Is there a cheap/easy way to improve handing on an Attrage?

Someone suggested lighter wheels (currently have the standard 14 in steel ones).

 

The ground clearance is really high and the car is very light, which is good for broken roads. However it rolls around too much at speed, borderline dangerous

 

 

There is no free lunch.

Increase the spring rate will improve the handling - and decrease the ride quality.

Stiffer shock absorbers will have the same penalties.

Springs handle the weight of the car, while shock absorbers handle the damping, controlling the spring movements.

I know of no manufacturer who makes upgrades for an Attrage, which is essentially an econobox car, built to a price point.

A better handling car will have different spring and shock rates, larger sway bars, wider tires ...

The list goes on.

 

Try this

 

9 hours ago, CrossBones said:

However it rolls around too much at speed, borderline dangerous

That's due to your driving it too hard or erratically, or the standard suspension just needs maintenance attention, it's an Attrage, not an Evo.

 

If you do want to uprate the suspension, however, Eibach have lowering springs and KYB have 'sport' dampers for the Attrage/Mirage as do many other after market suppliers.  

27 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

 Eibach have lowering springs and KYB have 'sport' dampers for the Attrage/Mirage

Lancer only

https://eibach.com/us/

Is your tire pressure is per the specification in the door-jamb? This is the first culprit as over-inflating tires is common here. 

The Attrage is similar to the Mirage but the Mirage is sold in more markets / greater numbers.  There are some forums etc with advice for the Mirage, e.g. http://www.subcompactculture.com/2019/08/top-3-things-to-make-mitsubishi-mirage.html  

 

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

That's due to your driving it too hard or erratically, or the standard suspension just needs maintenance attention, it's an Attrage, not an Evo.

 

If you do want to uprate the suspension, however, Eibach have lowering springs and KYB have 'sport' dampers for the Attrage/Mirage as do many other after market suppliers.  

 

+1

 

You can't throw it around corners like a sports car.

 

Buy an old mini.

4 hours ago, canthai55 said:

4 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

 Eibach have lowering springs and KYB have 'sport' dampers for the Attrage/Mirage

Lancer only

https://eibach.com/us/

Mirage/Attrage also

https://www.eibach-shop.com/eibach-springs-mitsubishi-mirage-schraegheck/hatchback-a05a-p-422832.html

4 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Is your tire pressure is per the specification in the door-jamb? This is the first culprit as over-inflating tires is common here. 

Incorrect tyre pressures do not cause excess body roll, the suspension does that.

11 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Incorrect tyre pressures do not cause excess body roll, the suspension does that.

 

But if tire pressers are incorrect, correcting them is "...a cheap/easy way to improve handing...", yes?

 

In any event, the OP did not say he was experiencing "...excess body roll...", he said "...it rolls around too much at speed..." by which he may or may not mean body roll. I would rather experience excess body roll going around a curve at speed than going around that same curve at the same speed with overinflated tires and hit a bump...

 

Modifying vehicles usually invalidates warranty and insurance.

The Attrage will handle better if it is driven within its design limits. Which seem quite adequate to me, having driven one.

The OP did not state what speeds he drives at, I suspect that information was not forthcoming for a reason.

17 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Modifying vehicles usually invalidates warranty and insurance.

The Attrage will handle better if it is driven within its design limits. Which seem quite adequate to me, having driven one.

The OP did not state what speeds he drives at, I suspect that information was not forthcoming for a reason.

 

And it is a surprisingly nice little car for the money....

14 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

And it is a surprisingly nice little car for the money....

Nice with the manual - not a fan of CVT

5 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Nice with the manual - not a fan of CVT

 

Never driven any CVT, but I would only buy another manual if I lived in the "county"...

29 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

And it is a surprisingly nice little car for the money....

IMO Mitsubishi have always made good products, albeit underrated in the marketplace. Refrigerators and air conditioners are other examples.

My son drives a Mitsubishi Magna AWD I gave him when I left Australia, still going strong with 300K on the odometer. Bought it new, when it was less than half the price of a German AWD.

I used h&r lowering springs on my civic way back. It gve more stability and the nose would not dive on hard braking. There was no noticeable difference in ride comfort. I found it to be smoother acutally. These lower 35mm on the attrage (but it could be more than they advertise).

 

Also, get your shockabsorbers checked to see if they are functioning properly. 

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

IMO Mitsubishi have always made good products, albeit underrated in the marketplace. Refrigerators and air conditioners are other examples.

My son drives a Mitsubishi Magna AWD I gave him when I left Australia, still going strong with 300K on the odometer. Bought it new, when it was less than half the price of a German AWD.

 

While I agree most of their stuff is great, and the cars may be underrated (I never owned one) I think the air conditioners are generally overrated. They're great, but I don't think they are worth the premium they command. 

Cheapest improvement solution would be to fit a 'premium' tire. Next would be to fit a 'premium' tire with a lower profile, which would require a larger wheel. Bearing, in mind what the largest wheel available from the manufacturer is.

 

After that it begins to get expensive and the interaction of 'new' parts becomes more important. Add to that, if you want quality parts. I.e. not cheap Chinese parts, it'll cost you a lot more for subsequent improvements.

3 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

While I agree most of their stuff is great, and the cars may be underrated (I never owned one) I think the air conditioners are generally overrated. They're great, but I don't think they are worth the premium they command. 

Back in the day, I had company cars. My first was a Mitsubishi, and I was so impressed by it I had another three of them, as they were changed out when they reached 120K. I then bought another after I retired.

AFAIK the aircons do not command a premium in Australia.

It's a bit like Honda scooters here. They command a premium, and I can't see that a Yamaha is inferior to a Honda. Same same.

so a pair of light weight second hand 15 inch alloys with second hand low profile tyres, which i have been offered at 4,000 baht not going to make a difference? I was thinking more about the lighter weels making the car roll around less. Failing that try to find a rear anti sway bar (or find someone to make me one)?

 

 

9 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Back in the day, I had company cars.

 

The best car on the planet. Had a company car in Thailand until I retired a few years ago.

 

9 hours ago, Lacessit said:

My first was a Mitsubishi, and I was so impressed by it I had another three of them, as they were changed out when they reached 120K. I then bought another after I retired.

AFAIK the aircons do not command a premium in Australia.

It's a bit like Honda scooters here. They command a premium, and I can't see that a Yamaha is inferior to a Honda. Same same.

 

I meant the aircons in Thailand. 

 

I looked a graph 15-20 years ago of motorcycle sales in Thailand by manufacturer. When it started, the big four were pretty even with none I think over 30% of the market.

 

The graph showed where Honda introduced a four-stroke and their sales started skyrocketing. The other manufacturers followed suit and they all offered four-stoke in the following years, but it was too late. In five to ten years Honda had about 80% of the market. I think the others have recovered a bit but it was amazing. 

 

When push come to shove, the average consumer will choose trouble-free, starts every time wanilla over flash and power/weight ratio pistachio every time.

 

Being as good as will not grow market share. You either have to be significantly better or significantly cheaper or a combination of both. 

9 hours ago, CrossBones said:

so a pair of light weight second hand 15 inch alloys with second hand low profile tyres, which i have been offered at 4,000 baht not going to make a difference? I was thinking more about the lighter weels making the car roll around less. Failing that try to find a rear anti sway bar (or find someone to make me one)?

The wheels may be lighter, wider lower profile tires will be more heavy.

Difference ? If me I would put the $$$ toward the LPG conversion you are contemplating.

12 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

 

 

When push come to shove, the average consumer will choose trouble-free, starts every time wanilla over flash and power/weight ratio pistachio every time.

 

 

Which is why Toyota outsells Mercedes and BMW combined in a ratio 2:1 worldwide.

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Which is why Toyota outsells Mercedes and BMW combined in a ratio 2:1 worldwide.

 

And why Timex outsells Rolex 10:1? 

2 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

And why Timex outsells Rolex 10:1? 

I wouldn't know, the only watch I've had for the last 20 years is the gold one I got when I retired. I use my mobile phone if I want to know what the time is. Sorry, off topic.

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

I wouldn't know, the only watch I've had for the last 20 years is the gold one I got when I retired. I use my mobile phone if I want to know what the time is. Sorry, off topic.

Wow, is it a Bausele?

 

Do you still have it?

15 hours ago, alacrity said:

Cheapest improvement solution would be to fit a 'premium' tire. Next would be to fit a 'premium' tire with a lower profile, which would require a larger wheel.

How would the quality of a tyre reduce the way his car "rolls around at speed", something that is controlled by the suspension parts?  Tyres, "premium" or not, do not control body roll.

14 hours ago, CrossBones said:

so a pair of light weight second hand 15 inch alloys with second hand low profile tyres, which i have been offered at 4,000 baht not going to make a difference? I was thinking more about the lighter weels making the car roll around less. Failing that try to find a rear anti sway bar (or find someone to make me one)?

Lighter, larger tyres and wheels will make no difference to the "borderline dangerous body roll" that you seem to be describing.   Lighter wheels reduce unsprung weight and (among other things) contribute to keeping the wheels in contact with the road, they will not reduce the body roll .

 

Is the person who recommended lighter wheels and low profile tyres the same person who's offering you a set of secondhand lighter wheels and low profile tyres, by any chance?

On 6/19/2021 at 3:53 PM, Lacessit said:

Modifying vehicles usually invalidates warranty and insurance.

The Attrage will handle better if it is driven within its design limits. Which seem quite adequate to me, having driven one.

The OP did not state what speeds he drives at, I suspect that information was not forthcoming for a reason.

I also drove one for 5 years. No issues with what the OP refers to. Inclined to agree with others that the OP is driving too fast and exceeding the design limits of the vehicle.