Steering feel Sapphire 4x4 vs. Escos

[Marc sierra]

Do any people have experience with the steering feel on a Sapph 4x4 vs. the Escort Cosworth? Steering feel should be quite dependent on the scrub radius of the front wheels. Since the front suspension on both cars is the same but they run different wheel offsets (Sapph 40, Escos 25) the scrub radius is also 15 mm different, which is quite a big difference. Can this be felt through the steering? I've always felt that my Sapph 4x4 doesn't have that much steering feel and the steering is also quite light, my 2wd Sapph is much heavier and has more feel in it. How is the Escort in comparison?

[sc992000uk]

I passed my driving test in my Mams 1.8L Saphire, didn’t have much feel

[twin turbo]

Always found the saph to be more "easy" to live with, and Escos abit more need to be more aggressiv and on the edge...

[Marc sierra]

What do you mean exactly with more aggresive and on the edge?

[twin turbo]

The way to drive them... Not easy to explain in words... Just always found Escos demanding abit more then saph kind of...

[Wesley P.]

I had a 4x4 3dr several years ago and that car was much easier/less demanding to drive than my Escort.

[MrWebber]

I passed my driving test in my Mams 1.8L Saphire, didn’t have much feel

me too! What a heap of shit that was! Put me off owning a saph tbh.

[cossiejim]

maybe the shorter wheel base of the escos make them feel a bit twitchier than a saph 4x4

[cossiejim]

me too! What a heap of shit that was! Put me off owning a saph tbh.

i would imagine if you drove a 1.3 mk5 escort base model you would never have bought an escos lol

[Tricksturbo]

maybe the shorter wheel base of the escos make them feel a bit twitchier than a saph 4x4

Isn’t the wheelbase the same and the escort body was elongated by Karmann to fit? From the b pillar back? Which is why the normal escort rear panels and sills etc don’t fit. The overall weight I’m sure is different with a different body and number of doors etc. I found the escort handled differently to a saph but then suspension set up comes into it a lot as Well?

[VADreamer]

Escort body was stretched in width, but the wheelbase was over 2" shorter than the Sapphire. Escort was also a touch lighter.

[twin turbo]

The Escos is shorter yes. Its the saph floor that is cut i front of back seats, its easy to see since its cut in the middel of "drain" holes its Wider yes.

Actually think Escos weight is same or a few kg more...

[Marc sierra]

It is probably wider than a standard mk5 Escort. But suspension wise it's not wider than a Sapph, it's exactly the same. It does have a wider front and rear track due to the different wheel offset, hence my original question.

The shorter wheel base of the Escort vs. the Sapphire is also a bit strange regarding the Ackermann angle, as the front wheel knuckles are the same. So at the least for one of the two the Ackermann is not ideal.

[OOO]

Modern tyres allow some deviation of Ackermanns angle

[Tricksturbo]

Cheers for sharing your knowledge