Tractive Suspension User Feedback

This topic has 34 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 1 month ago by paulg.

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November 10, 2020 at 11:29 PM #160493

a-dandy-scot
Participant

UK - Scotland

Posts: 11

For tractive suspension owners: I am considering going down this route and would love any feedback on what they are like to live with.

My goals are a significantly greater ride comfortable in normal mode. The roads in the UK are bumpy and the rest of the family is seriously complaining.

A firm but compliant, less squirrelly ride when its in sport suspension and a ton more grip for having fun on B Roads.

Can you keep OEM ride height? I would like it to be adjustable in case I change my mind in the future, how tough are they to adjust?

Since this is one of the more expensive options I am keen to hear from others about they’re experiences.

November 11, 2020 at 9:24 AM #160498

71-bda
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 9257

Keep the RS to yourself, and maybe get a dull squishy family car for the family !

No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

November 11, 2020 at 1:08 PM #160514

kr1s
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 701

Correct Mike.
someone has a silk purse and wants a sow’s ear.
my daily is worth less than 500 quid does over 50 mpg and is sooooo comfy

I suppose I could sell it and use the funds as a deposit on a fancy suspension for the RS …….

or not.

Anyway bumps on B roads are there to help you either take off or slow down.

November 11, 2020 at 3:19 PM #160528

GM
Participant

UK - Wales

Posts: 2841

Im also with mike 👍

Softer more forgiving ride also would not give more grip on B roads?

November 11, 2020 at 6:22 PM #160538

elliot
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 875

Tractive Fitment

@a-dandy-scot

Have a read through the above thread.

November 12, 2020 at 1:59 PM #160582

white-rs2
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 4832

Its a comfortable compliant ride in in Normal Sport and Track, until you hit the throttle and all the sensors start feeding data to the controller which then stiffens / softens each damper accordingly to the data received.

You can actually drive in track mode 100% of the time and you wouldn’t realise you where in Track until you opened the throttle then the dampers and controller do their thing in unison.

It takes away body roll in corners, your so flat in a corner its ridiculous, takes away loading of the front damper under braking, brake dive is eliminated. Rear squat is now extinct which aids acceleration and better pick up helps stop the front wheels spinning.

The documented Pogo effect is what other RS owners have to put up with in various forms of severity, Tractive owners don’t

RS Edition.

FPM375 Rocks

The rest of the “M” maps suck

November 12, 2020 at 8:36 PM #160622

a-dandy-scot
Participant

UK - Scotland

Posts: 11

Cheers Elliot! Will give that thread a read 🙂

White-rs2 – thats good to know its comfortable in normal, do you have any other cars you could compare it to? I am hoping that the price it is completely transformative. Thats cool that it tames body roll in corners, for me its there where the RS makes me smile the most.

Its great when other cars just cannot corner at the speeds an RS can and cannot keep up 😉

Thats great about the pogo, the list of things I would change about the RS is very short, and thats probably top of the list.

November 12, 2020 at 9:04 PM #160625
dogbone
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 144
It transforms the car to be honest. Superb on B roads (and also on track), improved grip, braking, acceleration, can get on the throttle earlier. As Elliot and White-rs2 point out. I run mine at standard height (it is height adjustable). Never looked back.

Magnetic FPM375 DSC Controller Tractive suspension EBC discs with Yellow Stuff
- This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by dogbone.
November 12, 2020 at 9:10 PM #160627

a-dandy-scot
Participant

UK - Scotland

Posts: 11

Hey Dogbone, thats one of the things that is drawing me closer to the tractive, I get to keep the ride height and also the responses times. Everything you said is exactly what I am after.

I feel like heightening the cars best quality is a better route to take, as I don’t want to go beyond 375hp with it.

You found it significantly more comfortable as well?

November 12, 2020 at 11:31 PM #160638

Pauly Paul
Participant

Posts: 1589

Hey give me all the bumps and bangs anytime. I’ve that much flab I can’t feel them anyway, 🤣🤣🤣👍👍take care.

November 13, 2020 at 7:51 AM #160643

white-rs2
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 4832

you’ll be surprised how much quicker you can enter and exit a bend and add in some DS2500 brake pads all round and you’ll be braking way later than the car behind you too 👍.

The ride in Normal is Limo like; well it’s not really it’s as good as a euro saloon thou or like a Mondeo Ghia.

Then as you press the throttle the car wakes up and everything sharpens up and you are then driving a GTR contender.

All done without stopping the car and getting under the car and twisting a rebound knob 6 clicks, then lifting the bonnet to dial in 9 clicks of compression so you can drive faster.

Ohlins race Coil overs kit would allow a slightly faster track time but you’d wear a gun shield going to the shops.

That said their are now about 5 different Tractive kits for the RS Focus from Sports Touring to 24hour Le Mans set-ups which then would leave the full race Ohlins way behind.

As the current kit RT is for track days and going shopping on Saturday lol remember when you could do that……

RS Edition.

FPM375 Rocks

The rest of the “M” maps suck

November 13, 2020 at 8:45 AM #160648

RS77
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 1271

For what it’s worth I’d recommend trying a DSC first and going from there. Have a look at this https://youtu.be/U487RnEfoRk. Having recently fitted one myself to my otherwise OEM sprung 2016 RS, I recognise and agree with the conclusions reached in the video. Not sure I could justify the additional cost of the tractive set up in my current circumstances, but everyone’s needs and priorities are different.

November 13, 2020 at 10:09 AM #160660

white-rs2
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 4832

I agree with RS77

I found the 2018 dampers with H&R springs with a DSC box pretty damn good to be honest, really damn good

RS Edition.

FPM375 Rocks

The rest of the “M” maps suck

November 13, 2020 at 10:18 AM #160662

paulg
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 245

I also have a DSC, but with Mountune springs. Incredibly impressed over the OEM controller (I do periodically swap back to remind myself).

@a-dandy-scot Given that the Tractive requires the DSC box anyway, you may as well go that route. Speaking to 9designs on here might be a good start.

I’d love to try the Tractive suspension, but not sure I can justify the cost when the RS is a daily driver and I have a toy car in the garage. How much is it these days?

Nitrous Blue FPM375, Milltek, DSC & TracTive, lots of Mountune bits

November 13, 2020 at 2:05 PM #160706

dogbone
Participant

UK - England

Posts: 144

@a-dandy-scot, Good advice above, try the DSC controller first, it’s plug n play. 9designs will ask what map you want on it to suit your current configuration and send it preloaded. The DSC controller is needed for the Tractive set up anyways and will require a map change (if changing to harder springs, Tractive, etc) via a USB cable, laptop PC and DSC controller software.

Magnetic FPM375 DSC Controller Tractive suspension EBC discs with Yellow Stuff
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