Holden local built four cylinder

[Bill M]

Thats the first time I've heard that the AU independent rear was as bad as the Commodores. I'II bet thats a statement that cannot be substantiated!!
On topic the Holden move to manufacture 4 cyl cars comes long after Ford announced the Focus build here in Australia. Looks like some auto journos are falling for the Holden PR machine AGAIN!

[Gobes32]

And the silence has been deafening ever since

Small car slated for production 2011?
Diesel HSV's
LPG Injection HSV's
Hybrid Commodore
Cylinder De Activation

There are other announcements but that's all I remember for now. Lot of R&D ahead for Holden who ironically retrenched half their engineering dept and who's parent company is on the verge of bankruptcy................

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by The-ShowStoPPa

Pretty sure it was the irs commodores with the excessive rear camber wear due to missing links in the setup.
Was corrected on vx series 2 iirc.

Problem was reduced but it was still there. Still trying to work out how RE92's last for less then 50,000k's on a VXII.

[gozza]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Hey thats harsh, the AU isn't as ugly as the VE!!

One eyed denial

[uranium_death]

I personally don't like the looks of the VE in most forms.
While the original AU didn't particularly look great, the revised grilles and updated interiors made it far more palateable and in many circumstances, I prefer the look of the AU over the VE, which for its media coverage, would have to be the biggest abomination Australia has created in the past 20 years in the looks department (in my opinion).

The AU might not have been a shining light, but Ford has used the AU platform to create some cars that looked damn good.
Though the VE might be a from the ground up design, it still carries similarities to the VZ (roughly), but I think it's been done poorly.

As I said, people are entitled to their opinions, just like one's anus is allowed to (and probably does) stink.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by gozza

One eyed denial

It was a joke. Mind you I don't like the look of the VE. At least the AU had some nice looking models.

[Nikked]

The Au was outgoing and ahead of its time. The VE is conservative and looks dated.

[naddis01]

Originally Posted by Nikked

The Au was outgoing and ahead of its time.

If that was the case, why are they still ugly 10 years down the track?

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by stickybeek

Na, I'm saying the VE is better designed in the suspension area than the BA - BF, especially when it came to lowering. The AU wasn't that crash hot in the rear suspension design. They tried to copy the Commodore, with the IRS and still failed like the Commodore. The front was worse. :

This is funny. The V series trailing link IRS was one of the worst suspensions ever. It was based on a design from the 70's. It was the most basic form of IRS you can use, and had no camber control at all, it could never keep the tyre flat on the road with any form of suspension movement, it would just tilt the tyre, hence any form of lowering or weight in the boot/rear passengers/trailer would just wear the crap out of the inside of the tyre.

The AU IRS was generations ahead, a true double wishbone IRS like you find under the bum of any Euro exotic. Ferraris use this on all models, not saying its as good as Ferrari's set up but a similar design. Saying they tried to copy the Commodore is just ignorant, it was nothing like it, it was 20 years more advanced and top of the heap in the late 90's. Now the multi link IRS's like the VE and BA/F/FG use are the top of the line.

If the Conformadores front suspension is so great then why did Holden lobby the get a version of the Falcons front suspension design to fit to the Project Blueprint V8 Supercars, because it is superior to the Commodores struts.

[baboon]

Im all for them making cars in Australia. I just hope they run the business better then GM do in the US. Come on aussie!

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by stickybeek

Na, I'm saying the VE is better designed in the suspension area than the BA - BF, especially when it came to lowering. The AU wasn't that crash hot in the rear suspension design. They tried to copy the Commodore, with the IRS and still failed like the Commodore. The front was worse. :
As for looks. The VE looks better than the AU, but we won't get into that side of things. :

The biggest load of crap I've read on the internet in ages.............

Did you dream this or just make it up ?

The AU Double wishbone IRS was state of the art at the time, the Commodore rear end was rubbish from 30 years earlier.

Do some research before you post this nonsense !!!

[GK]

Originally Posted by naddis01

If that was the case, why are they still ugly 10 years down the track?

I like the look of the AU. I have two in my driveway to prove it!

GK

[Gobes32]

Any word on what 4 cylinder car they will be producing or was it another Holden load of crap............

HEY HOLDEN, Put up or shut up!

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by naddis01

If that was the case, why are they still ugly 10 years down the track?

ugly is a personal perspective, in design ethos, the car is still modern, rounded edges, the way it looks smaller then it is, the new FG has alot in common with the AU, probally more so then the BA...

Then their things like Headlights that are more 'vocal' instead of rectangular slabs, organic interiors etc.

When looking at the VE i see a BMW design from 10 years ago.

...Back on topic.

Could this holden 4cyl be the new cruze?

[boris]

Originally Posted by stickybeek

Na, I'm saying the VE is better designed in the suspension area than the BA - BF, especially when it came to lowering. The AU wasn't that crash hot in the rear suspension design. They tried to copy the Commodore, with the IRS and still failed like the Commodore. The front was worse. :
As for looks. The VE looks better than the AU, but we won't get into that side of things. :

What year was the VE designed, when was the ba designed, you're comparing a new model to an old one, so it should be better!!!!! NOT THAT IT IS!

[Perana]

Can we stay on topic please.....

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

The biggest load of crap I've read on the internet in ages.............

Did you dream this or just make it up ?

The AU Double wishbone IRS was state of the art at the time, the Commodore rear end was rubbish from 30 years earlier.

Do some research before you post this nonsense !!!

Wake up. Mate, I won't get into the ins and outs of what you've written. Lets say, it's a hell of a lot cheaper and easier to fix the VE Commodore camber problems, front and rear compared to the AU and BA ones.

And 30 years earlier. Knock Knock anything up there? The rear end of a Commodore was only changed 18 years earlier to IRS. (VQ Statesman to be precise) . They only went full IRS in 98 -99 I think, with the VT, across the whole Commodore range.


Seeing as people are on about rear suspensions, the AU and BA - BF rears do suffer from camber wear problems, when lowered. The AU IRS DON'T have any camber adjustments available. The BA - BF rears, have camber adjustments ONLY in the XR series. That's only good for 1 degree max. Too bad if you go too low, which I see very regularly.

As for the VE commodore rear suspension. They are FACTORY camber and toe adjustable. Good for a 2 degree change. So, it can be dumped on its guts and NOT suffer from camber related wear.


As for researching before I put up this nonsense. I do suspensions for a living, so wake up, before you open your trap. I also fit tyres. (shock horror)

As for others and their comments about pre-VE rear camber issues, I never mentioned anything about those, so read before posting. I could go right into that area, but it's not worth going way off topic for that.

Geez some people should learn how to read threads before opening their traps. They should also not assume that person writing the thread knows nothing about what's written. :togo:

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by stickybeek

Geez some people should learn how to read threads before opening their traps. They should also not assume that person writing the thread knows nothing about what's written. :togo:

Yep they should :

AU IRS copied from Commodore......? What a joke !!!

I'm glad you're not working on my car if you really do have anything to do with suspensions !

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by Perana XR8

Can we stay on topic please.....

I guess not.