Aoi-chan's tyre and anti-roll bar pics

Here it is. Some pics of Aoi-chan's new tyres and the anti-roll bar (rear). Plus some extra pics for fun~~~
Enjoy!

The Dunlop Formula D01's thread pattern up close. The deep grooves provides better traction in the wet compared to the Goodyear NCT5.

The whole thread design is more aggresive and the bigger shoulder and rim protector makes the tyre look wider than it seems. It also makes for a bigger visual impact. Nice!

The rear anti-roll bar (white). Now Aoi-chan corners like a dream... can't wait for the 4-point bracing~~~

Aoi-chan poses with another Savvy (a firend's). Doesn't she look lovely~

Another pic of her for fun. Huhuhu~~~!

Aoi-chan's Quickie - 30/12/2008

Status rep of the tyre situation so far....
But before that, Aoi-chan only had the rear anti-roll bar fitted on Saturday. It seems that the front bracing wasn't made according to spec; it can't be fitted properly. But heck, even with the anti-roll bar the cornering has improved immensely. Now i can chuck Aoi-chan into any corner and the rear will stay true to the line... right until the tyre's limit.

Speaking of the tyre's limit, found the upper boundary for the adhesion of the D01 in wet. Quite high when compared to the NCT5's limit. And under emergency braking (had to avoid some stupid idiot driving a lorry yesterday), it seems that the balace of the car wasn't disturbed. Nice.

Hoping to get the bracing by today or tomorrow. Will put another quickie on that one...

Aoi-chan's Quickie - 26/12/2008

Ah yes... whilst everyone was enjoying their Xmas holiday yesterday, i went about to find some new and better rubber for Aoi-chan (skipped the polishing. Will do that later in the year) and ended up with a set of Dunlop D01 in 175/50/15 size. Surprising really that there are 2 other brands (the other was Silverstone) that makes this special sized tyre apart from Goodyear.

Initial observations are as follows;

1. The tyre has a more rugged and aggresive tread pattern (Good)
2. It feels as if the tyres are lighter, judging from the easier steering movement and ease of acceleration from the off (50/50)
3. Quieter both on good and bad surfaced roads (Interesting...)
4. Flexes a bit more; the initial cornering bite is not as good as previously, but the grip builds up progressively (gottta get used to it)
5. Handles corners much better in the wet than the NCT5; took the Puchong corner at 100km/h this morning (the road surface was wet/greasy, nice!)

So far so good... Also in the pipeline is an Ultra Racing 4 point bracing for the front structure and an additional anti-roll bar for the rear suspension. Hopefully this will enable me to use Aoi-chan's massive cornering reserve. Will have another quickie once that's done. Watch this space~~~

Aoi-chan's Quickie - 24/12/2008

Went to wash Aoi-chan on Monday to strip her of the mess due to the trip on last weekend. The guy at the car-wash centre suggested that Aoi-chan be given a polish treatment to maintain her colour (he said it's due time; she's 2++ years old already). Considering to do so there tomorrow since it's a holiday and at RM180 for the treatment, quite reasonably priced (they're using Meguiars' brand of products, which is good). On a side note, they've been doing a hell of a good job with the wash everytime, so i trust them caring for Aoi-chan.

Also considering to sell off her current rims for 14" ones. Why? Gotta admit that i'm beginning to dislike the NCT5 standard tyres. It's good for normal use, but it's a bit off if you push the envelope too much. There are some good performance tyres on the market, but to be able to use them, i need to swap to the smaller rims; common sizes for the 15" are 185 or 195/50/15. That's over Aoi-chan's limit of 175 already. Although the 14" are 165/55/14, it's only 1cm less in width, but a lot more fun due to the higher limit of adhesion, hopefully...

Aoi-chan's Quickie - 18/12/2008

It seems that somehow or another, Aoi-chan wanted a birthday present as well even though that a few days ago it was my birthday. On the night before the day, me and the guys planned on an evening out, but Aoi-chan wouldn't start at all. After 3 minutes of trying, we gave up and went out with the bikes instead.

The next morning, Aoi-chan miraculously started and was sent quickly to the doctors where she was assessed; her throttle/speed sensor thingy (again?) that made her sick. Skipping the details, in the end i had to fork out around Rm100 for Aoi-chan. Not that i care much on spending for Aoi-chan's maintenance, but having to spend on her on my birthday... ouch.

Guess i'll remember this incident for some time...

Aoi-chan's Quickie - 10/12/2008

Gotta admit that driving Aoi-chan isn't easy right now. Even though that the bucket seat has made wonders with fuel consumption and making the drives more fun, it has become some sort of nuisance since it made an inital matter a bit more worse.

i hate to confess but from the start, i found that the view rearwards and the view given by the side mirrors were inadequate. or in oter words, it's hard to see other motorists in normal driving conditions, especially when changing lanes. The fact that my eye-level is now slightly lower and a bit farther back (due to the seating configuration offered by the bucket-seat), now it's like driving in a big box (although Aoi-chan is still small) with only holes to see through... Not good. Can't do nothing about the rear windscreen, but might be getting some 'extended-view' mirrors (you know, that small mirror you attach to the side mirrors) to help me get over this.

Anyhow, gotta report that whoever says that driving in a full bucket seat is less comfortable than a normal one, i have to say that you might be wrong. Drove my dad's car for the Eidul-Adha holiday and without the bucket seat, my whole body was aching throughout the journey. Not enough support. 'Nuff said.