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Any of you have a cracking centre console? / Harsher ride with 20"?

7K views 44 replies 10 participants last post by  motorhead 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey

2 issues:

1. My centre console drives me crazy. It crackles when I brake, when I accelerate and sometimes even when I turn.

Any of you have this problem? It is pretty quiet, but still hearable with low volume music...
Need to see what my dealer can do about it.

2. did any of you guys who changed from original wintersetup 235/40 19" to summer setup 245/35 20" experience a bouncier (maybe even harsher) ride?
 
#4 ·
I have the 19 Inch Pirelli Sottozero, and yes, as soon as I put on the 20 inch Michelins, I did experience a harsher ride. But to be honest, I was expecting a LOT worse. I was pleasantly surprised how good the ride is!! But then again, I am just happy to be able to open the sunroof after the winter the North East has had!!
 
#5 ·
Ok thanks. I think, the car is a lot bouncier with the 20". I have it on 15/13 now but it still feels bouncy and a lot stiffer on the highway... I did not experience this with the wintersetup. It is definitely not comfortable. It was perfect with the wintersetup, no bodyroll but still not bouncy. At the same time I changed to the wintersetup I played with the suspension. But I cant imagine that there went something wrong, because there is not much to do wrong by just turning a knob, so I think it has to be the different wheels.
 
#6 ·
What do you mean by bouncier? Your suspension setup should actually lead to a more "floaty" feeling. I have had the 20" wheels on from the beginning and don't find the ride harsh. I find it on the sporty side, but that is where I prefer it to be. When I had the fronts set to 12, I actually found the ride to be super comfortable, just too "floaty". On the 10/10 setup, you definitely do feel most bumps but never in a jarring way. It think it may just take some time to get used to. How long have you been driving with this setup now?
 
#7 · (Edited)
First of all I dont feel a difference of just 2 clicks - no way... You feel 12 very floaty super comfortable and 10 stiff and very sporty - I mean how would you then describe 20 to 5? There is like no explanation for this then.
With bouncy I mean stiff... It is hard for me to describe, if I put the german word into a translater, it says "to scuttle" / "to lollop". "To hop".
Im driving with this setup for a few hundred kilometers now, but there is nothing to get used to, it just feels pretty stiff and I cant imagine that Volvo would accept this ridequality considering Polestar even had to adjust the brake pedal feel to normal standarts...
Of course, if I adjust it to 1/1, it is even stiffer... It is not like it is very harsh on streetholes or so, but it feels very stiff over joints on the highway.
Floaty for my understanding is like driving on clouds, like an S class or so. But there is no way my car feels like this, even if I have it on 20/15. And for my understanding, there is also no logical reason that the car should feel like this, because of the 80% stiffer springs.
The car feels stiffer than my moms new RS4 in damper mode dynamic.

The only thing I can imagine is that this experience is due to the change to summer 20" wheels. Because before the change (and before adjusting the suspension) I felt different and had no complaimts about the ride quality what so ever.
 
#8 ·
First of all I dont feel a difference of just 2 clicks - no way...
With bouncy I mean stiff... It is hard for me to describe, if I put the german word into a translater, it says "to scuttle" / "to lollop". "To hop".
Im driving with this setup for a few hundred kilometers now, but there is nothing to get used to, it just feels pretty stiff and I cant imagine that Volvo would accept this ridequality considering Polestar even had to adjust the brake pedal feel to normal standarts...
Of course, if I adjust it to 1/1, it is even stiffer... It is not like it is very harsh on streetholes or so, but it feels very stiff over joints on the highway.
Floaty for my understanding is like driving on clouds, like an S class or so. But there is no way my car feels like this, even if I have it on 20/15. And for my understanding, there is also no logical reason that the car should feel like this, because of the 80% stiffer springs.
The car feels stiffer than my moms new RS4 in damper mode dynamic.

The only thing I can imagine is that this experience is due to the change to summer 20" wheels. Because before the change (and before adjusting the suspension) I felt different and had no complaimts about the ride quality what so ever.
2 clicks in the front, 2 clicks in the back made a world of difference. Verified by both me and the Shop Foreman at my dealer. We went over this a bunch on the other thread so I won't rehash it in too much detail again, but it seems like we are having more of a language issue than anything. The behavior I was describing as "floaty" is when the suspension is not properly rebounding. It goes up properly but hesistates before coming back down, giving this sensation of floating. I was never trying to describe as a positive like an S class suspension. By changing to the 10/10 setup the "floaty" behavior that only happen on a series of bumps was eliminated. The negative side is that the ride quality that you speak about presented itself. I personally don't have an issue with it, but I can see where others might.

You may just personally prefer a 19" wheel setup. You can get PSS on the 19" to get the grip you want without sacrificing as much ride quality.
 
#9 ·
I edited my post while you were answering...

I do understand what you mean but I forgot your definition for floaty - sorry for that. I understand all what you are saying, it is sometimes just hard for me to express myself correctly and to describe, what I exactly feel.

But there is still one thing I just cant see how it can be, that you feel a different world by just two clicks... I mean how you describe the difference of this two clicks seems like there is no increase possible...this is what I think is weird. Normally, I am not that senseless considering different car setups.

And yes, if it is really the wheelsetup that makes the difference and not a broken suspension/damper, than that problem could be solved with PSS on 19" Winterwheels.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I edited my post while you were answering...

I do understand what you mean but I forgot your definition for floaty - sorry for that. I understand all what you are saying, it is sometimes just hard for me to express myself correctly and to describe, what I exactly feel.

But there is still one thing I just cant see how it can be, that you feel a different world by just two clicks... I mean how you describe the difference of this two clicks seems like there is no increase possible...this is what I think is weird. Normally, I am not that senseless considering different car setups.

And yes, if it is really the wheelsetup that makes the difference and not a broken suspension/damper, than that problem could be solved with PSS on 19" Winterwheels.
I think it may be more the fact that my car is now balanced than it has to due with it being two clicks. It was also two clicks in each direction, so essentially 4 clicks to bring it to balance. My car just feels a lot more stable now. I have a lot more confidence in it. I had no desire to take ESC off before and now it take it off all the time.
 
#11 ·
Default 10/10 setting is firmer than any stock non-sports car I have ever ridden in, especially in the rear. I would suggest at least 98% of the population would find it too harsh over broken pavement, frost heaves, secondary road bumps, driveway curbs, etc. It's lovely on smooth pavement, as is everything else. 10/10 is also shockingly free of understeer as long as you keep your foot in the accelerator around the corner (as you should if you are driving properly). Also better than any FWD-based car I have ever driven.
 
#12 ·
I just changed from winter to summer tires yesterday. No such noise from my center console running on the summer tires.
 
#16 ·
Yep. I'm running 12/10 and liking it. About to try out 12/7 and 12/8.
 
#18 · (Edited)
We dont have bad roads, its rather the opposit. Like I already mentioned before: when I ran the wintersetup and before I played with the suspension, I was totally happy. No complaints at all.
Im driving 15/13 right now but still think this is too harsh... I will driv6 600 km up north to the ring next weekend and will adjust it to 20/15 before taking off. On track I will adjust it to 10/5.

My girlfriend and a good mate noticed the harsher ride without saying anything, even though I was on 10/10 (but after I tried different dampersettings and after changing to 20")


M80:

Did you change from the 19" Polestar setup to the 20" Polestar setup? What about the ride quality? Did you notice a harsher ride between the different wheels?
 
#20 ·
No, understeer is no issue with 10/10 - I dont think there is too much understeer at 10/10. The car IS noseheavy by its nature, but 10/10 hides it pretty well! I think it drives well both in 10/10 and 15/13 performancewise, but you feel the softer front at 15/13 - there is more bodyroll, the front "dives" more to the ground (sorry, dont know how to say it better).

I agree with you, that specially the rear feels very stiff...
 
#21 ·
So then to get overall more compliant ride, try 15/15 or 18/18.

I believe that if you know in advance you want to ensure minimal understeer, just switch to ESC OFF, which kicks in the higher rearward bias. The only time this doesn't work is when you are already driving and encounter a situation that you would prefer ESC OFF, but don't have time to fiddle with the damned menus to set it. Or, you can fiddle with the damned menu when you start the car every single time you drive just to be sure. Either way, it involves damned fiddling ;)

The two choices for killing understeer are rear dampers stiffer than front or more rear bias in Haldex (ESC OFF) or a combination of the two. Any other handling vices of the car aren't curable and will have to be lived with (unless you are willing to mod the car).
 
#22 ·
So today I was able to drive the new M4. When I set the adaptiv dampers on Super Sport (max. stiff), the car felt not the same as my Polestar. While the overall ride was similar to the Polestars 10/10 considering stiffness, the Polestar still feels a lot more bumpy - and that is exactly my problem. I don't mind the stiff ride like when it shakes a bit and you can feel the road. But what drives me crazy is that the car feels very bumpy (damn it, its hard to find the exact word in english to describe the german word "hoppeln"), especially on the highway. The M4 did not feel like that. It was stiff, like the Polestar, but without the bumpy feeling. Even if you don't see any damage in the road and even when it looks like a smooth surface, the Polestar feels bumpy over the ground waves...

I'm starting to think there is something wrong with my suspension...
 
#23 ·
Try 15/15 or 18/18 first and see if that's still the case. What you are describing is very tightly sprung car (we know the springs are 80% (!!!!) stiffer than the T6) with very firm dampers designed not to give-up under hard use. We can't adjust the springs, but can soften the dampers.

One of the features of the Ohlins dampers is there incredible ability to keep the tires on the surface under a rebound (pulling the tire back down after it went over a bump) event like hitting a corner curb on a race track. This also applies, possibly unfortunately, to every wave and ripple on the normal road pavement, too.

If the car is still too hoppeln after softening the dampers right down, you will have to change the springs. Trying a set of normal T6 springs would be easier than anything else, though presumably they might be too soft the other direction. Have you driven a regular T6 to say so for yourself? If the regular springs are too soft, then you have to try an alternate set that is firmer than the regulars, but not so firm as the Polestars. I'm not even sure these exist? They would have to be identical dimensions (not lower), though, or it could throw-off the damper behaviour.

The good news is that if you prefer the regular T6 springs, it should be easy to find someone with a T6 who will want to trade you in a no-cost swap.

Please let us know how much softer settings feel for you, though. It should solve your problem, but might introduce some other unwanted behaviour. Won't know until you try.

As mentioned above, the P* is a surprisingly hard-core sports sedan. Much more so than an AMG or M.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Thanks for your post. Its just weird, I didnt feel this bumpy behaviour with the 19" winterwheels. I probably need to switch back to the wintersetup. If the behaviour is still the same, there must be something wrong with the suspension... But then if this is the case, what can my dealer do about it? Remove all the dampers and send them to Polestar for checking?? Well my dealer shure thinks I am crazy..

I would never change the springs, this would destroy the Polestars "soul"... I would rather sell the car.
 
#25 ·
I don't think it is an issue with your suspension. I think it comes down to your tires and your "butt tolerance". As Marc mentioned early on, your winter tires have both more rubber and softer rubber to absorb the shock. What I think is happening is the road vibration is being carried into the cabin, which is common on sport suspensions. How much this happens is dependent on many factors including the suspension, tires, wheels and even seats. You changed to a summer setup that has both larger wheels, so less rubber and summer tires, so stiffer rubber. All this means is that road vibrations are going to get carried over into the cabin a lot more than you are used to(happy with). Do you have any way to get a set of 19's with summer tires on there to see if you can find a happy medium (More rubber/stiffer compound)?

If there was a suspension issue, it would present itself more with a strong vibration in the wheel, or a noise or a change in driving behavior
 
#26 ·
Thanks. Yeah the driving is still very good, performancewise.
But then I wouldnt call the vibrations the issue. I dont mind the stiff ride, I just dont like the bumpy behaviour.

Well it just comes down to try the wintersetup again. But this has to wait, I will drive to the track next weekend.

Oh boy....
 
#27 ·
Sorry, that's a good point that was already pointed out. The 19" wheels require 40 series tires. 40 series versus 35 with the same tire is equivalent to softening the dampers by a certain number of notches. (Sorry don't yet have enough km under my belt to properly estimate). A spongy winter tire versus a top-end summer performance tire is also worth a notch or two. Combine them together...

Before changing springs, the more obvious option is to stick with 19" wheels as the original Australian P* had. Again, you can likely easily trade the 20" wheels for 19" if you wanted to go that route.

Bottom-line, the stock 20" P* is hard core.
 
#29 ·
It's my observation that the 20" wheels are significantly more affected by differences in air pressure.
38 psi exhibits a much harsher ride than 36 psi.

I check all 4 wheels about once a week, especially during the drastic temp changes we have during North Texas Springtime.
A three-day spread of 90 - 48.
A really accurate and convenient inflator can make all the difference.
I use this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Astro-Pneumat...2006&sr=1-3&keywords=tire+inflator+with+gauge
 
#28 ·
I just spent a bunch of time driving with the radio off to listen for creaks of the console and to focus on ride quality and two things became apparent to me. The first is that my console is silent, so you may have something rubbing. The second is that I do not find the ride with the 20's harsh at all. I find it just as smooth, if not smoother than my Subaru was with 17" wheels and the same Michelin PSS on it. The only time when I do feel a difference is when hitting a large bump. Large bumps will enter the cabin more in the Volvo than they did in my Subaru otherwise, the car feels super smooth to me. Maybe it is just that I have driven some very "raw" cars like the Tesla Roadster where each bump made you feel like a tooth was going to fall out and your spine was going to break. BMW competition suspensions feel the same way(bone rattling), so I was surprised to hear your assessment of the new M4 being softer.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Hello all,
been thoroughly reading about everything about the Polestar. (not so new to the forum though)
As I am now a proud owner of the beast (3000 km), and could test the 19" Pirelli winter tyres, now on the 20" Michelin.

I would suggest Foxy (same country as you, so I know about the roads) to first "reset" everything:

-that is going back to 10/10. factory settings.

Then check the tyre pressure, and lower them a bit. Then compare the ride.

I had this issue with the 19" Pirelli. The car was very stiff (butt and ride impression). I just lowered the pressure by 0.10 and the ride was much smoother.
That is from 2.60 front to 2.50 (all tyres).

It seems the car is a very sensitive beast (fully agree with TexasV60P). So reset everything to factory settings. test. try the tyre pressure (2.50 all) and see if any better change.

PS: currently having the Michelin, with 2.65 front (38.43psi) and 2.55 rear (36.9psi)(about), and 11/10 suspension. but I'll try the 2.50.

pPs: sorry if my english is not so good.
 
#43 ·
No problem, here you go:

RS4
It is the second time I drove this car. The first time, I really was overwhelmed how the car pulls. The second time not so much anymore, I don't know why (I did not have the Polestar then). It is just totally different than the Polestar. Its a V8 without a turbo. For everyday driving I think the Polestar is the better choice. The engine of the RS4 is more something for track use. It revs really high and pinches you in the seat. But its very nervous, it reacts immediately. Just telling from my personal feeling; I do not think, the RS4 pulls stronger than the Polestar (probably because it has less torque than the Polestar). It just pulls different, no delay, nervous, but it doesn't run out of breath.

The dual clutch is very nice. Instant shifting, faster than the Polestars slushbox. But I knew that one already. But what I really don't like is, that it also shifts automatically at the rev limiter, even when you are in manual. The Polestar doesn't do this, which I think is great. Another thing, that is different, is what happens the second after you shifted. The RS4 pulls seamlessly. The Polestar on the other hand, its like the shifts are "harder", its like the car pulls harder after each shift. Its hard for me to explain in english, I hope you get what I mean...
Overall, the dual clutch is better, but with one big minus, that it shifts at the rev limiter even though you are in manual.

Suspension in the RS4 is nice. But I think it does not turn in as nice as the Polestar. You can change the characterisic by a touch of a button. Of course this is cool, but somehow I like the mechanical version of the Polestar as well (even though I haven't change anything so far). The overall balance of the car is similar to the Polestar. It is more or less neutral and starts do understeer once you cross the limits. Very easy to drive. Almost no body roll, like the Polestar.

The Sound... Ok this is really nice. Especially the rev matching sound that it makes. While I think the sound of the Polestar in sportmode is from another world when accelerating hard or when you just cruise around in sport mode, the RS4 takes this to another level, but just when shifting back. Overall, I really like the sound of the Polestar better. It sounds meaner. Then again, this car did not have the sport exhaust option. Maybe I would change my opinion if it had the sport exhaust.

Interior is nice. Quality is definitely better than in the Polestar. Audi's just the benchmark in this category I think. They care about every little detail. But the Polestar does well. I do like the swedish interior. But the materials in the Audi are just a bit nicer. But I like the Polestar seats better. They are more comfy with the benefit of better lateral support than the Audi seats.

The RS4 looks really really good. It looks like it is made out of one piece. I really like that car. And it IS faster than the Polestar (even though it does not feel so). Nevertheless, I don't think it is worth CHF 40000.- more than the Polestar.
 
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