Slow Speed Surging

Not sure, why do you ask?. Working the clutch is a bit awkward with it grabbing so low, and here, people (immigrants) started parking with 2 wheels on the pavement since the street is narrow and only 2 lanes wide. I never did till my old car got side swiped 4X, 3 times in one week, so the Sube is up on the pavement. Some curbs are real low, but where I am parking it in front of the house, the curb is pretty high and parked cars pretty close. I didn't like the angle the tires sit at, with one side sitting higher. I don't think it is good for the tires, especially old ones like on my old car, but tires are easier to replace than sheet metal and paint.((

I was wondering of the higher octane might help with the surge? Maybe I'm just asking too much from new cars.(( Have to try bouncing the car and seeing if struts are sticking for the ride. I can count the inperceptable rippels in roads. I feel every one.(( No wonder the WRX beat me up on a mile test drive through the city. Maybe the Mustang seats will help. They seem a lot softer. I drove a 20yr old SVO model 2 weeks ago, and they felt softer, even being leather.

VF

You mentioned too low a tire pressure and the tires might come off the rims. I'm not into Rallying yet.) but think the pressurew ould have to be mighty low. With my FWD mid sized Chevy I usally run 30 in the fronts and 20+ in the rear that had bigger tires. One has a very slow leak and noiced it was low after a good bit of highway driving, Had about 10lbs in it. the inside wall of the tires are cracked from age, but I don't really worry about it since to me that isn't the strength or air holding ability of a tire. the fabric and inner rubber liner are. My dad had a thing about not parking in puddles, be he went back to cotton corded tube type tires, when you didn't plug the carcass, and the thinking was that water could get into the puncture hole and rot the cotton and cause a blowout. I started driving on nylon corded tubeless tires. I never had a tire problem. Drove 400mi after pulling a roofing nail out of puncture sealing tires. Had to add

Just wondering how low or high I could go with the Sube and not wear centers or edge tread. I always go by the Look of the tire, an then the ride, and never saw uneven wear. Might have to add a few bags of sand to the back, but then they'd want me to up the rear pressure.((

VF

You need to chill. If you have an LSD and MT there are a few extra clutches that do their thing autromatically. If you ''surge'' while engine braking (down hill especially) either switch to a higher gear and/or apply a slight amount of foot braking. The Subes forte` is not slowing down or parking. It is driving really fast around corners and in dirt.

For 'normal' driving it is of course less critical. But a hi-G turn vectors a lot of force onto the outside wheels. I've seen several photos of cars at autox with an inner tire off the ground. That means 3 tires are supporting the car and much of that force in on the outer rim of the outer wheels. For most of us, most of the time, you could run 10-15 lbs I guess and just sacrifice tires to uneven wear, increased likelihood of a bent rim going into a pothole, and fuel mileage to increased 'rolling resistance'. But in a soob, it should be more like 12 in the front and

;^)

Another reason to pay close attention to your tires on a NEW car is the possibility that the wheel alignment, 'as delivered' is incorrect. Ford had (I dunno about now ???) a policy of doing a free, 'warranty' alignment but only in the first 3K miles. You;d have to feel 'pulling' or notice uneven tire wear pretty early to get that comp-ed. (maybe you feel some pulling in your new soob? nudge-nudge, wink-wink!)

Just watch for uneven wear and stay near the recommended pressures. BUT, keep the front/rear ratio very close.

Carl

I agree here. It IS a shame that the seats/ride seem uncomfortable to him though. It is so hard to buy a car that you spend a lot of time in after a 15 minute test drive. And renting a soob, at least where I live, to drive for a weekend is nearly impossible. I'd like to point out that many smaller 'sporty' cars would likely give him the same discomfort.

Carl

There are very nice aftermarket cushions.

on your concerns, I dropped the front tire pressure down to 30 and left the rears at 25. The ride improved some. Maybe the car is loosening up since the responce to some things isn't what I would expect. There was a noise from the right side front door area when hitting certain bumps, and that has gone away.

I think the allignment would have to be pretty far off to see it soon on new tires. I don't feel anything that seems off, but then I may have to learn what it feels like on an AWD. Logged 100mi yesterday, to find a Dairy Queen that had the best breaded fried mushrooms I ever ate. They had closed 3 yrs ago. I hadn't been to the area in Many years. Driving the interstate the traffic was heavy and fast. Took a few curves at 70 & 80 mph, and it got my hair starting to stand. What with the tire pressure issue, and learning how the car feels in turns. The cross section shape of the steering wheel rim is taking some time to get used to, and it feels a bit slick, and a bit harder to pull on for the firmness of the power assist. I continue to be amazed at how quick the steering is, and how tight a U turn the car will make. I didn't think it would be that good according to the #'s. Maybe the ratio is faster, making it harder to turn than I am used to but cut faster.

I found the load cap. of the tires, and that is 1290 lbs ea. Should be more than enough.)

VF

with my injuries and muscle damage problems, just riding in most cars for any distance will beat me up and fatigue me. Driving the WRX would Never work for me, and the 2.5i seemed tolerable, though my 86' Celebrity was like siting in an easy chair when I got back in it. Since I plan to change the seats that aren't as firm and fit better, I figure that would help. I check car shows where they test, and look at the driver sitting on the seat, and how long the seat bottom is.

I didn't see the problems I am having in test drives. One was in the city, and another 2 in the suburbs. Maybe the weather had something to do, since I'm starting to think that the AC on might affect low speed smoothness and surging. If that is the case I can shut it for short roads that feel real choppy. Ah... on most tests I had a passenger. Maybe the extra weight helped the ride.

Anyway, don't let it be said that I give up, or don't work on making things the way I want them.)) I am staring at the Mustang seats I Hope will fit. Reminds me. I Should measure them, but the cars are about the same size inside. I am rarely satisfied with things if I want them a certain way. I am always saying, why don't they make things different, or the way I would like. When they are, they are Much more satisfying.

VF

You don't say...

yep I do, and changing them, or starting from scratch.

You clearly have nothing and/or no one else to occupy your time, based on the frequent, extensive, and exhaustive posts you make here that detail the work and the trips you have invested in this car. Which is fine, but unusual.

I pay people to do that for me.

The boxer motor is inherently balanced and runs very smoothly. If you have one that shakes, it's broken.

I don't think you trust technology you can't understand. You lack faith. You will never be happy.

why did I read that boxers shake? Guess they didn't know the beast.

No, I am All for technology, but Not to fix an invented problem, that isn't the advantage it is said to be. I wouldn't be comfortable flying a plane that is unstable, and needs a computer to fly. If the computer quits or malfunctions, Syanora. The Stealth planes need them, but no one told US that radars Can detect them. They are Supposed to be nearly invisable. Wha Happen?? Someone got sold a bill of goods, and someone made a bundle.

VF

doen't look like my note posted. Shame, it was a good one

I like doing things myself, because no one will do them the way I want, or the costs would be prohivitive. When I staretd building audio speakers. I built the prototype, and because they were complicated, and involved, cabinet shops wanted as much to build the cabinets, as I wanted to sell the system for, so I made them myself. I was puzzled when the stores owner said, "Can You Make Them ALL Look Like That"? Ha?? Yea, I could match the wood grains, because I hand veneered them, and Made them match.

Yea, they were Big and Complicated, and Everyone says you Don't need size to reproduce bass, but It depends on what frequencies you want to be able to hear. If I Ever get to build the house I want, it Won't have a corner horn bass speaker, in the corner of the room, but a FULL sized horn through the center of the house.

VF

Yup.

Same could be said about first gen airbags.

-- Todd H.

so do they have tha airbags Right now? Then All the horror stories must be about the early ones. Now they have weight and distance sensors, and god knows what else, but they don't help with an impact speed of over 50mph, and will go off at very low speeds, making them More dangerous. I still think I'll opt for a harness.

VF

Looks like the surge happens when the AC is on, when driving at low speeds. With it off it feels like a nice car..

The idle is smoother. Maybe it was the newness, or the gas that came in it.

VF