Cadillac CTS-V 2004-2007 (Gen I) The Caddy with an Attitude...

Weird walking out feeling from rear of car when cornering??

Old 04-14-2012, 04:17 AM
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Default Weird walking out feeling from rear of car when cornering??

Ok guys,
My old car i sold my buddy did this but i just chalked it up to having cut springs on it. Well tonight, I noticed this V does it too and it isn't even dropped yet. I have the stuff in the garage but i have yet to install it and now im considering coilovers but anyway... I noticed tonight that it has that same feel to it when cornering that my old car had.

I got on it pretty good leaving where we were hanging out with some friends. Did a solid rollout and hit it in first and went through the gears doing quite a bit of spinning into 3rd. The car pulled hard but when i was coming up to an off ramp with a long sweeping right hand turn, i hit it kind of quick and the rear of the car had that weird walking out sideways feel to it. I don't know how else to explain it. It just didn't feel nice and planted like i expected it to. Felt kind of unstable to me. Best example i can give is that it felt like i had a low tire or something and it was allowing the rear to wash around a bit but i checked them all and they are all good.

What would cause this? Bushings of some sort? Sway bar? What??

Whatever it is, i'd like to fix/replace it because like i said, my old car did it and apparently its something all V's do when you aggressively take long sweeping corners with them but i'd like to do whatever i can to fix that and tighten the feel of the car up. Hoping the drop will do that for me but figured someone else had to have experienced this with their car and i'm hoping someone has the cure.
Old 04-14-2012, 03:08 PM
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I know others have experienced this. I posted about it when i had my old car and other said they felt that same feeling but i don't remember anyone saying what caused it. Not sure if its the trailing arms or what it is that makes it feel that way but i'd like to get it fixed.

The symptoms i described are a little exaggerated to better explain what it is i'm talking about feeling wise but I know i'm not the only one thats felt it.
Old 04-14-2012, 03:54 PM
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I think you are feeling the subframe bushings moving
Old 04-14-2012, 04:03 PM
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Maybe i'm wrong but I didn't think this car had a subframe?
Old 04-14-2012, 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by NeverSatisfied02
Maybe i'm wrong but I didn't think this car had a subframe?
I think he means the cradle bushings. I have this same problem with mine. It also clunks around when my clutch chatters. I want to get a set of poly bushings but spectre dosent make them anymore. I dont know who else makes them. Creative steel says they may have some in about 1 month. Theyre in the developmental stage now. If you find a fix for this other than bmr let us know
Old 04-14-2012, 08:00 PM
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Based on your description it's either (1) alignment, or (2) the car doing a what a car that actually handles does when you enter a corner - rotate.

What are your rear alignment settings?

Did this feeling occur at corner entry? Mid corner? Corner exit? Were you maintaining throttle or accelerating? If you were maintaining throttle, does it feel more planted if you get on the gas more? What about if you lift off the throttle?
Old 04-14-2012, 08:21 PM
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Possibly cradle bushings. That would make sense.

My alignment is good. No pulls or weird tire wear. Not sure on the exact settings in the rear but I'd assume they are in spec. The feeling was occurring mid corner as I was just steering through it at an aggressive speed. I wasn't on the gas or the brake. About mid corner, it felt a little wishy washy. The car in every other aspect felt solid. My old car def did it worse but I was surprised to feel it again with this one. My old car felt like it would walk out a little back and forth just changing lanes and stuff. Figured it was something to do with running cut springs. Never had any problems out of it and it cornered well as does this one but it would feel kinda unstable at times.
Old 04-14-2012, 08:49 PM
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My suspension bolts were loose when I experienced something like that...every time i'd make a turn going around 30 I could feel it some what wobble side to side. I took it in and they showed me how loose they were...idk how it happened but it did.
Old 04-14-2012, 09:17 PM
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Hmm... I'll have to throw this thing on a lift then and check them all. Thanks for the heads up!
Old 04-14-2012, 10:51 PM
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I'd suspect trailing arm bushings... I havne't messed with mine though. I do know the feeling you're talking about.
Old 04-14-2012, 10:57 PM
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Ah ha... I got my trusty little LED flashlight out and took a quick look to make sure nothing was loose and noticed the bolt on the drivers side trailing arm wasn't all the way up tight to the bushing. Couldn't turn it by hand and don't have any tools with me but I'll be tightening that up tomorrow and see if that improves/fixes it!
Old 04-15-2012, 07:02 PM
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I was having the same issue and thought I broke something. Guess I'll get under and tighten some bolts too
Old 04-15-2012, 07:38 PM
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Glad I'm not the only one. I mean the shitty stock bushings can't be helping at all but I'm sure if it's never been touched before, tightening it up should fix most of it if not all of it.
Old 04-18-2012, 12:50 PM
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Had a lower control arm nut loosen up after an alignment. With these "pinch" type "locking" nuts do not reuse if you can turn them by hand. Especially the axle nuts.
Old 04-18-2012, 02:28 PM
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I'll have to thoroughly check everything just to be safe.
Old 04-19-2012, 07:18 PM
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Originally Posted by NeverSatisfied02
My alignment is good. No pulls or weird tire wear. Not sure on the exact settings in the rear but I'd assume they are in spec.
A little bit of toe out instead of a little bit of toe in would have no impact on tire wear, wouldn't be anything you'd notice visually, but would definitely make the rear end feel less planted. Assuming your alignment is good is a poor assumption, IMO. And even if your alignment is "in spec", that doesn't mean it's any good, as the tolerances allow one to have a pretty substandard alignment yet still be "in spec."

Obviously, checking to make sure everything is tight is free, so do that first. But then I'd look at having the alignment checked.
Old 04-19-2012, 07:54 PM
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Yeah man, that's prob a good idea. I'm about to throw true forged staggered 20's on it so I'll def align it just to be safe.
Old 04-20-2012, 09:27 AM
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If you are doing the wheels soon, I'd wait on the alignment then...unless you dont mind paying for another alignment after the new wheels too.
Old 04-20-2012, 10:03 AM
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I'm waiting on the wheels. I'd rather do it once and be done
Old 04-20-2012, 10:26 AM
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why would you need an alignment with new wheels? you guys ever see the the stock subframe bushings.. they are not solid and deflect with finger pressure stock.. IF all your bolts are torque'd to spec.. thats the culprit



check the difference between specter bushings and TSB white bushings.. which dont do enuff either... look at the voids that the SpecWerks fingers fill..

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