great421

iTrader: (1)

MY CAR:

96 LT1 M6 STS 10-bolt car - 160K miles
with new Goodyear GS - D3 F1s 275 Front / 285 rears and an alignment


REAR SUSPENSION mods:

Air Bags, LCA Relocation Brackets, Adjustable LCAs with Helm joints, double adjustable Panrod bar with a Helm joint, an adjustable Torque Arm (set to -3.5 degrees!), and poly bushings on my anti-sway bar. (Shocks / Springs - replaced with new / stock units at 70K miles) Oh, bolt in Sub-Frame Connectors too.


FRONT SUSPENSION mods:

Almost nothing; only poly bushings on the anti-sway bar. Struts / Springs - replaced with new / stock units (at 70K miles) and a Strut Tower brace. Entire Steering rack replaced and new outer tie rod ends too (this summer).


MY QUESTION:

What can be done to remove the slight neutral / dead spot on center of the steering?

I ask because yesterday I drove a new Solstice GXP and a new Vette, both do not have that dead spot on center when steering; they are both very tight. I thought my car was in good shape until I drove those new cars.

Is there anything I can do to a car with 160K miles on it so it steers and acts "as new"?


Thanks in advance!

JamRWS6

Comparing a 160K mile 13 year old car to a brand new car is a little funny, did you think they would feel the same?

If you want your car to feel as it did when it was new then replacing front suspension components is what you'll have to do. And if the stock shocks have 90K since they were replaced its obviously time to do that again.

As front suspension items wear (bushings, tie rods, etc) it will all loosen up. Replacing those items will tighten things back up if thats what you're looking for.

If you really want the car to drive more like those cars you test drove you're going to have to go w/ quality shocks and a good set of lowering springs; along w/ a poly or rod ended PHB and a good set of SFCs will stiffen the car up.

great421

iTrader: (1)

Do any of the suspension (UMI / BMR) reps have any thoughts? LMK!

JD_AMG

Well first and foremost your biggest problem here is you are on the shitty factory shocks, it doesn't matter if they are brand new or not, their dampening abilities are very lacking. While you may think that something like shocks do not effect steering feel, they do, but not directly. I replaced my "better WS6" decarbon shocks at 40,000 miles with some 4/3 koni SA shocks and words truly cannot describe how much of good change they made to the way the car rode, handled, felt and was balanced in turns, I was simply dumbfounded that shocks could make that big of a change, it made the car feel like a higher end German sports sedan, very neutral and balanced and you could throw the car into turns at speeds you wouldn't even dare to before and the car would gracefully eat the corners up telling you everything that it is doing.
Then if thats not enough for you, you can upgrade your swaybars to a good matching set (like stranos 35/22mm set). The 35mm front bar definitely improved steering response, but made the car feel weird with the unmatched 19mm stock rear bar. After getting the 22mm rear bar the balance was restored and the car was much flatter and more responsive in turns. The konis + the swaybars on my car with otherwise stock suspension kinda reminded me of a base C5 vette, and after the strano springs the base vette feels a little sloppy in comparison...

great421

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I was kinda' of the mindset that my shocks & struts were probably next on the list of things to upgrade - given the fact that they have 90k miles on them.

Did your change address / improve the on center streering neutral / 'dead' spot, or did it improve all aspects of your steering?

transwiz

iTrader: (26)

I agree with the post by JD AMG,I was also amazed with the results of the install of Koni
4/3 shocks.It was like I was driving a whole new car.After I put on the strano hollow sway bars I was in shock at the way the car behaved.You would be amazed at the difference a set of good shocks will make.The last thing I bought was a fays2 watts link.Boy does that sucker feel glued to the ground.You would be supprised at what you can do to an f body.I still want a vette but I would have to do a lot of mods to one of those make it handle better than my t/a.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Konis can cure world hunger, too!


Now, to actually answer this guy's question and not try and sell him something, sounds to me like you have too much toe-in.

Get an alignment with -0,5* camber and zero toe and I bet that a vast majority of that lazy steering response will go away.

Also, I see that you replaced your steering rack recently. There has been some discussion recently about 2 different steering racks, one having a more aggressive ratio than the other. Maybe you got a "lazy" rack.

Now, having said that, you do realize that a Solstice and Vette both have close to 50/50 weight balance and like said above, your car is a little long in the tooth. So an apples to apples comparison really isn't fair.

BassProCamaro97

iTrader: (10)

I'd check the front alignment and see if everything is within the factory spec.

These cars are getting a little older and it's natural for parts to wear and loosen a little bit. First thing I would check is that the steering rack is setup and aligned correctly.

I had almost no slop in my steering when my car was still on the road.

As far as the apples to apples comparison, I once compared my steering to my uncles 67 GTO and mine felt like a Ferrari compared to that. He had probably 25-35 degrees of play in the wheel before it bit!!

~Jim~

therealcreeper

iTrader: (37)

35/21 swaybars and shocks. springs if you so choose. i hate the expression because it's so over-used but it really feels like an entirely different car.

great421

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I felt that very same way after all the UMI parts on the REAR suspension were done - WOW! It just bites and goes!

Sounds like Shocks & Struts will be next (and another alignment) - we'll see after that.

great421

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, my 61 Ventura, 66 2+2, and 74 Lemans Sport Coupe are nowhere near as tight as the Formula!

They feel like land yachts (spelling?) relative to the F-body!

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

With 160K miles on the clock, I'd be replacing ball joints, control arm bushings, and maybe add a "rag joint eliminator". Then probably shocks.

great421

iTrader: (1)

Makes sense, if I got it disassembled (for the front struts) anyway...