Really twitchy around corners

[Geoff644NI]

I'm at my wits end with my car now. Its an 05 1.9cdti 150 and has been lowered 40mm with koni adjustable shocks (7 months old) and 19" wheels. Rear tyres are lasting 3 months or roughly 4000miles, the banana arms have been changed twice in 12 months, rear arm bushes and arb drop links done, rear track control arms changed, the rear trailing arm bushes changed, front arb drop links, and car has just passed m.o.t. But yet the rear of the car slides out ferociously at 30mph and the car is a nightmare to drive at 60mph, change lanes too quickly and the rear is about to swap ends. The 4 wheel alignment has been done twice in 6 months and is costing me a fortune. Anyone any ideas as ive thrown alot of money at it and getting nowhere with this problem.

[Ziggy]

What tyres firstly?

[Geoff644NI]

First of all maxxis all round. Then when i fitted new shocks, springs, arms etc. a full set of avon zz3, and has since burnt off the rear avons to be replaced with minerva at the minute until i can find out why my tyres dont last and the car is all over the place.

[Geoff644NI]

Also there is a really annoying creak/squeek that can be heard very clearly when going over small bumps at low speed and seems to be coming from the rear

[deg]

although your rear shock are quite new, dont rule them out, remove one and have a look. My rear coilovers only lasted a few thousand miles before busting. I would fit your old ones again just to see.

[tony-1977]

The 4 wheel alignment has been done twice in 6 months and is costing me a fortune

When you say 4 wheel alignment, did they do the rear wheel camber as well as the tracking?

[keith150882]

Iv had problems with rear tyers being eaten! if y car is lowered and u have your camber done on one of the hunter lazer machine it's wrong anyway as y car is lowered! I had two rear tyers on and camber done but when i Was stand ing behind my car on the ramp the car was sitting on the inside of tyers so I got them to do it by eye to the front wheels it shows it wrong on the computer but the back tyres are now running on the out side to! Il get the print out out and take a pic and post it as my tyres are lasting a lot longer now and when y paying £200+ for tyres it's a god send lol as for being lose on rear end I would say shocks!

[Geoff644NI]

Rear camber has been done, but unfortunately because of the desgin of the suspension there is not enough adjustment on the lower arm (camber) and the tca (toe). When they set the camber properly to the required value, it pulls the toe out of alignment as there isnt enough adjustment on the camber bolts. If you can picture the lower arm is bolted at the rear side of the hub, and the tca is bolted to the forward side of the hub, so when camber is adjusted its twisting the hub and putting the toe in/out. I would like to hope the rear shocks aren't gone as theyre not long fitted to the car, and they weren't cheap.

[Jezzy]

You can get bushes that allow camber adjustment, to fit in the rear upper control arms.

[Geoff644NI]

Have you got a link to these? Cant find anyone making poly bushes for the vectra c yet. I have enough adjustment on the camber but not enough adjustment on the toe in/out