blue collar Geo Metro Areo mods

[Galane]

You need to find an alignment shop that's willing to do your front suspension setup precisely. You want the angles on both sides identical, not just in the factory specified range.

It can make the car a bit twitchy, but having as close to zero toe angle while moving, without having any toe out, produces the least rolling resistance.

Also, if your rear spindles can be removed from the rear axle, there are tapered shims that can be used to adjust the rear toe and camber. They're most often used to correct for a slightly bent (or never straight) rear beam axle on front drive cars.

[Ultra-Orange]

The problem being finding a shop that is willing to risk liability for providing alignment angles outside of those offered by the manufacturer.

Any accident that occures that can be shown to happen WITH angles beyond manufacturer specs can be misinterpreted to show the accident happened BECAUSE the angles where beyond manufacturers specs. Which places the shop in liability.

Conversely manufacturers specs are intended to be optimum for a broad spectrum of uses. Not just efficiency. So for someone intended on maximizing a vehicles use for efficiency, you may be out on your own.

I am in a high population area so the likely-hood that I can find someone that is willing to risk Liability is reduced.

NOT saying your wrong, just saying the possibility of my finding a willing shop is severly diminished.

Thank you for your intelligent input. Ill do my best to make the most use of it!

[Galane]

Then the best is to find a shop that has pride in their work and will go to the effort to make the angles on both sides match, not just be "within specification".

Setting the toe to the minimum of the factory range should improve efficiency a bit.

Another common problem with alignment shops is centering the steering. On a flat road or with minimal crown, with the steering wheel held level the car should not drift left or right and when you let go of the wheel it should not turn left or right on its own.

If the steering isn't centered it doesn't matter if the toe, caster and camber are perfect, it will pull to one side.

[renault_megane_dci]

What about lightening the car as much as likable ?
Boosts mpg in the lower range of speed for free.

[Ultra-Orange]

at this point the car drives like it should. it doesn't dart around in ruts or wet pavement. doesn't pull either way. and just coasts forever. I'm thinking that I am going to hold off on the alignment till I'm ready for new tires. I'm also considering replacing the ball-joint, Control-arm, and bushings on the drivers side just so its done and I don't have to worry about those parts.

I have done a tad of lightening (Removed the rear seat and seat belts) The previous owner did a tad of lightening (In the form of not replacing wheel well liners, fender braces etc while doing other work). I keep an eye open for stuff to remove but 1) its not high on my priority list (I'm aiming more for hwy milage than in town) and 2) Its my work car. I drive it almost every day, so whatever "Luxeries" are in the car (Heater, carpet,radio, etc) are probably going to stay.

thank you for the wonderful input!

[renault_megane_dci]

I wouldn't have thanked me for that but it is nice to have been thanked !

[renault_megane_dci]

At what kind of speed are you coasting impressively long ?

Because if found mine coast really well at 50 km/h (30mph maybe) but obviously not so well at 110km/h / 70 mph the difference being the drag penalty.

[Ultra-Orange]

I thank people for being helpfull

I notice mostly about 35 or so I tend to way under-guess my coasts, Mostly up to stop signs and such. though I'm still working on the off ramp I take from work, I think if it where'nt for traffic I could coast a quarter mile up to that stop sign.

I try to keep my eyes on stop lights four blocks ahead and coast down from three, Of course traffic and the occasional surprise red are not always predictable.

[Ultra-Orange]

Not being able to install an belly tray I bought some Lawn edging from home depot (20' for $12) and built an air dam. (side skirts to follow)



also in the picture you can see the duct tape grill block I did some time back.

In celebration of the new air damn I grabbed a buddy and went for a freeway mileage test!

So.. the numbers break down well. with a touch of controversy. so I filled up at a gas station near the freeway and went for a ride! 69 miles later I pulled into a gas station and top up the tank. now... normally this would be the end of it. but due the short trip (I normally go 120 miles plus) the numbers become more important, so Im excited and watching the fill up . when the pump clicks off the meter says 1.02 gallons. Unfortunately the attendant didn't speak very good English and managed to pump in an additional .20 gal before the tank wouldn't take anymore and I was standing there stammering like an idiot trying to get him to stop.

In hindsight I don't remember how far up the first attendant topped the tank. I need to start paying more attention and insisting on stopping at one click.

so. numbers break down like this. if I use the final numbers, which I'm inclined to do, I get 56 MPG. This is pretty much in line with previous results.

If I go with the first click (1.03 gal vs 1.23 gal) the numbers jump from 56 MPG to 67 MPG. Thats.... a large difference. so... i'm going to use the 56 MPG.. whats the real mileage? Somewhere in between, no doubt. Ill be using 56MPG till future testing is performed.

Conversely my tank to tank mileage has increased to 45mpg with the new commute.

[Ultra-Orange]

Sorry updates are going slow. combination of near a year without consitant work and 12 hour days AND crap weather mean little time to mod,

So. Jerked the front lip off. spent an hour or two with a heatgun molding it. put it back on and it looks a bit better. New pick better shows the lip and the duct tape grill block.





stage 3 prototype rear wheel skirts. was going to make them 3 piece skirts then noticed the front "Wheel spat" will be completely covered by the side skirt so went with a two piece instead. Bolted the brace directly to the Wheel skirt then but new brackets on the car so 3 bolts remove the skirt. painted screws are "Permanent", just undo the 3 shiny screws to remove the skirt.