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Multi link

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As far as I know the ST line x has the multi link suspension. I’m not sure about the ST line . I’ve seen threads on here and elsewhere with conflicting information. I copy and pasted this....

There is a small caveat here, though: different rear suspension set-ups. Lower-powered 1.0-litre petrol and 1.5 diesel models get a twist-beam axle (including the banana-shaped ‘force vectoring’ springs of the Fiesta ST), while the 1.5 petrol, 2.0 diesel and all Vignales have an independent, multi-link arrangement. The twist-beam won’t leave you wanting, particularly in everyday driving, but on the brilliant B-roads in the foothills of the Alps, the higher-spec Focus felt more poised and planted.

 



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  • The Ford website can't always be trusted sadly, it said the 1.5 got ML for ages which wasn't true!  Even the dealers didn't know which did and didn't have it in a lot of cases. It depends what yo

  • Don't panic what version you have, the Focus is jittery over the bumps, no matter what suspension you have. Coming from a 1 series BMW that seemed to be perfectly damped, the Focus reacts to ever

  • Comares2001
    Comares2001

    You must be talking about a different car from the one I have then . It's very stable over bumps and dips.The Mk3 I had and the mondeo before it both with multilink regularly stepped out over poor roa

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38 minutes ago, Alex.S said:

As far as I know the ST line x has the multi link suspension. I’m not sure about the ST line . I’ve seen threads on here and elsewhere with conflicting information. I copy and pasted this....

There is a small caveat here, though: different rear suspension set-ups. Lower-powered 1.0-litre petrol and 1.5 diesel models get a twist-beam axle (including the banana-shaped ‘force vectoring’ springs of the Fiesta ST), while the 1.5 petrol, 2.0 diesel and all Vignales have an independent, multi-link arrangement. The twist-beam won’t leave you wanting, particularly in everyday driving, but on the brilliant B-roads in the foothills of the Alps, the higher-spec Focus felt more poised and planted.

 

That info is out of date now I'm afraid, the 1.5 petrol no longer gets multi-link.  Only 2.0 diesels, ST and Vignale afaik.

  • Author

I checked the Ford website..active and Vignale only get multi link. I’m waiting for delivery of a st line x . It has Sport suspension but yeah twist beam. Ford have moved the goalposts. I don’t know much about suspension but with reviews 100% praising multi link that’s what I want and thought I was getting. Having said that I read the twist beam is same suspension used on Fiesta ST. So must be half decent 

16 minutes ago, Alex.S said:

I checked the Ford website..active and Vignale only get multi link. I’m waiting for delivery of a st line x . It has Sport suspension but yeah twist beam. Ford have moved the goalposts. I don’t know much about suspension but with reviews 100% praising multi link that’s what I want and thought I was getting. Having said that I read the twist beam is same suspension used on Fiesta ST. So must be half decent 

The Ford website can't always be trusted sadly, it said the 1.5 got ML for ages which wasn't true!  Even the dealers didn't know which did and didn't have it in a lot of cases.

It depends what you want from suspension really, most people probably won't notice the difference.  I've always found the Fiesta too firm at the back personally, not tried a Mk4 Focus yet but I really hope it's not as bumpy as the Fiesta.  It may not feel as planted through rough corners on B roads either.  As I say though, that's just speculation from other models, I don't have any Mk4 experience yet!

As someone who has a Vignale I have say the suspension is very comfortable and sure footed on the roads here in the Yorkshire Dale's. However if it's any consolation to others  I do remember at launch last year a lot of the reviews when comparing the 2 suspension set ups commented that most people probably wouldn't noticed the difference as the Multilink only comes into its own when driven really hard. Maybe that's why Ford have changed to the less complex and expensive twist beam on some models.

My last two cars had Multi-link rear suspension and it is much better than the Twist Beam I have on my MK4 Focus, I notice the difference. The ST Line cars have a sportier set up, so Twist Beam may be ok on these cars.

The strange thing is that I have been driving a new Fiesta Active courtesy car for the last three weeks while mine is getting some warranty work done and Twist Beam works great on that car. That car has very low profile tyres, so it probably has Sports Suspension as well.

  • Author
3 minutes ago, Tizer said:

My last two cars had Multi-link rear suspension and it is much better than the Twist Beam I have on my MK4 Focus, I notice the difference. The ST Line cars have a sportier set up, so Twist Beam may be ok on these cars.

The strange thing is that I have been driving a new Fiesta Active courtesy car for the last three weeks while mine is getting some warranty work done and Twist Beam works great on that car. That car has very low profile tyres, so it probably has Sports Suspension as well.

What MK4 Focus have you got? I wouldn’t have thought a fiesta Active would have sports suspension (could be wrong). 

 

11 minutes ago, Alex.S said:

What MK4 Focus have you got? I wouldn’t have thought a fiesta Active would have sports suspension (could be wrong).

I have a 1.5 Petrol Titanium. It has 195 65 16 Tyres instead of the 205 55 16 Tyres that it should have had because Ford changed the specification for the Tyres on that model without telling anyone also, for economy reasons apparently. They are inflated to 38psi, so you don't get the cushioning benefit of the high profile.

I just checked the Fiesta and it has 205 45 17 Tyres on sporty looking 5 spoke wheels, the dark coloured ones.

Don't panic what version you have, the Focus is jittery over the bumps, no matter what suspension you have.

Coming from a 1 series BMW that seemed to be perfectly damped, the Focus reacts to every bump and when pushed seems skittish, great if you like that feeling.

 

  • Author
6 minutes ago, VFR800 said:

Don't panic what version you have, the Focus is jittery over the bumps, no matter what suspension you have.

Coming from a 1 series BMW that seemed to be perfectly damped, the Focus reacts to every bump and when pushed seems skittish, great if you like that feeling.

 

You mean skittish as in lively? Or unpredictable? 

What kind of st line x do u have? 

53 minutes ago, VFR800 said:

Don't panic what version you have, the Focus is jittery over the bumps, no matter what suspension you have.

Coming from a 1 series BMW that seemed to be perfectly damped, the Focus reacts to every bump and when pushed seems skittish, great if you like that feeling.

 

You must be talking about a different car from the one I have then . It's very stable over bumps and dips.The Mk3 I had and the mondeo before it both with multilink regularly stepped out over poor road surfaces.

  • Author
4 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

That info is out of date now I'm afraid, the 1.5 petrol no longer gets multi-link.  Only 2.0 diesels, ST and Vignale afaik.

Any idea when ford changed suspension for the ST-Line x ? 6 months ago? A month ago?

 

  • Author

Seems 5th May 2019 Ford changed suspension for ST-Line x . 

  • Author
2 hours ago, Tizer said:

 

I have a 1.5 Petrol Titanium. It has 195 65 16 Tyres instead of the 205 55 16 Tyres that it should have had because Ford changed the specification for the Tyres on that model without telling anyone also, for economy reasons apparently. They are inflated to 38psi, so you don't get the cushioning benefit of the high profile.

I just checked the Fiesta and it has 205 45 17 Tyres on sporty looking 5 spoke wheels, the dark coloured ones.

When did u buy the titanium? Has it got multi link suspension? 

 

3 hours ago, Alex.S said:

When did u buy the titanium? Has it got multi link suspension?

It was a May 2019 build date, ordered in March, delivered to me in June, and it does not have Multi-link. Apparently Ford changed the specification in either April or May and dropped a few other things too. There were a couple of threads in this forum.

Some lucky people bought cars after me but they were dealer stock with earlier builds so were the original specification.

I think off the differences in suspension like this - There is nothing wrong with eating Rump Steak, but Fillet Steak is much better, especially if that is what you ordered and paid for.

My Mk 4 1.5 Titanium X fortunately has the multi link suspension and I took delivery in late December 2018.

 

  • Author
21 minutes ago, Tizer said:

 

It was a May 2019 build date, ordered in March, delivered to me in June, and it does not have Multi-link. Apparently Ford changed the specification in either April or May and dropped a few other things too. There were a couple of threads in this forum.

Some lucky people bought cars after me but they were dealer stock with earlier builds so were the original specification.

I think off the differences in suspension like this - There is nothing wrong with eating Rump Steak, but Fillet Steak is much better, especially if that is what you ordered and paid for.

Thanks for the response.  So you ordered Fillet but got Rump? It’s a 3 year lease ...I want the Fillet I’ve paid/paying for. 

  • Author
15 minutes ago, PLB said:

My Mk 4 1.5 Titanium X fortunately has the multi link suspension and I took delivery in late December 2018.

 

The multi link was the main reason for picking the ST-Line X. I picked the car from the motability website, researched it, picked it, paid half the advance payment then discovered Ford are downgrading the rear suspension. I’m refusing it. What would you do?

1 minute ago, Alex.S said:

Thanks for the response.  So you ordered Fillet but got Rump? It’s a 3 year lease ...I want the Fillet I’ve paid/paying for.

I did think about rejecting the car, but I would be no further forward because the only reason I bought a new one was because I could not find a newish one with everything I wanted. Some were close but they all either had something I disliked or missing were something I wanted. 

  • Author
2 minutes ago, Tizer said:

I did think about rejecting the car, but I would be no further forward because the only reason I bought a new one was because I could not find a newish one with everything I wanted. Some were close but they all either had something I disliked or missing were something I wanted. 

I’ve got bigger things to worry about but I’m onto motability , gonna refuse it. Get a jap or Korean car. 

11 hours ago, PLB said:

My Mk 4 1.5 Titanium X fortunately has the multi link suspension and I took delivery in late December 2018.

 

Strange as my August 2018 1.5 diesel Titanium X has Twist Beam

30 minutes ago, Mark-UK said:

Strange as my August 2018 1.5 diesel Titanium X has Twist Beam

1.5 diesel never got ML.  It's classed a low powered engine, along with the 1.0EB.  Pauls must be a 1.5 petrol which did get ML on the early models.

If I'd ordered a car recently, I'd be very upset about the two major changes being discussed here. i.e The replacement of the ML suspension with torsion beam and the change in tyre sizes.

Having checked the latest online brochure, accessible from a screen which says 'Effective 1 July 2019' ( https://www.ford.co.uk/shop/research/brochure-download#overlay/content/overlays/download-a-brochure/new-focus ) neither of these changes is shown

For tyres, even the Style and Zetec never had 195/65 tyres , apart from the 1.0 100ps petrol and the 1.5 95ps diesel. The brochure says for Style and Zetec

Quote

Alloy16"5x2-spokealloywheel(fittedwith205/60tyresexcludingvehicleswith1.0FordEcoboost100PSand1.5FordEcoBlue95PSengines,whicharefittedwith195/65tyres

The Titanium has only ever had 205/60 tyres

Quote

Alloy16"15-spokealloywheel(fittedwith205/60tyres*)

As for the suspension, the brochure is pretty clear

Quote

RearsuspensionTwistbeam(5door,1.0LFordEcoBoost&1.5LFordEcoBlueenginesonly)

I think I'd be rejecting any car that didn't agree with the spec.

  • Author

Ian, I’ve just been to a ford dealer and checked the ford.co.uk website. It’s only the 1 litre Ecoboost and the 1.5 EcoBlue that don’t have multi link. 

17 minutes ago, ianincheshire said:

If I'd ordered a car recently, I'd be very upset about the two major changes being discussed here. i.e The replacement of the ML suspension with torsion beam and the change in tyre sizes.

Having checked the latest online brochure, accessible from a screen which says 'Effective 1 July 2019' ( https://www.ford.co.uk/shop/research/brochure-download#overlay/content/overlays/download-a-brochure/new-focus ) neither of these changes is shown

For tyres, even the Style and Zetec never had 195/65 tyres , apart from the 1.0 100ps petrol and the 1.5 95ps diesel. The brochure says for Style and Zetec

The Titanium has only ever had 205/60 tyres

As for the suspension, the brochure is pretty clear

I think I'd be rejecting any car that didn't agree with the spec.

The thing is Ford can wriggle out of this because in the small print in the brochure it does say specifications can change and to check with dealer at time if ordering, or words to that effect. But then most  dealers don't know much either.

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