felt this again, even at higher speed ;-)
Dirk Vael

I must agree with the others about the stability & the splitter, it does make a big difference. Also I have just put on a Rover rear spoiler (mainly for looks) but this also makes a big improvement especially when travelling at motor way speeds. A friend was following me down the M25 on Saturday night, he pulled up along side & had a good look. When we stop he remarked that it looked like the car was being pushed down to the tarmac both front & rear, due to the splitter & spoiler, I have certainly noticed the difference stability wise & would recommend both items.

DaveB

>pushed down to the tarmac both front & rear, due to the splitter & spoiler

Dave,
let him measure next time how much it gets down in inches or cm....
I can give you an idea then of how much the tracking goes toe OUT :)

BTW dont ride to long and to fast with the splitter without uprated shocks or suspension because you probably get inner tyre wear at the front ... because of to much toe out :)

Cheers
Dieter
PS. dont take this message to seriuos, its my ironical consumtion on the behavior of the car, beeing 'pulled down' to the tarmac ;-)
Dieter

Dieter, I suspect that Dave's friend may have been exagerating a little. Splitters and rear wings fitted to MGF's do not generate down force- they are spoilers rather than wings. The Porsche 911 Turbo has a rear wing to generate down force- and it is nothing like the Rover rear spoiler!!!

Spoilers REDUCE lift. Therefore suspension height should not alter. Therefore no significant geometry change, and no tyre wear. ;o)

The MGF splitter has mainly plus points- it reduces front end lift, and may even improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle concerned. There are a couple of negative points to consider though. Most important to note is that it is more prone to accidental damage- but fortunately they are not too costly to replace. More expensive to replace is the bumper... but then the trick is not to hit anything! ;o)

A question to all our 'bahn storming friends with front splitters, do you guys have any problems with discernable rear lift? I was considering either some under body flaps or a bootlid lip spoiler. The latter I'd like to avoid because these thngs aren't my cup of tea...

Cheers

Rob
Robert Bell

>Spoilers REDUCE lift.

<grin> thats what I wanted to see, before this discussion wents to a new techy hyphothesis ;-)
:oD

Cheers
Dieter
Dieter

>> I was considering either some under body flaps or a bootlid lip spoiler<<

Hey Rob, what about an extractor (? don't know the word in English) like the MGF SS ?
Some may not like it : I reckon it's strange, but at least it's original.

Fabrice
still having to buy a splitter.
Fabrice

As Dieter said :

<<
test instruction
ride at low speed app 50 mph on a motorway (flat and even road) in high gear and accelerate and decererate slightly with only the accelerator, not with the brake !
Your car should go straight ahead. No steering wheel correction should be required.

If the car wears in any way to one side.

Access the same test at high speed in low gear (high revs) so that the cars front pitches remarkable up and down when accelerating / decellerating

Again, it should go straight ahead with none or only small wear to the right or left side.
>>

I have this problem when I changed my rear tyres :
the first km (miles sorry !) were awful (at 100km/h).
Now I have the same pb from 130km/h (memo, Marseille
is very windy). I had problem with suspensions (rear
leak).

I will try to fix that next week with the dealer.

F
If it doesnt have any problem, then only go for Tonys suggestion. If it wears you may go for a specific suspension analysis to a good dealer.

It would be nice if you would access this test and report your results here to this thread.

BTW. check the front wheels for any tyre wear at the inner side.
campillo

Fabrice,

>>Hey Rob, what about an extractor (? don't know the word in English) like the MGF SS ? Some may not like it: I reckon it's strange, but at least it's original.<<

I know what you mean- the rear under body diffuser venting air through the bumper apperatures and creating a 'ground effect'- downward lift. Nice one! :o)

The Trevor Taylor I have fitted at the mo' probably has the smallest silencer box on the market today- but it still takes up too much space...

The solution I was day dreaming about is a more compact straight through exhaust built in line with the cat to free up space a diffuser... it'd sure be loud, but very different! :o)

If Mike Satur wants the schematics, I'd be happy to share them! ;o)

Rob
Robert Bell

Campillo,
change the rear tyres side to side by your own, because the single tyres can be 'different'.

This helps in most cases.
If not, then go for a ride hight check and four wheel alignement.

Cheers
Dieter
Dieter

I wonder what causes so much wind noise ever since I got my F back. because the car's front is too high or too low?

Starting from 140kmh (didn't do much more yet ;) I hear a severe increase in wind noise, and I wonder that it is becoz of the rear being to high, causing the turbulence slam on the hardtop...? (it's esp. picking up where hardtop meets windscreen)
ps: Hardtop is fitted correctly, no edge between windscreen & hardtop!
Dirk Vael

This thread was discussed between 27/11/1999 and 01/12/1999

MG MGF Technical index

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