"Quality" mods for a US 2016 SE 1.6

[saltiel]

Good day everyone, due to a string of bad stuff going on I saw myself driving my mother-in-law's car until around a month ago, when I finally found a little 5-speed manual hatchback in great condition for my commutes. The car has been nearly perfect during these 4 weeks we've been together, what keeps it from achieving perfect drivability is slight vibration on the brake pedal during deceleration at city/low speeds, which I initially suspect is being caused by warped rotors, bad pads or maybe the fact the front right tire was deemed too worn out by the dealer despite looking still meaty enough; and the steering is slightly misaligned, maybe also because of said crappy tire/brakes at some degree. So I suppose the solution to these issues should be pretty straightforward just like the causes. I think it's relevant to mention that although there's this unnatural vibration to the pedal, I have not yet experienced any issues with braking performance at all. A testament to it is that yesterday I drove through the beautiful Sunrise Highway route in East San Diego County, which is very twisty, uneven and has some interesting off-camber turns facing the valley, was mostly wet after some rainfall overnight and light drizzle in the morning, and my wife did not panic at all, brakes still inspired confidence at all times. Although I am not going to repeat that drive with the car as is.

Now regarding the said modifications, I want to swap the OE 15" for some lighter 16" pieces when possible, I'm also thinking about upgrading suspension components (maybe B4 or B6, not a big fan of coil-overs or impractical lowering), a few call-me-pretty bits like a set of LED headlights here and Focus RS-style bumpers there in the long run. As quality-of-life upgrades, might get a Mountune short-shift arm on top of CAI and a nice exhaust to mask that sound of a 4-cylinder ninja blender, maybe yank out some unnecessary parts to remove a little bit of weight, etc (I have no use for a back seat in my car). Of course I would love to add another 40-50 hp, and I know that's not the engine for the task, turbo is not an option and ST sent regards. However being as stubborn and curious as I am, if I had the know-how, I'd definitely be messing around (if things go bad I can still temporarily drive my in-law's car, it's an Escape Ecoboost FWD and oh boy does that thing pull with "only" 240hp) so I'd like to ask. Have any of you gone far dirty with your Fiesta to get some extra bits of performance out of the 1.6 NA engine? If nothing at all is possible, is there at least a way to improve throttle response? This alone would definitely be a night and day change. I am going to keep this car for at least 5 years (unless I can trade it in for a really good ST) so I'm willing to go beyond bolt-ons if need be and handle whatever the outcome is. Might become my ARA 2WD Class retirement project ultimately lol Thank y'all for your time and input

 

[Handy Andy]

Wow...quite a tall order - but if you look around we share many of those same concerns so if there are specifics you need to try to find - use the SEARCH bar and see if there are topics already mentioning this that can help you

But mostly - to applaud you but to also emphasize the need to investigate - it's not a simple "jack up the car" but more of a intuitive and with this response to this action - type of investigation.

For your "warp" disclosure may indicate more of a bent rim onto a even more serious discovery of a bent or worn CV-Axle that when fixed, may have left a bigger out-of-round hole that now the steering knuckle and the associated ball joint and arm also be to be replaced as well as a seal back at the transaxle.

As far as the other tweaks - remember that this is not an ST nor an ST-line which means the PCM and all associated parts connected to it are also - OUT OF BOUNDS to changes in the Firmware - although some smaller changes to the features can be accomplished using FORScan - the bulk of the power curves and throttle response is still out in left field so your better options are to fix the power to weight ratios instead of making the engine produce more - it's only going to shorten it's life a lot sooner and accomplish nothing more than become a money pit.

As you work this thru we may have more options but until you find those first small quirks - the power tweaks and body changes are going to have to wait.

 

[saltiel]

Wow...quite a tall order - but if you look around we share many of those same concerns so if there are specifics you need to try to find - use the SEARCH bar and see if there are topics already mentioning this that can help you

But mostly - to applaud you but to also emphasize the need to investigate - it's not a simple "jack up the car" but more of a intuitive and with this response to this action - type of investigation.

For your "warp" disclosure may indicate more of a bent rim onto a even more serious discovery of a bent or worn CV-Axle that when fixed, may have left a bigger out-of-round hole that now the steering knuckle and the associated ball joint and arm also be to be replaced as well as a seal back at the transaxle.

As far as the other tweaks - remember that this is not an ST nor an ST-line which means the PCM and all associated parts connected to it are also - OUT OF BOUNDS to changes in the Firmware - although some smaller changes to the features can be accomplished using FORScan - the bulk of the power curves and throttle response is still out in left field so your better options are to fix the power to weight ratios instead of making the engine produce more - it's only going to shorten it's life a lot sooner and accomplish nothing more than become a money pit.

As you work this thru we may have more options but until you find those first small quirks - the power tweaks and body changes are going to have to wait.

Giving my post another read earlier today I realized I could've and should've structured it much better, as well as given more information about what exactly I want to do with my car. It's good that it at least served as an introduction to the whole pro(blem)ject, which can be better broken down into 3 main parts:

I. Handling/performance mods: which will consist simply of firmer shocks and/or slightly lower springs, lighter wheels and better tires, could remove backseat too. After all this is still my trusty daily driver and I just want an extra giggle on my way home, and I enjoy short-throw shifters in slow cars, a friend had it installed on both his E30 3 series, very fun even at school zone speeds, so I'm definitely getting one before the UK lads stop making it;

II. Theoretical/pipe dream performance mods: Anyone ever tried making a Fiesta 1.6T AWD-GR Yaris/Corolla swap widebody during spring break? Asking for a friend;

III. Brake pedal vibration/misaligned steering: Thank you very much Andy for the information provided especially on this one which is the most important of all covered topics and I'm sorry you had to navigate and make sense out of that messy post on your own. I will surely take my time around these systems and make sure my car is able to at least function as intended and guaranteed by the manufacturer, before even thinking of altering anything to my taste.

 

[Handy Andy]

Don't worry - you're ok - it's really a lot easier to read than some posts we've had, that left us wondering - "Ok...how do you answer that?"

So in your writings, I sense a feeling of "You want to drive the thing, but what will make this more driveable so I can drive it?"

We all of us have been there and done that - we'll just get to the basics.

Ok, you mentioned you have 15 - steels and wish to go to a lighter 16" wheel - yes, I too have those 16" in "spokes" but to be honest that lighter weight wheel has drawbacks with the feel of the road versus what others might like as a firmness the steelies provide in feel of a weighted effect that those heavier rims provide when it comes to road vibration and harmonics that can arise from the pavement and the tire "singing" due to the freeplay in the bearings, T-rods and suspension that the stiffer shocks might not be able to tame, making certain trips on certain roads a tiresome endeavor that would make some wish they have taken a graveled road for a sense of real fatigue versus the effort of keeping it between the lines on a smooth surface just to prevent the numbness that singing harmonics can do to someone's physique.

You can also look for posts like from @scotman or @econoboxrocks or @manbearpig and @SyntheticAtmosphere and @LionsTooth (If I forgot anyone forgive me - you really should be helping this guy along you know...) Along with topics you just mentioned - Tires and Suspension - you'll find the posters above putting in their comments and adding to the knowledge base to help speed your efforts along...

Ok, we talked about the spokes for a reason, when you swap out those 15" to a larger diameter rim size, the proportions of the "Wheel to Brake and Hub" effects become pronounced. As in - the Drums, or Rotors - their diameter and design clearance size was "pre-set" to fit into a 14" to 15" rim and yet look beefy enough to be a working mechanism in the styling of the cars agility - but overdoing the Rim size opens the space - maybe too much - kinda' looks goofy, like you are waiting to find someone to advertise in the spokes of the wheels to help provide some income while your drive the city streets.

​

Hey, remember to do a search because we post a lot of pics to help others find their way in all of this - in more ways than one. So to look at a new rim with "spokes" would be of a set of posts regarding rusty drums and how they make a car look - er, bad - not a true performance hit but it brings up the realm of Rim size to wheel and the level of space you'll have to cover with - whatever floats your boat.

Read these threads...
https://www.fordfiesta.org/threads/what-did-you-do-to-your-fiesta-today.562/post-18905
https://www.fordfiesta.org/threads/brake-upgrade-for-an-se.7703/post-17881
https://www.fordfiesta.org/threads/2015-se-hb-build.7797/post-17666

Just a few of our posters commenting and their input on just painting Drums

So it might pay to do a search to help you locate the stuff you might want to look into - I hope it helps!

 

[econoboxrocks]

I would leave it stock, keep it clean, and save my pennies for an ST. Ford already made a Fiesta that will do what you're looking for.
Save yourself the time and trouble of modifying a car that will never make more than 120 hp and112 tq at the crank. Get one that does twice that out of the box, no problem.
I'm rocking 210 whp/276 wtq with the mods in my signature on the stock turbo. Stone reliable.