Car feels twitchy and is loose
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Over the last few months I have done a few suspension mods like a BMR K-member, a Spohn 1” sway bar, and a Spohn adj. torque arm. After I installed the K-member I had the front-end aligned.
On the street the steering feels twitchy and the above 75mph the car does not feel as under control as it did in the past. It also feel loose like it wants to get away from you when you are past ~60mph and at WOT.
At the track the car is loose (some runs are better than others) and I have to fight to keep it straight past the 1/8 mile as the rear seems to be swaying back and forth. At first I thought I was running my slicks too low (14psi) but the car feels only a little better with 17psi in the slicks. The car was not loose in the past. The loose feeling is definitely much worse with you are at WOT than if you were just going fast.
I have checked the installation of the K-member, sway bar, and the torque arm and everything is tight and torque to specs.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
John
On the street the steering feels twitchy and the above 75mph the car does not feel as under control as it did in the past. It also feel loose like it wants to get away from you when you are past ~60mph and at WOT.
At the track the car is loose (some runs are better than others) and I have to fight to keep it straight past the 1/8 mile as the rear seems to be swaying back and forth. At first I thought I was running my slicks too low (14psi) but the car feels only a little better with 17psi in the slicks. The car was not loose in the past. The loose feeling is definitely much worse with you are at WOT than if you were just going fast.
I have checked the installation of the K-member, sway bar, and the torque arm and everything is tight and torque to specs.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
John
Last edited by JNorris; 02-07-2005 at 02:14 PM.
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Thanks for all the replys.
One thing I noticed after the K-member install is that when I lift the car to put the skinnies on the tires pull in at the bottom much more that it did with the stock K-member. It seems like maybe I have too much camber.
The car transfers weight well and carries a nose-up stance down the track. I think this (front suspension not at full load) is amplifying the problem like SMOKIN01TA suggested.
Maybe I should have the car aligned with the front suspension lifted (unloaded) about 2 inches to simulate race conditions?
Below are the after alignment specs.
------------Left-----------Right
Camber-----(.7)------------(.4)
Toe---------(0)-----------(-.03)
Cross Camber = .03
Total Toe = -.02
John
One thing I noticed after the K-member install is that when I lift the car to put the skinnies on the tires pull in at the bottom much more that it did with the stock K-member. It seems like maybe I have too much camber.
The car transfers weight well and carries a nose-up stance down the track. I think this (front suspension not at full load) is amplifying the problem like SMOKIN01TA suggested.
Maybe I should have the car aligned with the front suspension lifted (unloaded) about 2 inches to simulate race conditions?
Below are the after alignment specs.
------------Left-----------Right
Camber-----(.7)------------(.4)
Toe---------(0)-----------(-.03)
Cross Camber = .03
Total Toe = -.02
John
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Originally Posted by JNorris
Thanks for all the replys.
One thing I noticed after the K-member install is that when I lift the car to put the skinnies on the tires pull in at the bottom much more that it did with the stock K-member. It seems like maybe I have too much camber.
The car transfers weight well and carries a nose-up stance down the track. I think this (front suspension not at full load) is amplifying the problem like SMOKIN01TA suggested.
Maybe I should have the car aligned with the front suspension lifted (unloaded) about 2 inches to simulate race conditions?
Below are the after alignment specs.
------------Left-----------Right
Camber-----(.7)------------(.4)
Toe---------(0)-----------(-.03)
Cross Camber = .03
Total Toe = -.02
John
One thing I noticed after the K-member install is that when I lift the car to put the skinnies on the tires pull in at the bottom much more that it did with the stock K-member. It seems like maybe I have too much camber.
The car transfers weight well and carries a nose-up stance down the track. I think this (front suspension not at full load) is amplifying the problem like SMOKIN01TA suggested.
Maybe I should have the car aligned with the front suspension lifted (unloaded) about 2 inches to simulate race conditions?
Below are the after alignment specs.
------------Left-----------Right
Camber-----(.7)------------(.4)
Toe---------(0)-----------(-.03)
Cross Camber = .03
Total Toe = -.02
John
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Originally Posted by SMOKIN01TA
i spend 2 hours alignining my car at a friends shop, i checked mine with two guys siting on the radiator to simulate braking, jacked it up 3-4 inches to simulate wot and checked it a normal height. just make sure when its jacked up you still have some toe in, and by looking at your current toe you proably getting toe out on wot which is a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad thing unless you like repainting fenders.
What alignment specs do you recommend?
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Originally Posted by JNorris
What alignment specs do you recommend?
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I hate to sound stupid but don't tubular k-members seriously loosen the car as opposed to a boxed one?
That's what the autocross guys always say, that the aftermarket k-members really weaken front-end handling. Maybe that is making the whole car wobbly....
That's what the autocross guys always say, that the aftermarket k-members really weaken front-end handling. Maybe that is making the whole car wobbly....