Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (long)
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (long)
Carried over with all the good ideas from this topic http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=581888
>Tire pressure - especially differentials between front and rear
tire pressure is good and within 2-3 lbs corner to corner - I dont have an air compressor here so I matched the pressure in the lowest tire -29psi
>connection at front sway bar
Zwede wins on this one - very loose on the drivers side - incredibly loose on the passenger side - since the outside of the turn in question from the last thread was the passenger side - this might be a winner - kept going though
>rear strut rod lock nuts
checked - still very tight - no problem here
>rear strut bracket to center section bolts
still tight - guess that red threadlocker works
>side yoke and/or bearing play
none detectable - thank god :hurray:
>rear toe
all shims in place - no room for movement of the trailing arm - side to side - since alignment was previously good and there is seemingly no way this could have changed - I moved on
>loose or worn front a-arm bushings
front bushings showing typical wear - slight cracking but no gross splits or obviously missing rubber
>loose a-arm mounting bolts
plenty tight - these arent going anywhere
>loose or missing a-arm shims
all there, but man there are sure a lot of them - has anybody done offset crossbars (is that what they are called) you know the bar that goes through the upper a-arm bushings and bolts to the upper mounts?
Other ideas that came up
>frame cracks
so far as I can tell, there are no cracks in the frame that are apparent - obviously some areas are hard to see and I didnt get the car a mile up in the air but I feel good
>Ride height
[i] the drivers side ride height was about 3/8" lower than the passenger - in the rear - mostly due to my fat butt I am sure, since I have the long adjustment bolts from VB - I readjusted that.
Here's the shocker.......
>Loose half shaft to bearing companion flange bolts!!!!
On the drivers side - three of the four bolts were loose enough that little to no effort to turn them with a wrench was needed - one in fact had backed out 1/4". I pulled all these guys - went to a local vette dealer (who has a large used parts department) and picked up some french locks - reassembled with french locks and blue threadlocker - these boys arent coming back out on their own
Anyway - I took it for a quick spin (no pun intended) around a few cloverleafs and the car feels much better.
As always - my thanks to the collective help of the forum. I coulda done it without you, but - it still fells good to get the ideas from others.
Nope, wasnt induced, I had passed the road slug and was in steady state cornering, if not slightly accellerating. The new tires on the rear are same make and model of tire, although the tread pattern has changed so maybe there was some internal changes as well.
I used to enjoy "power induced" oversteer when I actually had some - my poor L-82 just aint up to snuff in that department.
I will be checking for the following this afternoon.....
(snip list for below)
hows that for a start
I used to enjoy "power induced" oversteer when I actually had some - my poor L-82 just aint up to snuff in that department.
I will be checking for the following this afternoon.....
(snip list for below)
hows that for a start
tire pressure is good and within 2-3 lbs corner to corner - I dont have an air compressor here so I matched the pressure in the lowest tire -29psi
>connection at front sway bar
Zwede wins on this one - very loose on the drivers side - incredibly loose on the passenger side - since the outside of the turn in question from the last thread was the passenger side - this might be a winner - kept going though
>rear strut rod lock nuts
checked - still very tight - no problem here
>rear strut bracket to center section bolts
still tight - guess that red threadlocker works
>side yoke and/or bearing play
none detectable - thank god :hurray:
>rear toe
all shims in place - no room for movement of the trailing arm - side to side - since alignment was previously good and there is seemingly no way this could have changed - I moved on
>loose or worn front a-arm bushings
front bushings showing typical wear - slight cracking but no gross splits or obviously missing rubber
>loose a-arm mounting bolts
plenty tight - these arent going anywhere
>loose or missing a-arm shims
all there, but man there are sure a lot of them - has anybody done offset crossbars (is that what they are called) you know the bar that goes through the upper a-arm bushings and bolts to the upper mounts?
Other ideas that came up
>frame cracks
so far as I can tell, there are no cracks in the frame that are apparent - obviously some areas are hard to see and I didnt get the car a mile up in the air but I feel good
>Ride height
[i] the drivers side ride height was about 3/8" lower than the passenger - in the rear - mostly due to my fat butt I am sure, since I have the long adjustment bolts from VB - I readjusted that.
Here's the shocker.......
>Loose half shaft to bearing companion flange bolts!!!!
On the drivers side - three of the four bolts were loose enough that little to no effort to turn them with a wrench was needed - one in fact had backed out 1/4". I pulled all these guys - went to a local vette dealer (who has a large used parts department) and picked up some french locks - reassembled with french locks and blue threadlocker - these boys arent coming back out on their own
Anyway - I took it for a quick spin (no pun intended) around a few cloverleafs and the car feels much better.
As always - my thanks to the collective help of the forum. I coulda done it without you, but - it still fells good to get the ideas from others.
#2
Race Director
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (fauxrs)
half-shafts are an integral part of the suspension.
:smash: reminds me to check those bolts once in a while :seeya
:smash: reminds me to check those bolts once in a while :seeya
#3
Drifting
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: Valencia (near LA) CA
Posts: 1,600
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Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (Matt Gruber)
When I started removing engine parts to pull the engine I was amazed at how many loose bolts I came across :eek: The left exhaust manifold bolts were all only finger tight! Plus about a dozen other bolts here and there.
I think I'll crawl under the car tonight and check every in the back.
~Jay
I think I'll crawl under the car tonight and check every in the back.
~Jay
#4
Race Director
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (Jay M)
i'm surprised how many bolts are loose on brand new cars :eek: but the oil filter is ALWAYS real tight :rolleyes:
#6
Team Owner
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (paul79)
What is the max pressure for your tires? 29 seems awfully low. Mine are a max 44 and they seem to work the best around 36-38 hot
#7
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (gkull)
What is the max pressure for your tires? 29 seems awfully low. Mine are a max 44 and they seem to work the best around 36-38 hot
My buddys 64 BelAir has Radial T/A's and they have a max of 35 as well, my tires are comparable so I feel a little better - in any case - I topped the pressure off yesterday as well. I just lowered them down so they would all match when I went out to test drive it.
#8
Race Director
Member Since: Nov 2000
Location: Waterloo ontario Canada
Posts: 11,872
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Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (fauxrs)
loose or missing a-arm shims
all there, but man there are sure a lot of them - has anybody done offset crossbars (is that what they are called) you know the bar that goes through the upper a-arm bushings and bolts to the upper mounts?
Yes TRW sells a offset cross shaft that is move 1/4 inch back from stock to increase caster without shims.
I personally slotted by cross shafts 1/4 inch and have 5 degrees of positive caster with only I shim. I too hated the pile of shims to only get 2 3/4 degrees of positive caster.
all there, but man there are sure a lot of them - has anybody done offset crossbars (is that what they are called) you know the bar that goes through the upper a-arm bushings and bolts to the upper mounts?
Yes TRW sells a offset cross shaft that is move 1/4 inch back from stock to increase caster without shims.
I personally slotted by cross shafts 1/4 inch and have 5 degrees of positive caster with only I shim. I too hated the pile of shims to only get 2 3/4 degrees of positive caster.
#9
Melting Slicks
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (fauxrs)
What gear did you have it in? I discovered that when I'm cornering like on an onramp my car hugs the corner well in 3rd, but if I have it in 2nd then the torque from the higher revs will break the tires loose.
In other words maybe the nut behind the wheel is loose? :jester
In other words maybe the nut behind the wheel is loose? :jester
#10
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (Rockn-Roll)
In other words maybe the nut behind the wheel is loose? :jester
Nope - in 5th gear :steering: :hurray: :party:
#11
Team Owner
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (fauxrs)
I had the rear strut mounting flange/bracket come off the differential housing, it was getting looser and looser, untill the final bolt failed, I was on the freeway some years ago when this happened, I knew there was trouble, but tires were good, and no noise, just loose as a goose....I drove it home that way, it was a hell of a drive/fighting the wheel all the way....
when I found what happened, I put locktite, and lock washers on the new bolts....no troubles since, I marked the bolts too, just to be sure when I check....paranoid reigns supreme....
I dunno why they came loose, lucky they didn't break off....but 4 missing bolts, clean as a whistle...
GENE
when I found what happened, I put locktite, and lock washers on the new bolts....no troubles since, I marked the bolts too, just to be sure when I check....paranoid reigns supreme....
I dunno why they came loose, lucky they didn't break off....but 4 missing bolts, clean as a whistle...
GENE
#12
Re: Instant and excessive oversteer - FOLLOW UP (Rockn-Roll)
In other words maybe the nut behind the wheel is loose? :jester
[Modified by sd pacecar, 4:14 PM 6/15/2003]